Milton Nascimento

"Txai" is described as a term of respect for those who are allies of the forest – and such is the focus of this concept album, the end result of a fact-finding voyage through part of the northern Brazilian watershed. Utilizing forces ranging from a simple dialogue between Milton Nascimento's baritone and percussion to a large orchestra and chorus (often arranged by Wagner Tiso), Nascimento shares his thoughts about the rivers and nature, ultimately warning us not to let the forces of capitalism destroy the Amazon rain forest (reinforced by a spoken passage written and narrated by actor River Phoenix). The songs are separated by wild-sounding interludes of folk music from the peoples of the region, and there is a fascinating vocal/percussion arrangement of Heitor Villa-Lobos' "Nozani Na."

To lovers of Brazilian jazz, the pairing of these two legends of the genre amounts to something of a musical orgasm. The only serious misfire isn't really that bad, just a bit incongruous. Why would two consummate Brazilian ambassadors choose to do their one English lyric song – George Harrison's "Something" – as a reggae tune? The groove is silly, but actually some of the guitar work is fun. Just as when Ivan Lins sings in his native Portuguese rather than stilted English, this tandem is most at home conveying emotions that go beyond simple semantics, usually with Gil writing the music and Nascimento the lyrics. "Sebastian" is a moody bass-and-drum driven power ballad which functions as a showcase to their raspy vocals. The romantic, accordion-enhanced "Duas Sanfonas" would be more effective without the guest vocals by Sandy and Junior.

One of Milton Nascimento's most experimental albums, Milagre Dos Peixes was originally released in 1974. Accompanied by the Som Imaginário, Nascimento presented this album in a theater show in Rio and São Paulo, with orchestra, and the result live recorded and released on a double album called Milagre Dos Peixes Ao Vivo. In one of the worst periods of military dictatorship, all lyrics were systematically censored, the reason why the album is instrumental. Not entirely, to be sure. He can be heard crying "Eu Tô Cansado" (I Am Tired), and he also sings the lyrics of "Sacramento," having the boy Nico Borges delivering "Pablo" with that mixture, so dear to Nascimento, of a poor boy's ingenuity filled with a religious aura. It can be said that this album was especially suited for the talents of Naná Vasconcellos, who adds so much life to it. A must-have classic.

Tom Jobim was the originator of the new Bossa Nova beat in Brazil in the late '50s and it was Joao Gilberto that first mastered the guitar technique to introduce it to the world in 1958. They both said that Milton Nascimento was the only singer that could reach the original pitch of the compositions and so it is entirely fitting that he has teamed up here with Tom's son Paulo and grandson Daniel for a recording session to celebrate both Tom Jobim and the anniversary of his invention of the Bossa Nova. Mixing songs by Tom Jobim, Milton Nascimento and Daniel Jobim, this is a true master class in the art of the Bossa and a new milestone in Brazilian music.

It's been far too long since the great Nascimento released an album of new material, but on the basis of this, he's completely on form, not losing his golden touch at all. Dedicated to his late stepmother, it finds Nascimento mining the themes of childhood and love that have always been the very heartbeat of his music. And to help him explore them, he's used some colleagues from the days of the classic Clube Da Esquina, people like Lô Borges and Eumir Deodato. While most of this album is made up of songs, letting Nascimento's brilliantly luminous voice shine, there's also an instrumental excursion, "Cantaloupe Island," that brings in American jazzers Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny. It's pleasant, but hardly up to the high standards of the rest of this disc, such as the glowing saudade of "Tristesse," as powerful a song as any in Nascimento's excellent canon.

Although several of Nascimento's most familiar songs are contained in this debut American release, Milton (Minas) (referring to his home state of Minas Gerais) is a remarkably cohesive piece of work that stands as one of his finest. It includes famous tunes "Carvo e Canela" and "Nada Sera como Antes."

An elaborately produced piece of vinyl, Journey to Dawn was, alas, the result of yet another campaign to prematurely place Nascimento into the U.S. market in a big way. The cosmopolitan tropicalismo movement continued to leave its mark on Nascimento, placing the bossa nova on the back burner and replacing it with an urgency often generated by four-square rock rhythms and electric guitars, percussive sounds from the Brazilian jungle, and some orchestrations from California.