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Luiz Millan: Brazilian Match

By Chris M. Slawecki
September 20, 2023
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Brazilian Match is a tour-de-force of classic and contemporary Brazilian music written by and featuring singer-songwriter

Luiz Millan

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Luiz Millan. Millan's fifth album is a leader is his first for Jazz Station Records and Brazilian jazz impresario

Arnaldo DeSouteiro

producer
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Arnaldo DeSouteiro, whose storied history includes working with

Antonio Carlos Jobim

piano
1927 - 1994

" data-original-title="" title="">Antonio Carlos Jobim,

Eumir Deodato

keyboards
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Eumir Deodato,

Dom Um Romao

drums
1925 - 2005

" data-original-title="" title="">Dom Um Romao,

" data-original-title="" title="">Jo?o Donato, and other legends, and who called Millan "a composer's composer."

"A great melodist who also happens to be a great poet, a fabulous storyteller; a painter of wonderful sonic landscapes," continued producer DeSouteiro. "He deals with the notes like a painter deals with palettes and colors. The most beautiful images and feelings flow beneath his songs."

Everything about Brazilian Match seems to overflow. It is lush, languid, lovely—and lengthy, sumptuously spreading sixteen songs across an hour (long enough for a double-vinyl LP). Thirty contributors include Grammy-winners

Mark Egan

bass
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">Mark Egan,

Randy Brecker

trumpet
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Randy Brecker, and David Sanborn;

Eddie Daniels

clarinet
b.1941

" data-original-title="" title="">Eddie Daniels,

Mike Mainieri

vibraphone
b.1938

" data-original-title="" title="">Mike Mainieri, and other jazz mainstays; and lead and harmony vocal shadings by singers from New York, Japan, France, and (of course) Brazil.

John Tropea

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">John Tropea's rhythm guitar riff rubs and polishes the opening "Pacuiba" into a warm, satisfying glow that lends luster to Millan's smooth vocal. Milan's tone and delivery make it easy for the listener to imagine Jobim writing or singing this welcoming melody. The supple accompaniment echoes pianist and producer

Michel Freidenson

keyboards

" data-original-title="" title="">Michel Freidenson's previous work with other Brazilian singer-songwriters such as

Ivan Lins

piano and vocals
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Ivan Lins and

Djavan

guitar
b.1949

" data-original-title="" title="">Djavan. But Tropea's trademark bouncy yet thoughtfully soulful guitar sound snatches this spotlight.

"Full Moon" (in English) rises on lovely vocal harmony by the

New York Voices

vocals
b.1989

" data-original-title="" title="">New York Voices, as the accompaniment grows from a single acoustic guitar into a romantic sound full of candlelight and moonbeams. Millan sings the bonus version in Portuguese ("Lua Chea") in a vocal so romantic it sounds reverent, and his tonal and emotional reflections of Jobim when Millan strains against the limits of his vocal range are uncanny. Both sides of this English/Portuguese pairing feature

Danny Gottlieb

drums
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Danny Gottlieb (drums) and

Mark Egan

bass
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">Mark Egan (fretless bass), reunited rhythm counterparts from classic late 1970s recordings by the

Pat Metheny

guitar
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Pat Metheny Group.

"Still Looking at the Moon" swings open on

Burt Bacharach

composer / conductor
1928 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Burt Bacharach-sounding horns, with tones that are soft and round and yet somehow stab the heart with pointed poignancy and sadness. Freidenson sketches a similar horn arrangement into the bonus track "Farrapos de Lua" with even more powerful results; Chico Oliveira's double-tracked and solo turns on trumpet and flugelhorn in both these songs deliver some of the best (instrumental) singing of this set. (Brecker's horn dances in "Morungaba" like a pixie chasing the sound of

Herb Alpert

trumpet
b.1935

" data-original-title="" title="">Herb Alpert with The Tijuana Brass.)

"Sopro de Esperan?a" sounds most beautiful of all. Every instrumental performance—but especially the acoustic guitar (

Jorge Pinheiro

guitar, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Jorge Pinheiro), flute (

Teco Cardoso

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Teco Cardoso), and piano solo—seems to shine and sparkle in the mix like rays of sunlight. Drummer

Edu Ribeiro

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Edu Ribeiro masterfully brushes his snare and cymbals to stitch together rhythmic patterns with quiet brilliance.

Even with so many cooks, Brazilian Match serves up great soup.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Pacu��ba; Full Moon; Andar Descal?o; In the Grove of the Jacarandas; Madrugada; Morungaba; Quem Sabe; Still Looking at the Moon; Sopro de Esperan?a; Montparnasse; Que os Ventos Limpem os Tempos; Ecos da Juventude; Morungaba; Farrapos de Lua; Lua Cheia; S��culo XXI.

Personnel

Luiz Millan

vocals

David Sanborn

saxophone

Ellen Johnson

vocals

Mark Egan

bass

Arnaldo DeSouteiro

producer

Mike Mainieri

vibraphone

Eddie Daniels

clarinet

Randy Brecker

trumpet

Camilo Carrara

guitar, acoustic

John Tropea

guitar

Ada Rovatti

saxophone, tenor

Edu Ribeiro

drums

Michel Freidenson

keyboards

New York Voices

vocals

Danny Gottlieb

drums

Lisa Ono

guitar and vocals

Jorge Pinheiro

guitar, acoustic

Alice Soyer

vocals

Giana Viscardi

vocals

Mauricio Zottarelli

drums

Additional Instrumentation

Cl��mentine: vocals; Igor Willcox: drums; Teco Cardoso: sax and flute; Josh Marcum: bass; Sylvio Mazzucca Junior: bass; Humberto Clayber de Souza: harmonica; Luiz Amato: violin; Amanda Martins:violin; Yohanna Alves Pereira: viola; Adriana Holtz: cello; Chico Oliveira: trumpet; Chico Batera: percussion; Barry Finnerty: guitar.

Album information

Title: Brazilian Match | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Jazz Station Records

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