Pieta [Milton Nascimento] [809274950628]

This album, nominated for a Latin Grammy in the category of Best Brazilian Contemporary Pop Album in 2003, features stellar guests like Maria Rita Mariano, Eumir Deodato, Marina Machado, and Simone Guimaraes on its 16 tracks.
Adapters: Lira Marques; Frei Chico.
Personnel: Milton Nascimento (vocals, whistling, guitar, viola, accordion, hand claps, palmas); Marina Machado (vocals); Wilson Lopes (guitar, acoustic guitar, 10-string guitar, steel guitar, viola, hand claps); Elder Costa (guitar, violin); Gilvan de Oliveira, Pat Metheny (guitar, viola); Tom Capone (guitar, synthesizer, bass synthesizer, hand claps, programming, tapes, palmas); L Borges (guitar); Antonella Pareschi, Eduardo Hack, Mariana Salles, Joao Daltro, Paschoal Perrota, Paula Prates, Rogrio Rosa, Rick Amado, Leo Ortiz, Michel Bessler, Jose Alves (violin); Frederick Stephany, Jesuina Noronha Passaroto, Ricardo Taboada, Jairo Diniz (viola); Deodato (cello, flute, trumpet); David Chew, Flavia Rosa, Hugo Vargas Pilger, Mrcio Mallard, Claudia Grosso Couto Salles, Fernando Bru, Iura Ranevsky, Marcus Ribeiro (cello); Jorge Continentino (flute, fife, saxophone); Widor Santiago (flute, saxophone); Dirceu Leite, Murilo Barquette, Andra Earnest Dias (flute); Cristiano Siqueira (clarinet); Carlos Prazeres (oboe); Flvio Mello, Jess Sadoc (trumpet, bass trumpet); Francisco Soares, Phillip Doyle (trumpet, horns); Nelson Oliveira (trumpet); Vittor Santos, Sergio De Jesus (trombone); Kiko Continentino (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, harmonium, organ); Telo Borges, Herbie Hancock (piano); Lincoln Cheib (drums, hand claps, percussion); Marco Lobo, Ronaldo Silva (hand claps, percussion, palmas); Gastao Villeroy, Carlos Lauleta, Paulo Lafayette, Fernando Rebelo (hand claps, palmas); Fabrcio Montezuma (hand claps); Serginho Silva, Ricardo Cheib (percussion).
Audio Mixers: Fernando Rebelo; Toms Baptista; Alvaro Alencar; Tom Capone; Bill Schnee.
Liner Note Author: Milton Nascimento.
Recording information: Blue Studios; Power Station, New York, NY; Toca Do Bandido.
Photographers: Miguel Aun; Bruno Veiga; Remo Brandalise.
Arrangers: Deodato; Gilvan de Oliveira; Kiko Continentino.
A tribute to his adoptive mother, PIETA finds Brazilian singer/songwriter Milton Nascimento keeping her favorite artists (including Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, and Yma Sumac) in mind. Rather than covering songs made famous by these performers, Nascimento evokes their musical spirits with his expressive voice and a set of mostly original tunes, resulting in a relaxed and beautiful album. Renowned conductor/arranger Eumir Deodato contributes his trademark swooning strings to a number of selections here, including the gentle "Tristesse" and the title track, in which subtle electronics blend with a light acoustic-guitar line and stomping percussion.
Although most of PIETA features a host of Brazilian musicians, two American jazz luminaries-- pianist Herbie Hancock and guitarist Pat Metheny--join Nascimento for a fascinatingly spare take on Hancock's funky "Cantaloupe Island." Though the track might initially seem out of step with the rest of the disc, it proves to be one of the many highlights of this remarkable record, which ranks among Nascimento's best work.