Steen Rasmussen & Josefine Cronholm – Milton In Swedish / Milton på svenska

The album is a Collection of Milton Nacimentos compositions with new poetic Swedish Lyrics written for this project by Josefine Cronholm. The album MILTON PÅ SVENSKA is a brilliant, beautiful musical love child, and one that will captivate further legions of listeners with its awe inspiring beauty over time.

Milton Nascimento was the king of Brazilian music in the 1980s. His musical universe is singular, although generations of vocalists and instrumentalists have honored the master by interpreting his work. On Steen Rasmussen’s new album, MILTON IN SWEDISH, listeners are in for far more than just ordinary interpretations.

Throughout his musical career, Danish pianist, composer, and arranger Steen Rasmussen (b. 1968) has focused on integrating modern Brazilian feeling into his releases. An unbridled affinity for the tradition, with his harmonic overview and acute attention to musical detail, has cemented Rasmussen as Denmark’s leading interpreter of contemporary Brazilian music. On MILTON IN SWEDISH, he and his dream team create a beautiful and original musical world where Nascimento’s compositions (and other music associated with him) are given new life in a Nordic context.

Swedish vocalist Josefine Cronholm (b. 1971) has a gift for imbuing material with a naturally soft Swedish sensualism that lifts the lyrics and lets them fly differently than on Nascimento’s original recordings. Her expressive phrasing and beautiful timbre are nothing short of enchanting. Over the years, Cronholm has primarily explored and presented herself through Nordic sounds and songs, but her interpretations here perfectly suit the emotions embedded in Nascimento’s music.

Overall, it sounds as if Steen Rasmussen, Josefine Cronholm, and the other great musicians on this album have approached the music in a period of pure love, respect, and musical intoxication, smitten with the source material and their mission, process, and presentation. Listen, for example, to the interpretation of one of Nascimento’s classics, the ballad Ponta De Areia, in an incomparably beautiful rendition. Josefine can pull her inspiration from real-world experience – she sat in on Milton’s last performance in Copenhagen and sang Tema para Jobim with the master.

We should also take note of the other musicians involved here, who gently blend in and expand the album’s sound palette with their contributions. Take saxophonist Anders Banke’s gracefully supportive lines that seductively weave in and out of the music. Fredrik Damsgaard offers his tastefully insightful bass playing. One of Brazil’s most respected drummers, Celso De Almeida, elegantly spices up the music with gentle subdivisions, and iconic Brazilian vocalist Leo Minax joins the team, lending his timeless voice and guitar playing to Blue Train (Trem Azul). Jonas Krag plays the eminent floating pedal steel on I Hörnet av Hjärtat. Legendary Cuban percussionist Eliel Lazo offers his internationally renowned touch, while Mads Michelsen’s bongos elevate songs and mesmerize listeners. The stunning strings on Pir (Cais) and Korsning (Travessia) may make listeners’ hearts skip a beat.

Take note of the inspiring, original, and respectful arrangements offering soft and light accompaniment. Enjoy each of the inventive, carefully executed solos and Josefine Cronholm’s voice, creatively interpreting the lyrics with consideration and emotional understanding. Cronholm translated and adapted most of the texts into Swedish, and the beautiful Scandinavian language seems tailor-made for Brazilian melodies.

This album is an extraordinary example of how music from two continents can merge into a noble work where concepts of cross-continental understanding make sense to everyone on both sides. MILTON IN SWEDISH is a breathtakingly beautiful cross-cultural love child.

Josefine Cronholm (vocals) – Steen Rasmussen (piano, organ, Rhodes, etc.) – Anders Banke (tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute) – Fredrik Damsgaard (bass) – Celso De Almeida (drums, percussions) 

with

Leo Minax (vocals, guitar) – Jonas Krag (guitar) – Eliel Lazo, Mads Michelsen (percussion) – and others

Pier (Cais) / Ponta De Areia / Pablo / Catavento / Afternoon (Tarde) / Blue Train (Trem Azul) / In the Corner of the Heart (Clube da Esquina) / Cancão de Almeida / White Nights / Crossing (Travessia) / Maria Maria