Brazil’s best kept secret (until now!), Luiz Millan delivers a passionate musical message through Brazilian Match, his fifth solo album and the first one destined to reach a global audience.

Produced by Arnaldo DeSouteiro for the LA-based label Jazz Station Records (JSR) and arranged by Michel Freidenson, Brazilian Match features an unbelievable all-star cast: multi-Grammy winners David Sanborn, Randy Brecker and Mark Egan are among the main soloists, along with The New York Voices, Eddie Daniels, Mike Mainieri, Ada Rovatti, John Tropea, Barry Finnerty, Danny Gottlieb, Josh Marcum, singers Ellen Johnson, Alice Soyer, Lisa Ono, Clémentine and Giana Viscardi, plus two dozen of Brazil’s greatest players.

Millan’s music is an oasis in a noisy and turbulent world. He follows the tradition of such Brazilian musical heroes as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Luiz Bonfá, João Gilberto, Ivan Lins, Marcos Valle, Edu Lobo and Chico Buarque, but is his own man and moves a step forward in the evolution of Brazilian popular music, updating and adding new colors to the bossa nova genre, redefining its expressive potential.

1. Pacuíba
2. Full Moon
3. Andar Descalço
4. In The Grove of the Jacarandes
5. Madrugada
6. Morungaba
7. Quem Sabe
8. Still Looking at the Moon
9. Sopro de Esperança
10. Montparnass
11. Que Os Ventos Limpem Os Tempos
12. Ecos de Juventude
13. Morungaba [Bonus Track]
14. Farrapos de Lua [Bonus Track]
15. Lua Cheia [Bonus Track]
16. Século XXI [Bonus Track]

This delightfully-opulent new recording opens on the exuberantly smooth Pacuíba (and which features the guitar styling of John Tropea), and the luxuriant ballad Full Moon (with vocals from New York Voices and bassist Mark Egan), and they are followed by the mid-tempo bossa-pop vibe of Andar Descalço (with vocals by Giana Viscardi & Luiz Millan and featuring Randy Brecker), the lush gossamer of In The Grove of the Jacarandes (with vocals by Ellen Johnson and featuring both David Sanborn and Mark Egan), the almost cinematic instrumental Madrugada (featuring clarinet virtuoso Eddie Daniels and vibraphone master Mike Mainieri), and then we get the warm fluidity of the Portuguese-sung Morungaba (with vocals by Lisa Ono and featuring Randy Brecker).

Along next is the Latin jazz extravaganza brought forth on the delightful instrumental Quem Sabe (featuring Italian tenorist Ada Rovatti and Michel Freidenson) and the smooth R&B of Still Looking at the Moon (with vocals by Alice Soyer), and they are in turn backed by Sopro de Esperança (with vocals from Giana Viscardi and Luiz Millan), the French-charmed Montparnass (with vocals by French jazz & bossa singer Clémentine and featuring Eddie Daniels), and then come the cinematically-hued Que Os Ventos Limpem Os Tempos (with vocals by Luiz Millan) and the delicately-sculpted Ecos de Juventude (with vocals by Millan and featuring Jorge Pinheiro).

The four bonus tracks open with the Clémentine-sung Morungaba, the sweet elegance within Farrapos de Lua (with vocals by Giana Viscardi and Luiz Millan), a dulcet Lua Cheia (with vocals by Luiz Millan and Jorge Pinheiro), the collection coming to a close on the languishing beauty found within the .45 second Século XXI (with vocals by Millan and featuring the harmonica work of Humberto Clayber de Souza).

“A composer’s composer, Millan is a multi-dimensional artist,” says producer Arnaldo DeSouteiro, who has worked extensively with Jobim, Gilberto, Bonfá, Eumir Deodato, Dom Um Romão, Ithamara Koorax and João Donato. “A great melodist who also happens to be a great poet, a fabulous storyteller; a painter of wonderful sonic landscapes. He deals with the notes like a painter deals with palettes and colors. The most beautiful images and feelings flow beneath his songs.”

The producer then set about calling his “superfriends,” to give to Millan’s songwriting art the proper frame - a much deserved jazz color that could match his Brazilian soul and make justice to the level of his tremendous body of work, creating an album that would give him international exposure. “If you are able to work with the best musicians on the planet, why not?”, he adds.

Luiz Millan - MORUNGABA (Moacyr Zwarg & Luiz Millan) com Giana Viscardi e Luiz Millan [Official Video]

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