Eddie Daniels Honors Milton Nascimento with To Milton With Love, a Reimagining of the 1969 Classic Courage

Resonance Records announces the release of To Milton With Love, a bold new project from master clarinetist and saxophonist Eddie Daniels, available today on CD and digital download, with a worldwide release to follow on September 19. The album pays homage to Brazilian legend Milton Nascimento through a complete re-creation of his landmark 1969 CTI Records album Courage.

This marks Daniels’ third tribute to icons of Brazilian music, following 2018’s Grammy-nominated Heart of Brazil: A Tribute to Egberto Gismonti and 2020’s Night Kisses: A Tribute to Ivan Lins, both also released by Resonance. Recorded at the label’s Beverly Hills studio and mastered at The Mastering Lab in Salina, Kansas, the album was produced by Resonance founder and co-president George Klabin, whose personal connection to Nascimento’s music helped inspire the project.

Daniels leads a stellar ensemble including Grammy-nominated guitarist Anthony Wilson, pianist Josh Nelson, bassist Kevin Axt, and drummer Ray Brinker. The performances are enriched by the luminous textures of the Lyris String Quartet, with fresh arrangements crafted by Kuno Schmid and Nelson. The package includes liner notes by acclaimed author James Gavin, as well as Klabin’s own remembrance of a fateful night in 1969 when he first encountered a young Nascimento in a New York club—just before the singer recorded Courage at Rudy Van Gelder’s legendary studio.

In revisiting Courage, Daniels and his collaborators chose to honor the spirit of the original while creating something new. The sweeping orchestral settings of 1969 have been distilled into intimate string quartet arrangements, while Daniels’ clarinet and saxophone step in where Nascimento’s unmistakable vocals once stood. The album includes such classics as “Travessia,” “Vera Cruz,” and “Morro Velho,” along with a new Daniels/Nelson original, “For Milton,” which closes the set in poignant tribute.

“Eddie Daniels kept Milton’s singing in mind as he played,” writes Gavin. “‘It’s almost like talking a song—it’s so ethereal. I let myself play some jazz here and there and step out in a simple way that I felt belonged to the song, rather than becoming Bird or Coltrane.’” Daniels’ unmistakable voice shines throughout, bringing his unique blend of joy, virtuosity, and beauty to Nascimento’s beloved music.

With To Milton With Love, Daniels once again reaffirms his mastery of Brazilian-inspired jazz and his gift for channeling deep emotional expression through instrumental performance.

Tracklist:

1. Travessia (4:44)

2. Vera Cruz (4:48)

3. Tres Pontas (5:28)

4. Outubro (5:14)

5. Courage (4:42)

6. Rio Vermelho (3:30)

7. Gira Girou (5:53)

8. Morro Velho (5:41)

9. Catavento (3:59)

10. Cancao Do Sal (3:51)

11. For Milton (5:29)

---