TV REVIEW : Sounds of Brazilian Pop on Bravo

Milton Nascimento, the multitalented, Rio-born singer and songwriter, brings his highly personal brand of expressive Brazilian sounds to an hourlong presentation at 7 and 11:30 tonight on the Bravo cable channel.

Taped at the 1990 Montreal Jazz Festival, where the crowd in the Salle Wilfrid Pelletier received him by acclamation, Nascimento leads a seven-piece band, heavy on percussion, along with keyboards and electric bass.

The program consists of his original works of the caliber that brought him his first fame at the 1967 International Pop Song Festival. Singing, occasionally whistling, humming or simply lapsing into a la-la-la-la finale, he accompanies himself on guitar at times but relies heavily on the band, sometimes leaving the guitar in order to strut around.

The arrangements blend elements of jazz, salsa, miscellaneous Latin America forms and world music. Nascimento leans more on personality than vocal orthodoxy, though in the less hectic numbers, such as “Cais” (for which he plays keyboard) and the fast waltz “San Vincente,” his charm is sufficient.

Wayne Shorter, his old friend on whose “Native Dancer” record he was featured in 1974, shows up with his soprano sax for the sixth tune and remains on stage, building from simple starts to dramatic climaxes.