The founder of bossa nova, the man who revolutionized with a whisper… Even today, if you walk through the streets of Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, you’ll find many street musicians singing in imitation of his style.
João Gilberto’s 1977 work Amoroso is one of the most elegant examples of his voice and guitar. In the album, Gilberto embarks on something he almost never did: he begins with a large orchestral arrangement. But he establishes such a fine line that the strings are not a wall; they become a breathing atmosphere that embraces the micro-rhythms of Gilberto's guitar.
The legendary arranger Claus Ogerman, who worked with Sinatra, Jobim, and Bill Evans, crafted it meticulously. When his silky strings meet Gilberto's minimalist approach, one gets a sense of "floatiness": the songs seem not to touch the ground, but to sway lightly. Gilberto's voice is almost a whisper, as always; yet its weight is felt in every word.
Gilberto's most "luxurious" but perhaps also his "lightest" work.
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