GIL LUMINOSO - GILBERTO GIL
Gilberto Gil has been a major player in Brazil’s music world since the Tropicalia era, yet “Gil Luminoso” is the first album he’s released that’s simply Gil and his guitar. The project, tracked in Rio, features 15 tunes chosen from Gil’s 35-year body of work. The presentation is about as minimal as a singer/songwriter can manage, and the listening experience is definitely stirring. Gil’s voice is as elegant as ever, and his distinctive interpretive gift is alive and well. His guitar work, in the service of an infinitely expressive voice and a collection of memorable tunes, is all it needs to be. The feel of most of the songs is consistently languid — Gil’s samba-cancao “Preciso aprender a so ser,” for instance, though tunes such as “O som de pessoa” and “Cebro electronico” are more uptempo. Billboard
