Rio de Janeiro-based musician, Pedro Moraes, began his career in the early 2000s with interpretations of traditional samba and bossa nova standards. However, it wasn't until 2007, with the release of his debut album, Claroescuro, that Moraes's blossoming talents as a jazz and vocal arranger really began to blossom and gain notice in his home country. His samba background, mixed with a modern, fusion jazz sensibility, offers a nice counterbalance to his distinctly poppy crooning style. Moraes flirts with the schmaltzy, lounge singer line a bit at times, but a thorough knowledge and respect for his songs' embedded Brazilian rhythms and styles keep them more on the side of breezy and pleasant Latin jazz-pop.
