Bebel Gilberto

On her first real studio record since 2000’s Tanto Tempo, bossa-nova heiress Bebel Gilberto steps off the dance floor and into the lounge. The record’s Brazilian cocktail jazz and pop comes with stellar backing, including the London Session Orchestra on four tracks, that also belies Gilberto’s maturing style—so mature that at times a little schmaltz slips in, but the beauty on its arm gets it over. This is a record to pull the Richie Cunningham yawn-and-stretch routine to and get your romance on with—world music without the funny smell and mouth-agape white guys in dashikis. Gilberto’s cool, detached vocals are the focus of each track, with the often-interesting accompaniment getting second billing. Now, if she would explain her appearance on a Kenny G record, she could have her credibility back.