Bebel Gilberto
With the release of her debutTanto Tempoin 2000, the Brazilian singer  Bebel Gilberto and the late DJ Suba redefined the bossa nova sound. Her  sophomore effort, produced by Marius de Vries, the soundmeister behind  Madonna, Annie Lennox and Bjork, was recorded in Rio, Bahia, London and New  York. Gilberto's cool contralto sings sweetly over  synths, strings, percussion acoustic piano and horns. Daniel Jobim and Pedro  Baby contributed compositions. Caetano Veloso's "Baby" features lyrics by  Os Mutantes, and Carlinhos Brown's candomblé-cadenced, "Aganju" swings with  a nod to Africa. Bebel's hushed vocals reveal the influences of her  father, the legendary Joao Gilberto, and of her mother Miucha on the  electro-bossa beats of "Winter." Ditto the ocean-breezed "O Caminho," with  jazzy orchestrations and pianisms provided by Joao Donato. This disc aims  for the ear rather than the hips, but don't be surprised if future remixes  could flip that sonic script.--Eugene Holley, Jr.