Word: bossa
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...single album, the result can be hors d'oeuvre music: varied and savory, but perhaps not as satisfying as a main course. Singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, on her hook-laden debut album, Whoa, Nelly! (DreamWorks), borrows from a wide array of styles, such as pop, rock, hip-hop, bossa nova and even Portuguese fado. But Furtado imbues her work with such sprightly energy that her stylistic mix has real impact. Whoa, Nelly! is more than a plate of appetizers; it's a musical meal...
...rich source of innovative rhythms and original musical ideas. One of the best songs,...On the Radio, is a hip-hoppy declaration of independence in which Furtado dedicates herself not just to climbing the charts but also to charting her own course. Another song, Legend, boasts a bossa nova beat as fresh as a cool breeze on a warm beach, and I'm Like a Bird, the album's first single, is love-at-first-listen, smartly crafted pop. Whoa, Nelly! is one of the season's best and brightest debuts...
...repertoire. Since being signed by Sony Classical at age 18, Grigoryan has segued from flamenco and Argentine tango to Brazilian bossa nova and jazz fusion, to a new transcription of Tchaikovsky's The Seasons, which he's now recording. He's played the hallowed halls of Carnegie and Wigmore, but he's also at home in Sydney's smoky Basement or a womad festival in Reading, England. "Whether he's got his guitar plugged through a sound system or he's sitting down in a string quartet, Slava has a fantastic ability to absorb the spirit of a work...
...title (Joao, Voice and Guitar) says it all--in Brazilian. For his first solo album in nearly a decade, the master of bossa nova opts for stripped-down simplicity. In these 10 songs (which include such Antonio Carlos Jobim-penned standards as Chega de Saudade and Desafinado), the only sounds you hear are the whispery purring of Gilberto's voice and the surefooted, gracefully swaying beat of his acoustic guitar. Who could ask for anything more? This is music to dream by, if your dreams are sensual and melancholy and hopelessly romantic...
...avoiding the fancy bells and whistles that many electronic producers seem unable to resist, LeGassick has instead imbued Summer with an organic, retro feel. Although it may lack some of the lushness of lang's earlier work, it creates a dramatic counterpoint to her shimmering voice. He opens the bossa nova-tinged Summerfling, for example, with a spare drum beat and a chugging organ line, giving lang's voice plenty of room to bob and weave. (Note to LeGassick: next time lose the violins; we felt a sugar overdose coming...