Brazilian vocalist
Patty Ascher focuses mostly on original works for her second CD, blending elements of pop, boss nova, samba, and jazz. She contributed the words to tunes written by her pianist Marcos Pontes. The expressive alto's band also includes saxophonist/flautist Ubaldo Versolate, guitarists
Roberto Menescal and Ronaldo Rayol, bassist Eric Budney, and drummer Nahame Casseb, while a string section is added on some tracks. The breezy samba "Springtime" opens the CD, heavily produced with prominent strings and judicious use of reverb. Her upbeat "Booking Time" sounds like a throwback to 1950s pop transformed into a Brazilian setting. The engaging bossa nova "Saudade" is an uplifting track, though the strings tend to overwhelm it. "The Winter" is almost pure pop, awash in strings with both an unremarkable melody and lyric. But the strongest performance is the well-known standard "The Summer Knows" (written by
Michel Legrand with words by Alan & Marilyn Bergman), arranged by the noted guitarist
Dori Caymmi. Although the strings are a bit too prominent in the mix,
Ascher's robust voice comes through, catching the nuances of this melancholy song. ~ Ken Dryden