Paula Robison, the acclaimed classical flutist, joins with some highly accomplished musicians to produce this tuneful collection of 17 pieces. She's in good company --
Romero Lubambo's elegant, tasteful guitar and
Cyro Baptista's imaginative, responsive percussion have made them both first-call players among Brazilian artists, and the talented Brandao is gaining a reputation for his bass playing (here, he also doubles on the "cavaquinho," the native ukulele). The material varies from traditional chorus to modern sambas, and tracks are short: nine of the them under three minutes long. Robison has an immaculate yet accessible tone; here, framed by the gentle tropical rhythms, she sounds like a drink of cool water at the jungle's edge. She plays everything straight -- there's no "wailing" on this one, with any improvisatory soul provided by Baptista and Lubambo, as far as the time will allow. A few tracks are rather folk-dancey, but there's also a lilting tune by Djavan, "Double Samba," and two rarely recorded
Jobim gems: the haunting "Rain in the Rose Garden," where Baptista is particularly evocative on rainstick, and "Rio Sky," a languid and lovely duet between Robison and Lubambo. Other highlights include the merry "A Party at the Hotel Gloria," complete with samba whistles and singing guests, and two intriguing "Birdsongs": the "wistful" and the "naughty," where Robison experiments with some electronic effects. A light and sunny Brazilian buffet.