Mais by Marisa Monte

They don't make voices like this anymore, except of course in Brazil, which in the past few decades has produced such world-class singers as Elis Regina, Maria Bethania, and Gal Costa. Add to that exclusive list the name of Marisa Monte, who possesses the pure, liquid voice of Gal to an uncanny degree. Stylistically, Monte is her own woman however, as proved by 1991's MAIS, which was elegantly produced by New York's very own ambassador to Brazil, Arto Lindsay, and features a cast of Downtown luminaries like guitarist Marc Ribot, alto saxophonist John Zorn, and keyboardist Ryuichi Sakamoto. Though the roster might make MAIS sound like a trendy super-session, both Monte and Lindsay make sure the songs stay in the foreground. For their part, the non-Brazilian players provide a distinctly NYC high-end funk. Monte remains in firm control of her first-rate material, like the lovely "Ainda Lembro" and (reaching back to pre-bossa nova days) the stately "Rosa," from Rio legend Pixinguinha.