Bebel Gilberto heats up Montreal’s L’Astral

By TOM HUNTINGTON Arts Correspondent – Published: November 20, 2009

The daughter of legendary Brazilian singer-guitarist Joao Gilberto and beloved Brazilian singer Miucha, the New York City-born Bebel Gilberto has made a major name for herself as one of the sultriest singers alive. A relative unknown at her solo debut, the now classic “Tanto Tempo,” was released in 2000, Gilberto, 43, is now a bona fide international superstar who tours all too infrequently.

A new Bebel Gilberto album is always cause for celebration, and her latest delivers in spades. “All in One,” released in September, conjures the classic bossa nova sound that’s clearly in Bebel’s blood, and continues her winning combination of samba and bossa with pop, jazz and electronic that has become her trademark.

Highlights include several compelling cover tunes, including the classic-sounding Joao tune “Bim Bom,” one of the first-ever bossa nova compositions. Stevie Wonder’s “The Real Thing” is given a gorgeous dance floor-friendly treatment, aided by the magic touch of guest producer Mark Ronson. Bob Marley’s “Sun is Shining” becomes a hypnotic chill-out tune, while the Carmen Miranda classic “Chica Chica Boom Chic” is playfully bouncy and fun.

And Gilberto’s original songs, according to the Phoenix New Times, “are a marvelous blend of melodic American pop and Brazilian rhythmic swing – a sound that is truly her own.”

The venue alone is worth the trip. L’Astral, which made its debut last summer at the Montreal Jazz Festival’s 30th anniversary soiree, is a 350-seat gem of a space that’s like a larger version of Burlington’s FlynnSpace. L’Astral has been hosting the first concerts of the festival’s new “Jazz All Year Round” series.