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Music for the Mythical Brazil: Stacey Kent / Huffington Post

For another twist on the bossa formula, there's jazz singer Stacey Kent's The Changing Lights (Warner), which has its elegant, old-style bossa swing along with playful English-language lyrics.

The New Jersey-born Kent chooses seven bossa chestnuts, but goes for the English versions for most. In addition, she sings several new songs in the bossa style written by her husband and musical partner, Jim Tomlinson, including two with lyrics by the Japanese-born British writer Kazuo Ishiguro.

One of these originals, "The Summer We Crossed Europe in the Rain," echoes the wistful tone of saudade, the nostalgia-like mix of sadness and happiness that embues so much of Brazilian music. The nice thing about her singing in English -- whether intentional or not -- is it helps Americans hear the emotional complexity that accompanies the harmonies of the best of bossa.

As befitting the quiet genre, Kent's voice is all spun sugar, lithely gliding along the playful melodies. With the gentle insistence of her band behind her, Kent effortlessly recreates the intelligence and life-loving spirit of the original bossa innovators. READ THE FULL Huffington Post ARTICLE.