After working with artists like
Caetano Veloso,
David Byrne, and
Towa Tei,
Bebel Gilberto made her solo recording debut in the U.S. with
Tanto Tempo, licensed for American release in 2000 by Six Degrees. It's an album of stylish, cool, contemporary bossa nova, with
Gilberto's vocals a bit more assured and polished than
Astrud Gilberto's classic and similar recordings of the '60s. The tone is restrained and subdued, simmering over the low heat of quiet passion; the instrumentation is mostly acoustic, although there are some unobtrusively electronic dance-club sounds as well. Overall,
Tanto Tempo is a terrific, promising way for
Gilberto to make her first impression as a solo artist. ~ Steve Huey