While the golden age of Bossa Nova was back in 1959-65 when Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Gilberto, Astrud Gilberto, Charlie Byrd and Stan Getz made major contributions, the music has continued to be popular and evolve in the decades since.
One could imagine Bianca Rossini with her attractive and seductive voice tackling the Brazilian warhorses, but instead on Vento do Norte she performs ten of her own bossa nova originals. The singer, who was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro but now lives in Southern California, had previously recorded Meu Amor and Kiss of Brasil. On this set (which is also available digitally from www.biancarossini.com), Ms. Rossini introduces ten compositions that are full of spirit, cover a variety of moods, and always contain the irresistible bossa nova rhythms. She wrote all of the lyrics and co-wrote the music with a variety of writers. While all but one of the songs are sung in Portuguese, the beautiful melodies, the infectious rhythms, and Ms. Rossini’s warm and sensuous voice result in a set of accessible music that is certain to delight a large audience. Highlights include the gentle love ballad “Doce Amor,” “Ipanema Paraiso” (which features tenor-saxophonist Jimmy Roberts), “Why I Smile,” and the catchy melody of “Tic Tac do Amor.”
On Vento do Norte, Bianca Rossini stakes out her claim as one of the finest bossa-nova singers on the scene today, and one of its most important writers.