Mônica Salmaso - Noites de Gala, Samba Na Rua (2006)

Jazzy samba from Monica Salmaso -- a batch of songs penned by Chico Buarque, and cut with some great accompaniment from Pau Brasil! The combo features great piano from Nelson Ayres -- one of our favorite Brazilian jazz talents from many years back, and he gives the music a great force that works nicely with Monica's vocals, and which tends to offset her natural sweetness nicely. Other instrumentation includes sax, flute, guitar, cavaquinho, bass, and percussion -- and the jazzy inflections help add a new level of sensitivity to the record. Titles include "Logo Eu", "Voce Voce", "Contrucao", "O Velho Francisco", "A Volta Do Malandro", "Bom Tempo", "Basta Um Dia", and "Partido Alto"