Bebel Gilberto - Free Williamsburg

Talk about lineage - Bebel Giberto is the daughter of the amazing Joao Gilberto and Astrud is her stepmom. She's got Bossa Nova in her blood and samba in her veins. And on her debut, Tanto Tempo, she shows good taste to match in choosing Amon Tobin and Suba as collaborators. But is Bebel talented in her own right?

Well, sort of.

Tanto Tiempo has some amazing moments reminiscent of Astrud Gilberto in her prime. The opening track "Samba de Benção" is as slick and smooth as any of the timeless Samba classic of the Sixties. The subtle hints of electronica by Amon Tobin only add to the overall breeziness. The title track, "Tanto Tiempo" is another blissful moment. Want to get laid? Put this record on. If Astrud was an innocent spring day, Bebel is a seductive and sultry summer.

The disk is at once retro samba and current. The mixture of electronic beats on a number of tracks updates the genre while maintaining respect for tradition. Even the cover of "So Nice" is surprisingly fresh.

And then you get to track 9. And its a dud. And track 10 (the final one on the CD) is appallingly bad. On a disk that is already extremely short, it is really a disappointment that is has such an abrupt ending. I paid 17 dollars for this album that should have been a $10 EP.

That said, Tanto Tiempo is worth buying for it's brief, but beautiful moments. Or maybe, if you have a fast connection, just grab it off Napster.

--Robert Lanham

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