Contemporary Romance

The bossa nova with a slight tinge of electronica, Bebel Gilberto's Tanto Tempo is the perfect blend. Gilberto, the daughter of Brazilian jazz/bossa star Joao Gilberto, puts her own twist on the music dad made famous. The musicians add a cool, suave atmosphere while Bebel's sensuous voice burns and smokes. An effective updating of a classic sound, this is an album that will become a favorite in your collection.

Just about any Diana Krall album oozes romance, but Love Scenes is particularly suitable, with smoldering versions of "Peel Me a Grape", "All or Nothing At All" and "They Can't Take That Away from Me." Of course, there's always When I Look in Your Eyes or the super-hot The Look of Love with its Tommy LiPuma production and Sinatra-esque string arrangements. Trust us: whatever Diana you pick, you can't go wrong in setting the mood for love.

Patricia Barber is soooo cool you can't help but be charmed and moved by her performances of jazz standards on Night Club. She provides innovative interpretations of "Bye Bye Blackbird", "You Don't Know Me", "Alfie", "Autumn Leaves", "Summer Samba", "I Fall In Love Too Easily" and more, all accented by her unique piano work. Barber is addictive, so take a look at her other wonderful albums: Modern Cool, Cafe Blue, and Verse.

Karrin Allyson's From Paris to Rio is a fantastic collection of Brazilian and French tunes delivered with authority, romance, and humor. Singing in French, Portuguese and English, Allyson brings her smoky voice to classics such as "Under Paris Skies", "Te Amo", "O Pato", "O Barquinho", "Parisian Thoroughfare" and "Des Histoires." Also alluring is Karrin's recreation of the classic John Coltrane album Ballads on Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane.

The Melody At Night, With You is one of Keith Jarrett's most subdued and lyrical recordings, as he takes on romantic standards such as "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)", "Someone to Watch Over Me", "My Wild Irish Rose" and "Be My Love." Jarrett is a master of the piano and many of his recordings have a romantic lilt at times, but this one is so intimate and personal, you'll feel like he's right there in your home, playing for you.

Sometimes an artist and an album come along that just seem to strike a universal chord, and you'd have to be hard-hearted indeed to ignore the seductive whisper of Norah Jones' Come Away with Me. Displaying a nice way with phrasing and avoiding over-singing her material, Jones' album comes across as fresh, unspoiled, and intimate. A mellow listen that almost anyone, regardless of musical taste, can enjoy.

On Blue Light Til Dawn Cassandra Wilson comes on like she is leading us into a bewitching, back-porch midnight ramble, spinning a sultry and soulful web as she adds her unique phrasing and interpretive touches to "You Don't Know What Love Is", "Can't Stand the Rain", Joni Mitchell's "Black Crow", Van Morrison's "Tupelo Honey" and two of her own compositions, "Redbone" and "Blue Light Til Dawn." There's equal beauty in other Wilson albums including New Moon Daughter, Traveling Miles, and Belly of the Sun.

Charles Lloyd's Lift Every Voice is hushed, with Lloyd's ethereal saxophone supported by the gentle but intense sounds of a great group of musicians--pianist Geri Allen, guitarist John Abercrombie, bassists Larry Grenadier and Marc Johnson, and drummer Billy Hart. There is an incredible sweetness to the romantic and spiritual tracks here, which include "You Are So Beautiful", "What's Going On", "Amazing Grace", and Lloyd's own "Hymn to the Mother."

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