Every artist appreciates a good endorsement, and they don't come much better than this: "Celebrate the arrival of this beautiful vocalist to our shores ... bringing us the dance and deep song of Brazil," writes Robert Wyatt on the cover of the album - and he himself appears on the album as a "special guest". Monica Vasconcelos is not exactly a newcomer - she has been living in the UK for 15 years - but she is certainly worth celebrating. Along with the more experimental Cibelle, she is among the most successful Brazilian musicians based here, and her sixth album is predictably classy and varied. Best known for her work with Nóis 4, she is now backed by a trio led by the pianist Steve Lodder, who helped write the songs: a mixture of finely sung, jazz-edged ballads with upbeat tracks that show off her cool, easygoing style and the rasping edge to her voice. Then there's a song from the veteran sambista Martinho da Vila, and - best of all - two duets with Wyatt. Out of the Doldrums and Still in the Dark (You Are Not My Sunshine) are gently thoughtful fusions of Brazilian and British influences that are as intriguing as they are original.