Maria Rita

The inimitable bossa nova vocalist Maria Rita turns her voice to samba for an album, and though she's no carioca, she proves a Sao Paolo girl can get it right. Rita's voice, as always, enchants: Listening to her is like nothing so much as having warm honey poured over your head. But she's just as confident when the pace picks up, sounding nuanced and jazzy on these classic sambas, guided by Leandro Sapucahy's expert production.