Bossa Nova

by Alex HendersonAfter saluting Antonio Carlos Jobim's lesser-known songs on The Other Side of Jobim, Ana Caram turned to his more famous work with equally splendid results on Bossa Nova. Jobim had recently died when she recorded the CD in January 1995, and the singer/guitarist felt that another tribute was in order. While Other Side purposely avoided standards, Bossa Nova is full of them. Anyone with even a casual knowledge of Brazilian pop-jazz and the bossa nova will be familiar with such standards as "The Girl From Ipanema," "Agua de Beber" and "Chega de Saudade." But while Caram's choices may be obvious, her treatment of them isn't. From "O Pato" to "Double Rainbow," everything on Bossa Nova sounds personal and individualistic rather than cliched.