Meta Roos & Nippe Sylwes Band

Meta Roos' second LP pairs the singer with the Nippe Sylwens Band, an inspired collaboration that vaults Roos out of her easy listening comfort zone. The music here is serene and sophisticated but never dull, marshaling elements of jazz, pop, and soul to create a wonderfully chill ambience. Roos is a supple and agile vocalist equally adept with American soul-jazz (Marlena Shaw's "Street Walking Woman"), Brazilian pop (Jorge Ben's "Zazueira"), and even pure, unadulterated schlock (Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are"). Sylwens' crushed-velvet arrangements keep pace every step of the way, retaining the flavor and sensibility of the original hits but adding enough distinct touches to make the music his own. [P-Vine's CD reissue includes five bonus tracks.]