Musically, Americans and Brazilians have been enjoying a mutually beneficial relationship for a long time. Brazilian music (especially samba, but some choro as well) has affected many American jazz musicians, and American funk, soul, jazz, dance-pop, and rock have all been influential in Brazil. Of course, different Brazilians will look to different areas of American music for inspiration; Brazilian pop star Daniela Mercury and Brazilian hard bop trumpeter Claudio Roditi both have American influences, but certainly not the same American influences. So where does Brazilian percussionist Marcelo Salazar's The Tropical Lounge Project fit in? Relevant to Brazilian pop and -- on occasion -- Brazilian jazz, this 2005 release gets its inspiration from samba as well as funk, soul, jazz, dance/club music, and hip-hop. Salazar (whose guests include singer Ithamara Koorax, pianist/keyboardist Paula Faour, and the late percussionist Dom Um Romão) is quite unpredictable. Koorax has a memorable spot on the gentle, caressing bossa nova Smoke in the City, although much of this 62-minute CD is funkier and more up-tempo -- and a party atmosphere asserts itself on the jazz-funk instrumental Salsa with Beans as well as vocal offerings like People Say and Brazilian Grace. It should be noted that unlike many similar albums that have come from Brazil, The Tropical Lounge Project doesn't try to balance Portuguese-language and English-language vocals. The vocals are mostly in English (except for some wordless Brazilian-style scat singing), and so are most of the song titles. Regardless, Salazar gets a lot of rhythmic inspiration from Brazilian music, and his appreciation of funk, soul, hip-hop, and jazz certainly doesn't mitigate his appreciation of the samba. Salazar's outlook is multicultural, and that outlook serves him well on this pleasingly diverse effort. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi

1		Funk Brasileiro
2		Caminho Do Gol
3		Tijuana Strut
4		Smoke in the City
5		Sensual Move
6		Brazilian Grace
7		People Say
8		Salsa with Beans
9		When I Look at the Sky
10		Boost Zero
11		Ipanema Waves
12		To Be or Not to Be
13		Batukiloco
14		Tribal City
15		Psychedelic Song
16		Street Angels