{^Bebel Gilberto Remixed} follows a certain pattern. After the Brazilian songstress with the sacred genes scored a hit record with her modern classic {^Tanto Tempo} in 2000, her record label, {@Six Degrees}, pieced together and released a remix album in its wake, {^Tanto Tempo Remixes}. While that remix album didn't come close to matching the magic of its source, it was a nice enough release, and a great number of fans simply were happy to have more {$Gilberto} to enjoy, even if it was a piecemeal departure from the original {$Suba} productions that had made {^Tanto Tempo} so special. Then, after {$Gilberto} scored a hit record with her follow-up in 2004, {^Bebel Gilberto}, {@Six Degrees} again pieced together and released a remix album in its wake, {^Bebel Gilberto Remixed}. And again, while this remix album doesn't come close to matching the magic of its source, it's a nice enough release, and a great number of fans simply will be happy to have more {$Gilberto} to enjoy, even if it is a piecemeal departure from the original breezy set of half-English, half-Brazilian Portuguese songs. Piecemeal or not, {@Six Degrees} did an expert job putting this collection of remixes together. The label rounded up roster of ace remixers like {$Thievery Corporation}, {$Tom Middleton}, and {$Nuspirit Helsinki}, along with some fresh blood like hot up-and-comers {$Telefon Tel Aviv}, {$Spiritual South}, and {$Yam Who?} You really can't scoff at the talent rounded up here; not only are these folks some of the best in their business, but for the most part, they're well suited for the breezy, slightly {\bossa} style of the source material, with {$the Latin Project} and {$John Beltran} standing out as particularly intriguing participants. But no matter how promising all of this may seem, the fact of the matter is that the resulting album is a mixed bag. Each producer steals his own respective show, putting his production front and center, which is the opposite of {^Bebel Gilberto}, where the productions were subtle and spare. That's certainly not the case here; these productions are big and often dramatic, so much so that {$Bebel}'s voice often seems like window dressing. Such is the nature of such remix projects, though. Anyone who's sat through a good number of these such albums should know what to expect. That's why only beat heads, DJs, and diehard fans are likely to be overjoyed with {^Bebel Gilberto Remixed}. It's a nice enough release and {@Six Degrees} did a commendable job, for sure, but most folks should stick with the source material. After all, {^Bebel Gilberto} is a great album, if not quite on a par with the excellence of {^Tanto Tempo}, so if you're understandably itching for more, you're better off going with the latter if you haven't already. And if you have both albums, why not try some other Brazilian artists of a similar style? There's much more to Brazilian music than {$Bebel}, no doubt, and if you're looking for a good point of departure, try {$Maria Rita}'s very impressive self-titled debut; pretty much anything by {$Marisa Monte} ({^Rose and Charcoal} or {^Memories, Chronicles and Declarations of Love}, in particular); or {$Suba}'s classic {^São Paulo Confessions}, which is as close as you'll come to reliving the magic of {^Tanto Tempo}. [This edition contains one bonus track.] ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide