Pop Music Reviews : Basia: Clever Phrasing, Puppy-Dog Enthusiasm

With Sade largely inactive in the last two years, the Polish singer Basia has muscled in on her turf, which consists of softly-jazzy pop music brimming with Brazilian influences.

Basia, who opened a three-night, sold-out engagement on Tuesday at the Universal Amphitheatre, is like a modern-day Astrud Gilberto--the singer who, with saxophonist Stan Getz, popularized the Brazilian-based bossa nova sound back in the ‘60s. Basia’s voice, though, is more full-bodied and far-ranging.

Through most of the show, Basia, accompanied by a seven-piece band and two female backup singers, was excellent. The music was mostly romantic and medium-tempo, with some fast-paced, danceable tunes thrown in here and there.

Basia, who frequently sings stylishly and alluringly off-key, doesn’t bowl you over with awesome natural talent. Her assets are the cleverness of her phrasing and the warmth of her tone, which brings a cozy intimacy to her songs--mostly co-written with Danny White, who plays keyboards in her band.

There are also R&B; and jazz influences in some of Basia’s music. Her version of Aretha Franklin’s hit “Until You Come Back to Me” was remarkably soulful. Her ventures into soul and jazz, however, are less compelling than her Brazilian-style pop.

Since her earlier Roxy and Wiltern Theatre shows, Basia has acquired more polish as a performer, but she doesn’t distance herself from the audience: There’s still plenty of puppy-dog enthusiasm.

The show, which ran about an hour and 40 minutes, could have been tighter. Cutting out about four songs would quicken the pace, and the melodramatic instrumental by guitarist Peter White could be eliminated. So could those flashy and typically shallow drum solos near the end of the show.