Even with one of the mildest Novembers in decades, Chicago is never far away from a wintery change in the weather, so – with the threat of our first snow of the season threatening – I’ve moved my daily walking regime indoors to the local mega mall.

Crazed and confused shoppers aside, the real downside of places like this in December is the music: the most insipid Christmas songs piped incessantly through tinny loudspeakers 40 feet above your head. The Eagles singing ‘Jungle Bell Rock’. Alvin & The Chipmonks. What’s next? “Headbanging Holiday Hits”? Too much.

Or not enough. That’s why cranked up my wireless 3G network on my smart phone and clicked over to our online radio shows via Live365.com via an excellent pair of Bluetooth stereo headhones. With three 24/7 channels to choose from: The Sounds of Brazil (which is the webstream version of our syndicated weekly radio show), The Sounds of Brazil ‘Extended’ Channel and the ‘Brazilian Christmas’ channel – you should try them, too. Available when you become a VIP Member - anywhere in the world, anytime.

For me –its all the difference. Those 10,000 steps my doc says I need breezed right on by. Brazilian jazz makes it easy.

We’re beginning to wind down our huge supply of tickets to Bebel Gilberto in concert – a Connectbrazil.com exclusive contest covering 15 US cities – so if you haven’t sign up yet, be sure to do it now, or you just may be left out. I’ll catch her Chicago show tonight and maybe get the chance to chat backstage – I’ll give you my ‘dois centavos’ tomorrow!

My Brazilian Music Pick of The Day:

Here’s a great album for walking, jogging or for doing nothing at all – a perfect combination of Bossa classics, perfectly ordered – and specially priced for the holidays!

Not so long ago, Brazilian movie soundtracks fell into two categories. There were albums filled with original music like Caetano Veloso’s ‘Tieta Do Agreste’ and ‘The Devil’s Toothpick’, which featured Kenia, Gilberto Gil and others. Then there were those like ‘Next Stop Wonderland’ that were filled with classics and played like Brazilian music primers. This wonderful 15-song disc, from the even more wonderful film, is a combination of both new music and classic Bossa Nova.

‘Bossa Nova” (the movie) is dedicated to Antonio Carlos Jobim and his classics dominate these proceedings. Eumir Deodato wrote the original score. Of course, these are the only two Brazilians ever to have arrangements to top the American pop charts.

Their collective musical genius is so evident through the film, but is just briefly resonated on this album, particularly on the first three tracks. Those tunes are Deodato’s arrangements of Jobim compositions featuring vocalists Barbara Mendes, Carol Rogers and Djavan. The highlight of which is a brilliant compact 69 seconds version of One Note Samba. The Girl From Ipanema, and Jobim himself, are a part of the movie’s story line, however, the original Stan Getz/JoaoGilberto /Jobim classic is not in the film, but is featured on the soundtrack. In fact there are a number of Jobim’s original recordings from Verve Records’ vaults that are contained either on celluloid and/or on the disc. The great duet, Waters of March, with Jobim and Elis Regina is included, as is Jobim’s versions of Wave, Corcovado and No More Blues.

While those session can only enhance any compilation that they appear on, a complaint could be made that so many of Deodato’s original and timely cues from the movie, not to mention an incredible acid jazz version of One Note Samba, should’ve been included on the soundtrack album.

Deodato’s work on the soundtrack begins and ends the album. His jazzy piano playing and dreamy arrangements are superb, and much more subdued than his aggressive jazz/pop hits of the 70’s. You may remember him from his gargantuan 1972 number one hit, Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme from 2001). But his beautiful song Suddenly, written with frequent Jobim collaborator, Norman Gimbel, should change that. The very memorable melody is used quite effectively in the movie, and there are three outstanding versions on the album, including one by newcomer Claudia Acuna.

If you haven’t seen the movie that so cleverly mixes English and Portuguese, this soundtrack, rightfully so, comes off as a flawlessly sequenced album that in itself is a vivid colorful and aurally pleasing DVD.