THE ALBUM OF THE DAY: Flora in fauna

To the indulgent prog-jazz fan, Brazilian-Ukranian singer Flora Purim is a name that's said in the same breath as stellar musicians such as Airto Moreira, the Chick Corea-led Return To Forever, even mainstream greats Gil Evans, Dizzy Gillespie, and Stan Getz, to name a few. But Purim's brush with the local mainstream came with this one.

Nothing Will Be As It Was.. Tomorrow spawned "Angels" on the uplifting and able back-up wings of EWF's Al Mackay and Verdine White. Local beauty pageants aplenty utilized this upbeat instrumental in '77 ad nauseum. The album's other gem was "Bridges," a song most associate with the more commercial version by Sergio Mendes, much to the chagrin of loyal Flora fans.

Though not her most noteworthy work, which may be found on early Return To Forever albums (the eponymous debut and Light As A Feather), as well as her debut solo album Butterfly Dreams, Purim remains one of the most unique female voices of our time.