Basia

Polish singer and songwriter Basia became prominent during the 1980s, first for her membership in the polished British pop-jazz vocal outfit Matt Bianco, and later as a solo artist. Her first three wildly successful recordings – which sold by the truckload in the U.S. and U.K. – made her something of a household name during the MTV era. Her Brazilian-influenced jazzy soul helped to create a standard of excellence in adult contemporary on par with peers Everything But the Girl, Swing Out Sister, Level 42, and Sade. She all but disappeared after the '90s, but did take part in a reunion with her former band for 2004's acclaimed Matt's Mood. In 2009, she returned to solo recording with It's That Girl Again.

Wisely going only by her first name, Polish-by-way-of-England pop singer Basia Trzetrzelewska ("pronounced Basha Tshetshelevska"), joined by her musical partner Danny White, steps out of the band Matt Bianco to launch her solo career with Time and Tide. She and White create a series of keyboard-based dance-pop arrangements to support her smooth alto…

Basia is a Polish singer-songwriter and recording artist noted for her Latin-inspired jazz-pop music. She began singing professionally in various Polish bands from the late 1960s throughout the 1970s, then relocated to the UK in 1981. She rose to fame as a singer in the British trio Matt Bianco. By 1986, Basia and her bandmate Danny White had left the group to focus on her solo career. She signed on with Epic Records and enjoyed a successful international career between 1987 and 1995, particularly in the USA where her first two albums Time and Tide and London Warsaw New York were platinum-certified, million-unit sellers. She had also built up a fan base in Japan and the Philippines.

Wisely going only by her first name, Polish-by-way-of-England pop singer Basia Trzetrzelewska ("pronounced Basha Tshetshelevska"), joined by her musical partner Danny White, steps out of the band Matt Bianco to launch her solo career with Time and Tide. She and White create a series of keyboard-based dance-pop arrangements to support her smooth alto. This is sophisticated pop music that sounds ideal for playing in any number of upholstered locations – a black-tie cocktail party, a fashion-show runway, the back seat of a limousine.

The sweet voiced Polish girl continues to set the standard by which other, less inventive adult contemporary vocalists should be measured. Her tender yet powerful feelings take listeners' hearts to places with fascinating, sometimes surreal imagery. Basia and partner/producer Danny White's real gift is rhythmic diversity, and the tandem take the artsy route on a big, brassy tour through Brazil and Latin America, employing jazzy touches that keep even the most staid tune hopping. The ballads are sweet as well. Nobody in this crowded genre outclassed or outperformed Basia, but as welcome as this comeback after four years was, the singer never followed up with another full-length studio project.

Polish singer and songwriter Basia became prominent during the 1980s, first for her membership in the polished British pop-jazz vocal outfit Matt Bianco, and later as a solo artist. Her first three wildly successful recordings – which sold by the truckload in the U.S. and U.K. – made her something of a household name during the MTV era. Her Brazilian-influenced jazzy soul helped to create a standard of excellence in adult contemporary on par with peers Everything But the Girl, Swing Out Sister, Level 42, and Sade. She all but disappeared after the '90s, but did take part in a reunion with her former band for 2004's acclaimed Matt's Mood. In 2009, she returned to solo recording with It's That Girl Again. The album resonated with longtime fans, but failed to rival the large sales of her earlier outings, perhaps due to a transitioning industry landscape. But everything in pop is cyclical.

Polish singer and songwriter Basia became prominent during the 1980s, first for her membership in the polished British pop-jazz vocal outfit Matt Bianco, and later as a solo artist. Her first three wildly successful recordings – which sold by the truckload in the U.S. and U.K. – made her something of a household name during the MTV era. Her Brazilian-influenced jazzy soul helped to create a standard of excellence in adult contemporary on par with peers Everything But the Girl, Swing Out Sister, Level 42, and Sade. She all but disappeared after the '90s, but did take part in a reunion with her former band for 2004's acclaimed Matt's Mood. In 2009, she returned to solo recording with It's That Girl Again. The album resonated with longtime fans, but failed to rival the large sales of her earlier outings, perhaps due to a transitioning industry landscape.

With over 3 million albums sold and countless radio hits to her credit, Basia is a bona fide adult pop sensation. At the top of her game, she retired from the music business to concentrate on a quieter domestic life. Now she's back better than ever, still collaborating with her msuical partner Danny White, and delivering fresh songs that effortlessly update the beautiful spirit, timeless melodies and latin-jazz rhythms of her greatest hits.

Basia never had too many hits, racking up only three charting singles on the Top 100 ("Time and Tide," "New Day for You," "Cruising for Bruising"), but Clear Horizon: The Best of Basia remains an engaging listen nevertheless, because it balances those hits with strong album tracks and forgotten singles. Unlike many artists with a handful of hits, Basia made fully realized albums, but since none of them were drastically dissimilar in style, this compilation works very well. Not only is it the ideal choice for the curious and casual fan, it is truly entertaining for the hardcore fan, since it rounds up all the best cuts on one disc.