Brazilian instrumentalist Egberto Gismonti's dazzling virtuosity is enough to impress, but his compositions aren't just showy pieces built around solo turns. Backed by a trio of synthesizer, bass, and cello, Gismonti creates stirring music that bridges the genres of classical, world, and folk into one soothing, seamless mix. From the weird and mesmerizing "7 Aneis" (which sounds as inspired by Philip Glass as by flamenco) to the soft-fingerstyle guitar playing on "Meninas" to the title tune (where Steve Reich-inspired piano pulsations are the background to some truly expansive string playing), this is a unique disc. Recorded in 1991 and featuring ECM's typically impeccable sonics, Infancia shows Gismonti at his most adventurous. --Jason Verlinde