With a career spanning 35 years, Brazilian singer-songwriter Joyce should enjoy the profile of such male counterparts as Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. Younger female stars such as Bebel Gilberto might have stolen her thunder, but Joyce still has the accolade of being named one of the greatest singers of all time by the revered composer Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Sporting stylish spectacles and her customary bob haircut, she looks more like a French newsreader than a legendary Brazilian musician. She begins by plucking an irresistible sambaflavoured rhythm on acoustic guitar, and when her three-piece band fall in behind her, the sun metaphorically comes out on this cold Lancashire night.

Whether playing Latin-American standards or self-penned tunes from new album Rio Bahia, the sound the band makes is a rich tapestry inlaid with finely crafted detail. Bossa-nova grooves come laced with swirls of post-bop cymbal work, and a zestful saxophone rides atop a chiming latticework of electric bass. Above it all, Joyce effortlessly weaves together angular phrases full of unexpected leaps.

The songs range from simple celebrations of local life to bittersweet homages to a mythical Rio de Janeiro free of political corruption (Saudade Do Rio). It's the latter kind of song that made Joyce a controversial figure during the 1970s, when much of her music was banned by the Brazilian government. Heard live, with no recourse to a translation, the tune could easily be mistaken for a sweetly sung paean to the joys of making honey. They may seem delicate and fragile, but Joyce's songs are sturdy, and pulse with a deeply confident intent.

· At Bar and Grill, Liverpool, tomorrow. Box office: 0870 442 2860.