Courtesy photo: Houston singer Kristine Mills rides a sensuous groove with bossanovafied, which was arranged by bossa nova pianist Paulo Midosi of Brazil.Kristine Mills calls bossa nova "a breath of fresh air — a big, collective sigh."

"When I sing it, everything opens up. My mind opens up. My heart opens up. My body relaxes and goes into it," says the blond jazz chanteuse. She’s been listening to the genre since college but only recently tried writing original bossa tunes.

"It's like flying. Bossa nova is about being free and open and relaxed and just being receptive to what's happening around you, to you, with you, for you, by you."

Mills brings that sense of space to bossanovafied, her third album. It's a collection of eight originals that showcase her seductive voice, which is alternately sweet and tart, girlish and sultry.

The first seeds of bossanovafied were planted during a 2006 trip to Brazil, where Mills met renowned pianist Paul Midosi. The pair formed an "incredible connection," and Midosi assembled a top-notch band to record the music in Rio de Janeiro. It makes for a gorgeous, genuine sound.

"It was astonishing to just sit there, in Rio, listening to your music being played by these authentic (musicians)," she says. "These guys are in their 60s (and) were playing bossa when bossa was king."

Mills recorded her vocals at SugarHill studios in Houston and is in talks to tour the album in Brazil. She says local response has been "amazing" and even showcased her tunes at SXSW in Austin.

Beyond that, bossanovafied has also boosted Mills' confidence as a songwriter. She’s been penning lyrics since middle school but never had the courage to include any on an album. (2007's Kristine Mills Music and last year's Playing With the Big Boys — Live! included covers.) One of bossanovafied’s tracks, Fallin' in Love, features lyrics Mills wrote for a creative-writing project during her first year in college.

"There are so many gorgeous songs out there that have meaning for me. There are different things that happen that make these songs important to me," Mills says. "But when I'm singing my songs, it is my experience."

And this time around, Mills' experience just happens to be blanketed in lush Brazilian grooves. She's already thinking about album No. 4, which may take a different direction. But for now, bossa is king again.

"People connect to (bossa) universally, I think, because of the words, because of the melody, because of the rhythm. It just feels good," she says.

"I was talking to (bossa pioneer) Oscar Castroneves, who said, 'Bossa nova, basically, is a walk along the beach to see your love.' That’s kind of the backbone of bossa nova. Then you think about the next component, which is the step-rhythm. That's your heartbeat. That's bossa."

Listen to bossanovafied 11 a.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday on Radio 29-95.