Anna Estrada – Obsesión (Feral Flight Productions 2009)
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When Elis Regina died, most Brasilians thought that the vacuum created by her loss could not be filled. Then along came Rosa Passos… and Anna Estrada. The two vocalists do not jostle for position in the vacant slot that Regina left behind. However, both fill it individually with the extraordinary breath and scope of their talent. Passos stays within the Brasilian ethos more often than not. If this record, Obsesión, is anything to go by then the Bay Area singer Anna Estrada appears to be more adventurous–embracing the whole Latin American and Afro-Brasilian ethos. However, this is where all further comparisons should end.
Estrada is a unique voice with a dynamic range that stretches two and a half octaves. She is wonderfully expressive and more likely to inhabit the characters in her songs than any Brasilian artist does today. On Obsesion, she has chosen what may be argued to be a rather narrow spectrum of song–a look at “love” in several forms. Actually, it is the other way around. The record proffers a staggering array of moods, sensibilities and tableaus, and provokes such intense feelings that it is quite breathtaking an experience.
It is remarkable that Estrada has sung in English, Spanish and Portuguese. By itself, this may be no great achievement, but to be mindful of each idiocyncracy of every rhythmic form and idiom from such disparate musical cultures represents quite a feat. For instance, in Spanish she turns the old favorite, “La Mentira,” (The Lie) into a ravishing new standard. “Nature Boy,” sung in English, is imbued with a wondrous spirit that few–and only those with the soul of deep song–can bring forth from within the gut.
“Llorona” is one of the “blackest” and most shockingly brilliant recreations of the Medea myth. Only a singer who can cast the spell of “duende” from the darkest part of the soul could have pulled this song off. “Soledad” captures the wistful nature of solitude in much the same away as Al Hibbler once did with the Duke Ellington Orchestra on “Solitude.” The other English song on the record, Burt Bacharah and Hal David’s “Always Something There To Remind Me” harks back to some of the most beautiful son forms in Cuba.
The Brasilian fare is remarkable for the range of moods conveyed by the songs. Vinicius de Moraes’ “Carta Ao Tom 74″ probably stays truest to the manner in which the song was written, but immediately recalls the heyday of Brasilian vocalastics under Elis Regina. The chorinho, “Upa Neguinho” is refreshing and brings “the little black girl” to life yet again. “Adeus America” is an old 50s boogie-woogie written at the height of Brasil’s fascination with American song. Anna Estrada fills the room with her presence when she sways into this song and making it echo with distinct sense of saudade.
Two other memorable events on the record are Michelle Goerlitz’s percussion throughout and the magnificent harmonica of Damien Masterson, especially the notes that conjour such deep dispair in the lower register of that instrument, on “Llorona.”
Tracks: La Mentira; Nature Boy; Carta Ao Tom 74; Obsesión; Llorona; Upa Neguinho; Flor Sin Retoño; Always Something There To Remind Me; Soledad (Norah); Adeus America.
Personnel: Anna Estrada: vocals; Ray Scott: guitar (1-3, 6, 8-10); Alex Baum: bass (1-8, 10); Jonathan Alford: piano (1-7, 10); Phil Thompson: drums (1, 2, 4, 6. 8. 10); Michelle Goerlitz: percussion (1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10); Raul Ramirez: dumbek, cajon (2, 5, 7); Damien Masterson: harmonica (3, 5); Charlie McCarthy: saxophone (1, 4); Tommy Kesecher: vibraphone (8); Chuck Bennett: trombone (1); Wayne Wallace: trombone (4).
Anna Estrada on the web: www.annaestrada.com
Review written by: Raul da Gama
Kristina – Offshore Echoes (Patois Records 2009)
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A female vocalist with a low vocal spectrum is not supposed to sound as joyful as Kristina does on Offshore Echoes. And she sounds joyful no matter what she sings. Many singers would sound solemn. However, Kristina, being the wonderful practitioner of the vocal arts that she is gives a fine account of herself. Not only is she a versatile vocalist in terms of how many languages she can actually sing with accurate diction, but to be able to communicate the soul of the song, no matter what that language… And this is truly special. The secret is probably the fact that Kristina is three: part Cherokee, part African and part German. Not that this specific cultural mixture matter, but that she has a soul dipped in the spirits of the ancients of African and Native American and German gives her fearless courage and a true sense of alegria.
Offshore Echoes is one of the most infectiously happy records of the year. The amazing driving capoeira samba rhythm of “Ilu Ayé” is a perfect case in point as it spins like a colorful top of ecstacy. “Take me to Aruanda” is no less ebullient and Kristina has a particularly sassy way of letting quarter tones slide by with majestic glissandi here. “Cherokee,” that incomparable song that has brought so much spirited joy through the ages–especially since the legendary Charlie Parker recast it–gets a further refurbishment. Kristina can claim to have sung this one with true soul, being Cherokee herself. In fact the vocalist may have turned this version into one of those songs that renters the vocabulary of modern music in much the same way as “Wichitai-to” did after Jane Bunnett recast the John Pepper classic.
Kristina goes native once again in the beautiful landó, the Afro-Peruvian, “No Valentin.” This is a significant vocal as it is equivalent to a delta blues in the US and Kristina renders her version with sublime authenticity. Her tribute to Sarah Vaughan, “Tenderly” may be the most definitive version since “Sassy” did hers. It is by this song that Kristina shows why she may possibly be the true successor to Vaughan herself. Kristina has that smokey hush that combines with her often-authoritative inflection and undulating phrasing that sets her apart and recalls the great “Sassy” herself. In “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy),” which Kristina sings in a swaggering reggae/calypso rhythm and shows just how uncannily close to Vaughan she can come in all her soulful splendour.
The music on the record is made all the more memorable by the magnificent artists who appear with Kristina. The instrumental ensemble is exquisite as is the choral backing–especially on “Ilu Ayé.” Then there is the outstanding percussion work of John Santos and Michaelle Goerlitz as well as the brass and woodwinds including Wayne Wallace and Mary Fettig, who shine bright.
Offshore Echoes is an experience that far outlives the echoes of the notes that hover in the air long after the last note is played and sung.
Tracks: 1. Tea in the Sahara; 2. Cherokee; 3. Love Everlasting; 4. Open Your Eyes You Can Fly; 5. Take Me to Aruanda; 6. Tenderly; 7. Ilu Ayé; 8. The Performer; 9. Valentin; 10. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy).
Personnel: Murray Low: piano (2-5, 7, 8), electric piano (4); Frank Martin: piano (1, 6); Paul van Wageningen: trap drums (2-5, 7, 8); Deszon Claiborne: trap drums (1, 6, 10); David Bedlove: bass (2-5, 7, 8); Rich Girard: bass (1, 6, 10); Rick Vandiver: guitar (1, 6, 7, 10), palmas (9); Michaelle Goerlitz: percussion, palmas (9); John Santos: percussion (2-5, 7-9), palmas (9); Mary Fettig: horns (2, 4), flute (3); Danny Bittker: horns (2, 4), clarinet (3); Alex Murzyn: horns (2, 4), clarinet (3); Louis Fasman, John Worley, Dave Martell: horns (2, 4); Wayne Wallace: trombone (2, 4, 5); Garrett McClean, Stephanie Antoine, Erin Benim, Jory Fankuchen: violins (2, 6); Madeline Prager, Mimi Dye: violas (2, 6); Eric Gaenslen, Laura Boytz: cellos (2, 6); Kristina: vocals, background vocals (7), palmas (9); Sandy Cressman, Ed Johnson, David Chaidez: background vocals (7, 9); Wayne Wallace, Sheryl Lynn Thomas: background vocals (10); David Pinto: palmas (9).
Kristina on the web: www.kristinasgroove.com
Review written by: Raul da Gama
Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet – Bien! Bien! (Patois Records 2009)
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Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet – Bien! Bien! (Patois Records 2009)
The music with clave that began with Machito’s “Tanga,” and George Russell’s “Cubana-Be Cubana-Bop” has come a long way. With clave in his soul, trombonist Wayne Wallace proves yet again on his record Bien Bien! that the cheer of the music is truly infectious. Wallace is rare among musicians who can “swing” as well as he can “clave.” He has that and all kinds of shuffle rhythms and backbeats bubbling under the skin. This is why he can produce such glorious music even with just a few notes on his ‘bone and this record is full of it.
On Bien Bien! Wayne Wallace has made several outstanding things happen. First, he employs two trombonists other than himself -Julian Priester and Dave Martell. There are no saxophones or trumpets and they are not missed at all. Vocalists Kenny Washington and Orlando Torriente share English and Spanish honors on one track. Between Paul van Wageningen on drums and Michael Spiro, there appears to be a whole percussion orchestra. Pianist, Murray Lowe brilliantly explores the rhythms hidden in the melodies, with bassist David Belove thumping the strings behind and in front of him every so often.
Bien Bien! is a cheerful package -at least until the eighth track- because throughout, Wallace employes his characteristic swaggering tone. He is also joined in the festivities by Priester and Martell. Moreover, the trombone is that kind of instrument that can sound languid and sexy. It is also the most naturally human voice-like of instruments in the woodwinds family. Wallace, Priester and Martell have a fine time playing this characteristic to the max. Then the songs: On “Freedom Jazz Dance” Torriente and Washington, mimic the “baile” with superb rap and corazon. Julian Priester purrs softly like a jaguar on his part of the solo on both “Building Bridges” and “Going Up.” In addition, he growls with a mighty swell on both tracks. Dave Martell is comparatively lively -a leaping gazelle to Priester’s cat. Wallace, of course, is soulful and complete throughout -especially on “In A Sentimental Mood.” “Mojito Café” is characteristic of the sublime rhythm of the record throughout.
“Africa” alone makes this record worthwhile. Wallace’s wailing arrangement also features a slow build up of percussion to a thunderous low -with the bass kicking in mightily, followed by bright splashes of cymbals. The song -as Coltrane conceived it, is a musical journey from slavery to freedom. Wallace inspired interpretation adds to trombone literature. The wistfullness of the trombone as it breaks down the mournful episode of slavery to the eventual triumph of freedom is poignant and unforgettable. The overall crunching rhythm of the song mimics the many oars and chains that once helped sail those ancient ships to America. Best of all, the sharp contrast of this version to the original that Coltrane and Eric Dolphy created -no brass and only trombones here- is remarkable and fresh. On the merits of “Africa” alone, the record represents a high point for Wayne Wallace.
Tracks: Bien Bien!; Freedom Jazz Dance; Mojito Café; Building Bridges; In A Sentimental Mood; Playa Negra; Going Up (¡Súbete!); Solid; Africa (for Ron Stallings) .
Personnel: Wayne Wallace: trombone, vocals; Murray Low: piano, vocals; Mike Spiro: percussion, vocals; David Belove: bass, vocals; Paul van Wageningen: trap drums, vocals. Special Guests: Julian Priester: trombone (1st solo – 4, 1st solo – 7); Dave Martell: trombone (2nd solo – 4, snd solo on duet – 7); Kenny Washington: English lead vocals (2); Orlando Torriente: Spanish lead vocals (2); David Chaidez: background vocals (2); Alexa Weber Morales: background vocals (2); Karen Aczon: background vocals (2); Sakai: background vocals (2); Jody Noble: background vocals (2); Sheryl Lynn Thomas: background vocals (2); Ron Stallings: background vocals (2).
Wayne Wallace on the web: www.walacomusic.com
Review written by: Raul da Gama
Latin Jazz Network Radio – Jukebox – October 2009 Playlist
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Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet – Infinity (Patois Records 2008)
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The attempt to make a thoughtful album and one that is supremely entertaining and musically superlative is perhaps one of the most daunting tasks that a musician can undertake. To find this in an album is rare and that is what makes Infinity by the Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet so much of an event that just cannot be ignored. It is usually a challenge to even explain the context of the word and phenomenon of “infinity” even for mathematically inclined people. For an artist it is even more rare to find precisely what this could mean. The temptation is always to veer towards the abstract and that is not the best way to present a musical expedition – especially as musical notes have finite pitch, tones and terminal values.
But Wallace appears to have found the exact center of the word “infinity” in meaning context and expression. The fact that he plays a trombone and that too with such unbridled genius, of course, gives him a head start. And then to discover, with Pablo Neruda, that “…everything alive has two sides/a word is one wing of silence/fire has its cold half/I love you in order to begin to love you/to start infinity again…” This is almost magical intuition. Moreover to find the sound of the past that we have never got to hear, but to find in its echoes a place for the sound of this Latin Jazz Quintet as it traverses through time and sound landscapes…with what the Brazilian world (at least) would describe as “alegria”… This too is rare and unforgettable and ingenious.
Wayne Wallace has chosen to show the connectivity of the ancient with the modern in an unbroken rhythmic line from African elements in Latin music to the American invention of jazz. Many scholars have explored this with clever theses. Many musicians also have undertaken the journey with fine results. Wallace surpasses most of them. His music is both played and recorded with a view to effect the excitement of a live performance. So even though the music may be carefully selected to pay tribute to the major idiomatic types of old and new Latin musical forms, each of these songs appears to have been performed for a very real “live” audience that has been explicitly imagined.
It is impossible to listen to the title track or “Songo Colorado,” “As Cores da Menina,” and “Cha-Cha de Alegria” without an unconscious heave of the shoulders or getting up and impulsively and with great flourish to samba or salsa. Wallace’s trombone chops are masterly throughout. But not only that, Michael Spiro sounds like a percussion ensemble every time he sets out to lay down the rhythmic lines with his rapid fire timbales, quirky cuica and rounded guiro, and also with sensuous chekere and grand excursions on the batá and conga. His solos on “Infinity” and “Songo Colorado” in particular are absolutely unforgettable. Paul van Wageningen on regular traps provides exquisite harmonic coverage. David Belove can make his bass sensual too as he plucks and slaps his way to conjuring up a string section on his own. Roger Glenn on flute and on vibes is simply marvelous. Special mention is also due for all the vocalists, especially Orlando Torriente and Jackie Ryan, who is a perfect foil for the breathy sound of the trombone.
Oddly enough the high point of the record may be the perfect vehicle for the trombone – the wonderfully mournful version of “Memories of You,” correctly attributed to Eubie Blake and Andy Razaf in the credits. And even though Wallace mistakenly attributes to “Fats” Waller in his notes to the song, this is only a minor blimp in an otherwise perfect package.
Tracks: Infinity; Songo Colorado; As Cores da Menina; Love Walked In; Memories of You; TBA; Close Your eyes; Cha-Cha de Alegria; Straight Life/Mr. Clean.
Personnel: Wayne Wallace: tenor and alto trombones, Wagner Tuba, melodica, arrangements and vocals; David Belove: bass; Murray Low: piano and keyboard; Michael Spiro: congas, batá, guiro, requinto, timbales, shekere, cuica, and percussion arrangements; Paul van Wageningen: trap drums.
Special Guests: Roger Glenn: flute and vibraphone (8); Jackie Ryan: vocal (4 & 7); Orlando Torriente: lead vocal (2); Karen Aczon, David Chaidez, Alexa Weber Morales, Jody Noble, Sakai, Stallings and Sheryl Lynn Thomas: background vocals throughout.
Wayne Wallace on the web: www.walacomusic.com | www.myspace.com/patoisrecords
Review written by: Raul da Gama