Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Raquel Bitton: Rhythm of the Heart

4

Raquel Bitton: Rhythm of the Heart

Raquel Bitton: Rhythm of the Heart
There are two powerful aural cues on Raquel Bitton's Rhythm of the Heart. The first is Edith Piaf. I don't suspect that any song sung in French does not cue a thought of Piaf. The second cue is that of the Latinesque music often featured on the Lawrence Welk Show, the only place to hear this music in some climes and times. Bitton chooses the songbook of Tino Rossi (1907—1983) for her subject. Rossi was the Latin voice of the French Cabaret with movie-star looks, who could capture pure pathos with his voice returning it flavored with the pungent spice of the islands. Bitton creates and navigates this sonic theme expertly, lending it a sound authenticity and grace.

Bitton took these songs, casting them in a variety of styles: Sambas, Bossa Novas, Tangos, Cha-chas, Boleros, Haitian Merengue and Danzon, all to intoxicating effect. Her voice is urgent with humidity; breezy with love and loss. She is supported by a large group from the San Francisco Orchestra, completely augmented by Jorge Trivisonno's bandoneon, the ubiquitous presence of which imparts an Old-World charm in the New World Havana Bitton is building in song. Guitarist Ramon Stagnaro and trumpeter Joel Behrman both supplement Trivisonno in the Franco-Latin soundscape presented here.

Track Listing

Il Pleut sur la route; Le secret de tes caresses; Un Violon dans la nuit; Merci pour tes fleurs; Pardonne moi; Guitarra mia; Bonjour Tristesse; Plus je vous aime; Tango Melodie J'ai garde ta photo sur mon coeur; Il est trop tard; Tout Bleu.

Personnel

Raquel Bitton: vocals; Jorge Tricisonno: bandoneon; Ramon Stagnaro: acoustic guitar; Rebeca Mauleon: piano; Carlos del Puerto Jr.: bass; Jimmy Branly: drums; Orestes Vilato: timbalist; Jesus Diaz: congas; Joel Behrman: trumpet. Members of The San Francisco Symphony.

Album information

Title: Rhythm of the Heart | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Self Produced

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.