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Anna Estrada: Sonando Vuelos
"Takes My Breath Away (Ciranda)," the first track on the album, is a lively Brazilian samba-shaded number, and evokes a sense that Estrada has graduated with flying colors—having passed the test of being a consummate jazz vocalist, albeit a new one. A very talented artist, Estrada voices the lyrics of the songs on this recording in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
With a little help from co-producer and trombonist Wayne Wallace, the musical support here is quite good, boasting a personnel list including pianists Frank Martin and Murray Low, guitarist Ray Scott, percussionist John Santos and saxophonist/flautist Marry Fettig. Saxophonist Robert Kyle plays on his composition "Dreaming Now," but is inadvertently missing from the personnel listing in the liner notes.
The music is simply raw, tender and beautiful, as best exemplified by Estradaʼs voicing in Portuguese of the lovely, never recorded Marco Silva song, "Voce Ainde Existe." She proceeds to have some fun with a terrific interpretation of the Brazilian jazz standard "Influencia Do Jazz," with nice support from Scott and Fettig on flute. No repertoire of Brazilian music would be complete without at least one standard from Brazilian master Antonio Carlos Jobim and so Estrada includes "Two Kites," a tune containing lyrics of flying which seems appropriate given the albumʼs title.
Turning slightly salsa, Estrada belts out a shoulder-moving Latin jazz rendition of Clifton Davis' popular "Never Can Say Goodbye," complete with heavy percussion, background vocals voiced in Spanish and diced with Fettig' sizzling sax solo. Staying within the salsa vein, she takes Ignacio Pineiro Martinez's well known tropical bolero "Salome" and performs it as a swinging salsa, while again singing in Spanish.
Borrowing a composition from another Brazilian legend, Hermeto Pascoal, the program ends with the soft melody of "Menina Ilza," finalizing one of the best Brazilian/Latin jazz albums released in 2008. With so many jazz vocalists producing music these days, Anna Estrada makes a compelling musical statement with her very first effort assuring that Sonando Vuelos will soar with those who prefer Brazilian and Latin jazz rhythms.
Track Listing
Takes My Breath Away (Ciranda); Adoro; Dearming Now (Dark Delishious Dream); Voce Ainde Existe; Influencia Do Jazz; Two Kites; Never Can Say Goodbye; Bolero De Sata; Salome; Menina Ilza.
Personnel
Anna Estrada: vocals; Paul Van Wageningen: trap drums; David Belove: bass; Murray Low: piano (2, 3, 5, 7, 9); Frank Martin: piano (1, 4, 6, 8, 10); John Santos: percussion; Michael Spiro: percussion; Ray Scott: guitar (1, 2, 4-6, 8, 10); Wayne Wallace: trombone (3, 7, 9); Mary Fettig: tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet, piccolo (5-7, 9, 10); Robert Kyle: tenor saxophone (3); John Worley: trumpet (7, 9); Edgardo Cambon: coro (7, 9); David Chaidez: coro (7, 9).
Album information
Title: Sonando Vuelos | Year Released: 2008 | Record Label: Self Produced
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