Rating:
Genre:
Jazz
Release Date: 04/10/2007
Over the years,
Latin jazz has been dominated by instrumentalists. Think of
Latin jazz' most celebrated figures, and most of the people who come to mind are instrumentalists (
Dizzy Gillespie,
Poncho Sanchez,
Cal Tjader, and
Pucho, among others). And even though many
jazz vocalists have included Latin-influenced performances on their albums, it hasn't been their primary focus. Rarely have there been
jazz vocalists who considered Latin rhythms a main ingredient instead of a side dish, but an exciting exception to that rule is
Kat Parra, who shows considerable promise on her first solo album,
Birds in Flight. Latin rhythms are not a mere afterthought for
Parra; they are an integral part of her
vocal jazz vision, which is best described as pan-Latin because she doesn't embrace any one Latin rhythm exclusively on
Birds in Flight. Many times, people who use the term
Latin jazz mean
Afro-Cuban jazz, but while Afro-Cuban music is a major influence on
Birds in Flight, it is hardly the album's only Latin influence;
Parra also combines
jazz with everything from Brazilian
samba (
"These Old Feelings") to Spanish
flamenco (
"Alfonsina y el Mar").
Parra blends Afro-Cuban and Brazilian elements on
Jorge Bem's
"Mais Que Nada," and
"Kuando el Rey Nimrod" finds her putting a
jazz spin on a 16th century Sephardic poem. This 51-minute CD, which was produced by trombonist
Wayne Wallace, is not only memorable because it is a stylistic rollercoaster; it is also memorable because
Parra brings an abundance of warmth and emotion to her performances.
Birds in Flight is a consistently rewarding debut from the risk-taking
Parra.
~Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
;)
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