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Dos Amantes Press Release
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VOCALIST and COMPOSER KAT PARRA RETURNS WITH
HER NEW ENSEMBLE, THE SEPHARDIC MUSIC EXPERIENCE
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VOCALIST and COMPOSER KAT PARRA RETURNS WITH
HER NEW ENSEMBLE, THE SEPHARDIC MUSIC EXPERIENCE
in DOS AMANTES, a STUNNING NEW DISC OUT JANUARY 12, 2010 on JAZZMA RECORDS
Featuring special guests Jason McGuire, guitar; Ravi Gutala, tablas; ?and members of the Temple Sinai Choir of Oakland *
“… a moveable feast of Latin styles... [Her vocals are] beautifully shaped; her grasp of [the] archaic
Judeo-Spanish style is remarkable.” — Philip Van Vleck, Billboard Review
“… an exceptional world-music ambassador… an album [Azucar de Amor] about hope and, by extension, music's role as a universally uniting force.” — Chris Loudon, JazzTimes
“Parra isn't content with tried and true formulas. Since the release of her impressive 2006 debut she's been creating an ambitious, often unexpected, repertoire. Parra possesses a voice with personality and soul.” — Andrew Gilbert, NPR’s “California Report”
Three years ago Kat Parra quit her job as a graphic designer at Cisco Systems, Inc. to pursue her passion for music and she’s never looked back. Since then the award-winning composer has released two critically acclaimed CDs on the Patois label, been invited to perform in Brazil and Mexico as well as top-tier venues throughout the United States, earned the designation “Best Latin Jazz Vocalist of 2008” by Latin Jazz Corner, and received a 2008 nomination for “Latin Jazz Album of the Year” from the Jazz Journalists Association.
“After having successfully raised two children as a single parent, I felt it was time to finally pursue my dream of being a full-time musician,” says Parra. “I came to realize I didn't want to die wondering ‘what if...? Music has always been an integral part of my identity, but after receiving my Bachelor of Music degree I knew that as a single parent my financial circumstances would not allow me to focus all my attention on a full-time music career. As I raised my children I performed with various bands of many different genres, which allowed me to hone my vocal skills as well as my stage presence. It was an audition for Cirque Du Soleil in 2005 that made me realize the possibility of my dream. Once my youngest son was finished with college I was able to take the leap of faith and dive head first into this new adventure. Nov. 3, 2006 was my last day in corporate America and I've never been happier!”
Parra explores her roots on her third CD Dos Amantes, a disc devoted entirely to songs of the Sephardic Jews. “I have always been proud of my Jewish heritage — the history and the tenacity to survive — but it wasn’t something I easily shared with others,” she says. “Learning about my connection to the Sephardic Jews has given me even more reason to be proud of who I am.”
The history of the Sephardic Jews starts in the heart of the Iberian Peninsula. Beginning in the early eighth century, Spain was a multi-cultural society where Jews, Muslims, and Christians co-existed in relative peace for nearly 800 years. After their expulsion in 1492, Sephardic Jews found refuge in North Africa and the Ottoman Empire. They also traveled to the New World with conquistadors and settlers from Holland, Spain and Portugal. Thus, like ripples in a pond, the Sephardic Jewish Diaspora spread ever outward, and in their music, we hear all the streams that flowed together to form their unique musical language.
In addition to singing fluently in English, Spanish and Portuguese, Parra has the rare ability to sing in the dying language of Ladino, or Judeo-Espanyol, which enables her to interpret this music faithfully. “This is the language of the Spanish Jews, an antiquated form of Castilian that also includes words from Hebrew, Arabic, Turkish and many other languages. It is an amalgamation of the Sephardic Diaspora, and it is my small way of helping to preserve this language. It is still spoken, but in very few places and mainly by the older generations in Turkey, Israel and in homes across the globe.”
Dos Amantes, which means “two loves” in Ladino and Spanish, fuses the flavor of Sephardic music with the sounds and colors of contemporary Latin jazz, a genre that shares many of the same cultural streams. The disc features sparkling arrangements by Latin jazz heavyweights Murray Low, Wayne Wallace, David Pinto (Susana Baca), and Oscar Stagnaro (Paquito D’Rivera). On her previous CDs (Birds in Flight and Azucar de Amor), Parra included Sephardic repertoire that delighted critics and jazz fans alike. Upon being awarded a Zellerbach Family Foundation Grant, Parra was able to take the work of her new ensemble – The Sephardic Music Experience – to the next level, resulting in Dos Amantes’ groundbreaking explorations.
As on her previous CDs, Parra teamed up with producer Wayne Wallace, a major player on the Bay-area Latin jazz scene. In addition, Patti Cathcart Andress (Tuck & Patti) lent her expertise to this project as a consultant after becoming enamored with this music’s unique beauty.
Dos Amantes will be released January 12, 2010 on Jazzma Records, though a special holiday release will be available exclusively through CD Baby in time for Hanukkah.
Parra’s ace ensemble consists of Murray Low (keyboards, music director); Peter Barshay (acoustic bass); Paul van Wageningen (drums); Katja Cooper (percussion); Masaru Koga (flute) and Stephanie Antoine, (violin). Latin jazz stalwart Low provides five of the ten ingenious arrangements here, including the dance-worthy opening track Los Bilbilicos, which shows Parra’s uncanny capacity to use her voice as another instrument in the ensemble. With David Pinto’s thrilling flamenco arrangement of En La Mar, we enter another realm of the Sephardic music spectrum with Jason McGuire’s fiery guitar playing accompanied by energetic palmas. Parra finds a different voice for this song, reaching into her lower range for a tone that is earthy and full of ardor. Oscar Stagnaro’s moving arrangement of Fiestaremos features members of the Temple Sinai Choir of Oakland, CA as well as a wonderful bass solo by Barshay. Dos Amantes, a tale of a girl choosing between two loves, is arranged by Wallace and features his signature style: intricate ensemble writing and colorful instrumentation layered over an irrepressible groove. Special guests Lila Sklar (violin) and Michaelle Goerlitz (percussion) really shine here, while Koga takes one of countless glittering solos. Low’s gorgeous treatment of the lullaby A La Nana is a standout moment on this disc, highlighting Parra’s crystalline upper range. What begins as an ethereal entreaty segues into a gently swinging bossa nova that also features ensemble violinist Antoine in beautiful dialog with Parra’s exquisite vocals.
Tres Hermanicas is a fairytale about a sister who goes astray but finds love anyway; Pintos’ artful arrangement begins solely with Parra singing over colorful percussion, gradually opening up to include the rest of the ensemble. Midway through, Parra takes a breathtaking solo. The good-natured drinking song La Vida Do Por El Raki is given a classic Latin jazz treatment by Wallace in which Parra exhorts the flute and violin to play for the party, giving rise to a virtuosic duo moment. The traditional song Una Matika De Ruda has a beguilingly serpentine melody that Low surrounds with a richly hued arrangement that features special guest Ravi Gutala on tablas. The wide scope of Parra’s vocal abilities is on display here as she covers this tricky melody by sinking into the depths of her low range as well as soaring to its heights. The disc’s closer, Hanukia, is an exuberant Hanukkah party song. The disc fades out on this festive note, concluding a journey that feels as wide-ranging and expansive as the journeys of the Sephardim themselves.
www.katparra.com
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All Music Guide Review 4 1/2 stars
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Kat Parra's maturity and depth as a jazz singer have prepared her for this deeply personal project o...Kat Parra's maturity and depth as a jazz singer have prepared her for this deeply personal project of singing traditional tunes with various strains of ethnic music. Sephardic styles within Arabic, Jewish, and Middle Eastern elements combine with Afro-Cuban and modern ideas as played by primarily West coast jazz musicians to form this coming of age between the past and present. While dealing primarily with thoughts of love pined for, gained, and lost, Parra's beautifully flexible voice expresses strong emotions while dancing and swaying her way in and around these layers musical backdrops that are easily as powerful as her non-English lyrics. This fascinating music is hard to resist from start to finish, starting with the specific Sephardic world jazz songs "Dos Amantes" and "Una Matika De Ruda," the former wrestling with an emotional quandary about two loves in Parra's gliding vocals and klezmer fundament, the latter in a similarly sailing mood in a mother/daughter dispute. Every other track features a different style from far-flung countries, like the Peruvian lando-based "Fiestaremos" which is a vocal music celebration featuring the Temple Sinai Choir of Oakland, CA, the straight bossa nova-ballad-lullaby "A La Nana" strewn with tender violin lines, and the Afro-Cuban "La Vida do Por El Raki" in a drunken la la, happy-go-lucky swoon in a straight clave light mambo. You might not expect "Avrix Mi Galanica" with its spacy Spanish lyrics contrasting a North African funk and jazz mix with outstanding flute work, nor the Biblical references cemented in the habanera/rumba core of "Los Biblicos," with Parra scatting as might Tania Maria or Flora Purim during their heyday in a tale of nightingales. The traditional flamenco "En la Mar" is more standard stock with fleet acoustic guitar in 6/8 time, referencing the power of the sea, while the more Cuban tale of three sisters, "Tres Hermanicas," is lighter, and "Hanukia" really ramps up the Jewish traditional holiday with a spirit of whirling dervish or late-night seduction in a dance with flutes, violins, and overdubbed vocals. Parra's musicians deserve a special tip of the hat, including keyboardist and music director Murray Low, saxophonist and especially flutist Masaru Koga, guitarist Jason McGuire, violinists Stephanie Antoine, and Lila Sklar, tabla player Ravi Gutala, bassist Peter Barshay, the always-excellent drummer Paul Van Wageningen, and percussionists Katja Cooper and Michaelle Goerlitz. Kat Parra has hit on something so deep and wide musically, it has to be seen as new music even though traditionally based. Dos Amantes is truly wonderful in all respects, and comes highly recommended, easily one of the better world music projects of 2009, and the aughts decade.
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Billboard Review of Azucar de Amor
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Vocalist Kat Parra indulges her passion for Latin jazz on "Azucar de Amor," her second release for P...Vocalist Kat Parra indulges her passion for Latin jazz on "Azucar de Amor," her second release for Patois Records. She opens the disc with a sweet bit of salsa/ mambo, "Sugar (Azucar de Amor)," that sets the tone for what proves to be a moveable feast of Latin styles. Parra knows how to light the fuse on a salsa number, and she shows us how it's done on the original tune "Quítate la Queta." In a completely different mood, Parra delivers a stirring interpretation of "Esta Montanya D'Enfrente," a mystic Sephardic ballad. Her vocal on this number is beautifully shaped; her grasp of this archaic Judeo-Spanish style is remarkable. Parra also shines on "Un Grito," a song she wrote with Wayne Wallace in the Afro-Peruvian landó style. It's yet another stylistic groove that she handles with an uncanny feel. —Philip Van Vleck
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Kat Parra Releases Sophomore CD, Azucar de Amor
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VOCALIST and AWARD-WINNING COMPOSER KAT PARRA RELEASES A STUNNING SOPHOMORE CD, AZUCAR DE AMOR, AVA...VOCALIST and AWARD-WINNING COMPOSER KAT PARRA RELEASES A STUNNING SOPHOMORE CD, AZUCAR DE AMOR, AVAILABLE ON PATOIS RECORDS
* FEATURING RAY VEGA and JOVINO SANTOS NETO *
“Parra’s voice is chameleon-like, and it transcends style and language with remarkable strength and presence.” — Dan Bilawsky, Jazz Improv Magazine
“What sets Parra apart from so many Latin-jazz vocalists is her passion for mixing and blending musical styles. Parra has developed an unusual repertoire marked by rhythmic sophistication and unpredictable song choices. Most unexpectedly, she explores her Sephardic Jewish heritage, a refracted point of connection with Latin America.” — Andrew Gilbert, San Jose Mercury News
“This woman sings with conviction, devotion, and intense feeling. Her voice is full of sweetness, passion, intimacy, and joy.” — Lee Prosser, jazzreview.com
Vocalist and composer Kat Parra follows up on the success of her critically acclaimed debut CD with Azucar de Amor, another wonderfully diverse collection of music from a wide array of cultures and genres. Latin favorites, jazz standards, Sephardic songs of the Spanish Jews, and originals are all tied together by Parra’s heartfelt delivery and by uniquely fresh arrangements from award-winning trombonist/arranger Wayne Wallace and pianist Murray Low. The CD will be released March 4 on Wayne Wallace’s Patois Records label.
Sugar (Azucar De Amor), a wonderful re-interpretation by Wallace of this Stanley Turrentine favorite, energetically opens the disc with crackling percussion, heralding another ingeniously eclectic musical offering from Parra and her cohorts. The diversity of the material is highlighted by the sheer array of sounds on the disc. Dizzy Gillespie’s A Night in Tunisia is a case in point: the first section is a bewitching mid-tempo treatment beautifully colored by Katja Cooper’s Middle-Eastern percussion instruments, followed by the blazing trumpet of Ray Vega, announcing the beginning of a hard-swinging salsa section. On the haunting Sephardic ballad Esta Montanya D’Enfrente, masterfully arranged by Murray Low, Peter Barshay’s plaintive bass solo opens the stage for the other-wordly sound of Masaru Koga’s shakuhachi, a traditional flute from Japan. Violinist Anthony Blea and flutist John Calloway each add beautiful colors to this CD as well as impressive solo turns, while drummer Paul van Wageningen holds it down rhythmically on a number of tracks. A stunning constellation of percussion instruments creates a sparkling canvas on which Parra paints with her striking voice.
Parra’s versatility is beyond question on this disc. On the exuberant Quítate La Queta, an original composition co-written with Wallace, she exhorts us to listen at the beginning (¡Oye!) and sings in the earthiest part of her vocal range, while on Errol Garner’s Misty she travels to the ethereal regions of her voice, delivering a silvery sound that perfectly illustrates the poignancy of this well-loved standard. (Wallace takes a beautiful solo turn here as well.) Parra’s formidable song-writing talents are also on display in three originals co-written with Wallace: in addition to Quítate La Queta, the gorgeous Afro-Peruvian Un Grito is unforgettable while Feed My Desire, which features an electric solo by Jovino Santos Neto on piano, is utterly seductive.
Kat Parra has achieved critical acclaim and success since leaving her corporate hi-tech job last year to pursue a full-time musical career. Not only has she been signed to a two-CD contract with Wayne Wallace’s Patois Records, but she also has been invited to perform in Brazil, Chicago, and Seattle, as well as top-tier venues around the Bay Area such as the San Jose Jazz Festival, Sonoma Jazz Festival, SFJazz Summerfest, Pearls, and the Kuumbwa Jazz Center. Her 2006 debut CD Birds in Flight is being played on radio stations throughout the world. In Melbourne, Australia it was voted one of the TOP 10 VOCAL JAZZ/SALSA ALBUMS for 2007, while on Mark Ruffin and Neil Tesser’s syndicated Listen Hear radio show it was listed as “One of the top 6 CDs you should know about.” In addition, a track from this album, Dame La Llave, was rated as One of the Best Songs of 2006 on iTunes.
The CD also earned acclaim in print. In his JazzTimes magazine review, Christopher Loudon exclaimed: “Kat Parra’s Birds in Flight, an eyes-wide-open treatise on post-breakup resilience and recovery, earned top prize in the Latin-Jazz category at the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Now, wrapped in an appropriately buoyant salsa arrangement courtesy of trombonist Wayne Wallace, it is the centerpiece of the golden-voiced Californian’s inaugural disc… It all adds up to a most propitious debut.” Latin Beat magazine’s Jesse “Chuy” Varela calls Parra “a musical chameleon who transforms her voice with multi-colored global hues… well-worth searching out,” while Chuck Graham’s Tucson Citizen review calls Birds in Flight “an impressive debut album… a musical gem with many sparkling facets.”
Parra has leapt beyond the boundaries of the typical Latin jazz singer. With her thirst for the exploration of myriad world rhythms and tonalities, she has developed a style of music that encompasses sounds that transcend and bend the stereotypical definition of Latin jazz. She has incorporated not only Afro-Cuban music, but also Afro-Peruvian, Middle Eastern, South American folklore, and Nueva Trova. Most interestingly, along with her musical director Murray Low, Parra has also been developing new arrangements of Sephardic music, the music of the Spanish Jews, sung in the dying language of Ladino.
Kat sings fluently in English, Spanish and Portuguese. With this multi-lingual and multi-musical approach, she is able to captivate her audiences with exciting and vibrant world and Latin music.
www.katparra.com
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CD Review by Christopher Loudon
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Seven years ago, Kat Parra's Birds in Flight, an eyes-wide-open treatise on post-breakup resilience ...Seven years ago, Kat Parra's Birds in Flight, an eyes-wide-open treatise on post-breakup resilience and recovery, earned top prize in the Latin-Jazz category at the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Now, wrapped in an appropriately bouyant salsa arrangement courtesy of trombonist Wayne Wallace, it is the centerpiece of the golden-voiced Californian's inaugural disc. The track's tender self-confidence speaks volumes about Parra, who survived a divorce at age 23 and, while raising her two small sons, made the fortuitous decision to toss aside a year's training in classical flute at UCLA and instead study what she naively considered the 'easy instrument' of voice.
Parra quickly discovered how difficult a path she'd chosen but, mentored by Patti Cathcart (of Tuck and Patti fame), soon emerged with a multilingual (she sings in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Ladina) appreciation for pop, blues, soul and jazz. Such stylistic legerdemain serves her well throughout Birds in Flight as she effortlessly shifts from the gently rapturous romanticism of the self-penned "These Old Feelings" and dew-kissed warmth of "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" (reinvented with an unexpected but intriguing robustness) to the purple-dusk, Middle Eastern majesty of Ellington's "Caravan" and shirling intensity of the 16th-century Sephardic anthem "Kuando el Rey Nimrod." It all adds up to a most propitious debut.
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CD Review by Lee Prosser
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This is the debut CD of Kat Parra. As vocalist and award-winning songwriter, she is sensitive and sp...This is the debut CD of Kat Parra. As vocalist and award-winning songwriter, she is sensitive and spirited in this collection of songs. For a first time out attempt, this CD succeeds with a sweet brilliance and emotional intensity which sets it apart from the crowd.
This woman sings with conviction, devotion, and intense feeling. Her voice is full of sweetness, passion, intimacy, and joy. In the standout selection, "Birds in Flight," the jazz listening audience hears her soul soar vocally, and it is a richly rewarding experience.
There are ten songs featured. The total running time is 51:30 minutes. The songs include "Mais Que Nada," "Dame La Llave," "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise," "Alfonsina Y El Mar," "Birds in Flight," "Caravan," "Oleo De Una Mujer Con Sombrero," "These Old Feelings," "Kuando El Rey Nimrod," and "Quizas Porque." Each song is a testament to Kat Parra's unusual voice and distinctive vocal stylings. There is a direct, open soulfulness which comes across easily in her singing, and it is an enjoyable sound.
The many musicians on the CD are talented, and whether in fine solo work such as performed by violinist Anthony Blea or flutist Masaru Koga, each soars with a fresh, innovative approach. Group harmony is perfect. The musicians give excellent background for the delivery of Kat Parra's intimate vocalizations.
As a debut CD, this one works. There is a certain style about Kat Parra that adds to the oftentimes poignant vocals, and she has a voice that is fresh and imaginative. If you are new to her sound, please give her new debut CD a try --listen to her voice and be entertained by a fresh, captivating talent.
Each song reveals a different message and jazz motif, and is excellent. Kat Parra's rendition of Duke Ellington's "Caravan" is a memorable listening experience, and like the other songs in this fine collection, there to savor again and again and again.
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CD Review by Dan McClenaghan
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Birds in Flight, San Francisco Bay Area vocalist Kat Parra’s debut release, could be tagged as Latin...Birds in Flight, San Francisco Bay Area vocalist Kat Parra’s debut release, could be tagged as Latin jazz, but it proves itself a lot more than that. She stretches the boundaries right off the bat by singing “Mais Que Nada,” a much-recorded Brazilian song, with an Afro-Cuban/samba rhythm. The delivery at first is traditional, until Pat Parra, Kat’s son, raps in on a samba hip-hop groove, fronting a slapping percussion backdrop that fades back into a swirling arrangement that’s lush with flute and strings.
This wonderfully produced set brims over with exquisite arrangements, mostly by trombonist/producer Wayne Wallace and pianist Murray Low, who mix the colors of strings, multiple percussion, and brass and reeds into a polished and joyous amalgam. ”Dame La Llave,” a charanga tune, bubbles to life on an infectious groove that leads into a lilting take on the American Songbook classic “Softy As in a Morning Sunrise,” danzón and cha-cha style. The sparely and beautfully arranged “Alfonsina Y El Mar” is a jazzy flamenco piece.
The set’s title tune, penned by Kat Parra, took fifth place in the 1999 Latin Jazz Category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. This hard-driving salsa tune was inpired by the breakup of her marriage. Ellington’s “Caravan” gets an exotic treament with the inclusion of tablas (Ravi Gutala) and dumbek (Katja Cooper). Parra sings “Kuando El Rey Nimrod,” a traditional Sephardic tune, in Ladino—a dying language of the Spanish Jews—in front of exotic rhythm and assertive strings, and she closes the disc with “Quizas Porque,” which has a gorgeously sweet melody.
Birds in Flight is a remarkable debut from a singer with a pure, straightforward delivery and deft songwriting skills, immersed in a cool wash of intricate arrangements.
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Bruce Crowther Review
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"A striking singer who brings honesty and integrity to her repertoire, Kat Parra deserves a far wide..."A striking singer who brings honesty and integrity to her repertoire, Kat Parra deserves a far wider audience than that she presently enjoys in South and North America. Rich and flowing, her voice demands attention and she delivers wholly satisfying interpretations of a an interesting selection of songs. Although everything is suffused with Latin sounds, Kat has drawn songs from jazz, with Juan Tizol’s ‘Caravan’, and from the standards, ‘Softly As In A Morning Sunrise’. She also draws upon the rich song book of Brazil, notably an exceptionally interesting updated view of the classic ‘Mais Que Nada’, and Cuba, with ‘Óleo De Una Mujer Con Sombrero’. There are also songs of her own that display her talent in this field. Accompanied here by instrumentalists such as pianist Murray Low, flautist Masaru Koga, percussionists Michael Spiro, Ravi Gutala and Paul van Wageningen, and guitarist Rick Vandivier, Kat delivers a succession of inventive and exhilarating musical moments. (Buy this now ...)"
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CD Review/Kat Parra/’Birds In Flight’
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"This little kitten will 'purr’ you into submission. Jazz singer Kat Parra sings the American Songbo..."This little kitten will 'purr’ you into submission. Jazz singer Kat Parra sings the American Songbook with panache. Her take on the old chestnut 'Softly As In A Morning Sunrise’ is a study in a gainful & viable vocal perspective that captivates continually. Only a unique kind of persona as Kat could be this spontaneous. Her vocalese is completely honest. In short she offers her listeners a quality of emotion that is inherent. Capable of making her individual vocal statement in the way she delivers her songs."
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CD Review by Dick Bogle
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***** (5 Stars!)
“Kat Parra is the answer to the question: “Who is the next great Latin female sing...***** (5 Stars!)
“Kat Parra is the answer to the question: “Who is the next great Latin female singer?”
Blessed with a gorgeous voice, whether speaking or singing, her articulation is clear, distinct and conveys her soulful feelings directly to the listener. Couple that with her orchestra, complete with strings, brass and percussion, and her program which encompasses Afro-Cuban, Salsa, Cha Cha, Samba, some with a Middle Eastern flavoring - it is a winner.
She digs deeply into the Sephardic Jewish tradition on “Kuando el Rey Nimrod,” a song from the 16th century that she sings in Ladino, a dying language of the Spanish Jews.”
