Anna Estrada

Estrada posses a unique voice with a dynamic range. She is wonderfully expressive and more likely to inhabit the characters in her songs than any Brazilian artist does today." Raul d'Gama Rose - All About Jazz

"Estrada steps forwrd with a more defined artistic presence on Obsesión, garnering musical results that boldly stand on their own. Her daring steps through a variety of Latin Jazz approaches reflect a growing artistic confidence and an evolving connection to different styles." Chip Boaz - Latin Jazz Corner

"Anna's new album, Obsesíon, is a fruitful fusion of her two loves - Brazilian and Latin jazz. She sings with a rich, full-bodied voice on a program of bolero, bossa, and jazz classics." Mark Holston - Latina Style

By Edward Blanco

As long as she could remember, Anna Estrada has always had a dream about flying and that dream finally takes flight with her exceptional debut Sonando Vuelos (Dreaming Flights), an eclectic blend of primarily Brazilian and Latin jazz music propelling the sound of bossa nova, samba and familiar Latin jazz rhythms to new heights. A few years ago, Estrada, a native of San Francisco and an actress in the Bay Area theatre community, began to pursue her lifelong dream of singing by performing locally and studying at the Madeline Eastman Voice Shop.

"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 Estrada's 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 album's 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. - All About Jazz

Image Hosted by ImageShack.us Brazil continues to be a big influence for anyone who comes across its music, and one person who continues to share the country's majestic beauty through music is Anna Estrada, whose Soñando Vuelos (Feral Flight Productions) is a jazzy trip, in a Manhattan Transfer sort of way.

I say this because it's Latin jazz with obvious American roots, as the songs move between lyrics in Portuguese and English. What's amazing is that Estrada describes herself as a regular woman with regular daily chores, and is someone who loved to sing in her spare time. She realized she wanted to achieve one of her biggest goals, and this album is the result. I place emphasis on this because she sounds like someone who records and tours on a regular basis, no "dentist jazz" here. Her performances of "Voce Ainde Existe", "Influencia Do Jazz", and a great cover of "Never Can Say Goodbye" display the way she enjoys getting into the song and pulling the listener in, not unlike Janis Siegel, Cheryl Bentyne, or Monday Michiru. With an incredible set of musicians which include guitarist Ray Scott, pianists Murray Low and Frank Martin, percussionists Michael Spiro and John Santos, bassist David Belove, drummer Paul Van Wageningen, she is able to bounce from intense Latin jazz to something smooth and rich without ever missing a beat.

Estrada calls the creation of this album a dream of sorts, and after hearing this I am certain those in an awaken state will be able to enjoy her music without a problem. - The Run Off Groove

Anna Estrada - Soñando Vuelos (Ferel Flight Productions FFP 001)

I've always enjoyed Latin music [plus Salsa and Latin jazz] and this new album by actress/singer Anna Estrada certainly made my ears perk up when it started playing on my CD deck. It begins explosively with the very jazzy Take's My Breath Away, which is more than enough to get the legs and anything else that's free tapping away energetically. Sonando Vuelos is a winning mixture of Brazilian, Latin, Salsa and jazz grooves, topped by Ms Estrada's effortlessly mellifluous voice. Almost all the tracks on the album were written by Latin American composers, and the exception is Never Can Say Goodbye, which fits in very well with the album's intent.
I also rather liked Influencia Do Jazz, which is guaranteed to perk up the most depressed spirit. There are far too many musicians involved here to mention them individually by name, but the accompaniment is warm-hearted and surrounds Ms Estrada's voice like a velvet glove. It is so good to hear such an upbeat album with a singer and band so 'together'. This is definitely the album to transport you away from that typically British wet summer to a tropical beach fringed with coconut trees and a large pina colada in your hand! - Music Watch

For a debut CD, this is one astonishing performance. Anna's been performing in the Bay area for a few years now, & decided to make her dream of singing come true (say the liner notes)... well, she's accomplished her mission, as you'll surely agree when you listen to this wonderful album. There will be no doubt in your mind that Latin-flavored jazz is in her blood by the end of the first track, and her husky (yet rich) vocals will have you falling in love with her, too. The title means "Dreaming Flights" (at least, that's what the translator says), & it's a perfect description for what Estrada conveys through her lively singing... she will have you soaring in no time, feeling the same exhilaration that's apparent from her singing. The backing orchestra (might as well be, FAR too many players to itemize in a review) sways & moves right along behind her, all to most pleasant effect for jazz lovers of all persuasions. A grand excursion, with some of the best Latin jazz vocals I've heard in a while... I give this a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, to be sure. Get more information from www.annaestrada.com Rotcod Zzaj - Improvijazznation

San Francisco area actor Anna Estrada says she began music lessons only six years ago - on an impulse. The title translates to “Dreaming Flights.” She says, “As long as I can remember I’ve had dreams about flying…one day, on an impulse, after years of singing in the shower and the car, I took a vocal class and through the music began a new adventure. The exhilaration of finding a melody that you could not get out of your head, the euphoria of stumbling on a lyric that gives voice to your psyche. It allowed me to soar again, it allowed me to dream while awake.”

Quite an impulse. The self-described “physician, writer, singer, actress, mother, (and) fencer” has put together a collection of mostly-Brazilian music, arranged and co-produced by trombonist Wayne Wallace.

My favorite is the opening track, “Takes My Breath Away (Ciranda),” by Seattle pianist Jovino Santos Neto. But there’s much to like about this catchy disc - including a nicely turned out version of “Never Can Say Goodbye,” with nice solos on sax by Mary Fettig, with John Whorley on trumpet.

Ms. Estrada has nice range, and an actor’s ear for lyrics…she didn’t waste the money on those lessons.

With work like this - and the work she gets in the bay area - it may only be a matter of time before she can quit all those day jobs.

This disc is highly recommended.

Three stars (out of four) - Girlsingers

Anna Estrada created some buzz in the Bay Area and has recently decided to follow her dreams and release a dubu album, Soñando Vuelos (Dreaming Flights). In her first effort, Estrada allows the audience to hear her many influences. She covers the Jackson Five, two legendary Mexican artists (Armando Manzanero and Toña la Negra) and a couple of Brazilian/Latin jazz standards.

After introducing the listener to her songwriting ability, Estrada moves into Manzanero's "Adoro" which is a jazzed-up verson of the romantic legend's original. Estrada's great execution highlights the beauty and color of her two-and-a-half octave range. On "Salome", Estrada covers a bolero popularized by Toña la Negra and turns it into a salsa number. "Two Kites", written by bossa nova pioneer Antonio Carlos Jobim is a track that allows Estrada's voice to float liltingly on the lyrics.

The greatest risk is "Never Can Say Goodbye." It attempts to fuse Estrada's pop influences with jazz and salsa. The fusion is not seamless, and her vocl rendition is not as strong as on the rest of the album. She also falls short on the tracks that she writes herself, "Takes My Breath Away" and "Dreaming Now". Overall, Estrada has released a strong album, at once a collection of her musical tastes and an acurate portrait of herself as an eclectic multicultural singer. -J. Celestin

- Elmore