The Majesty of Magos, the Power of Expression, the Songs of Women

 Over the past month, I have listened to four different albums featuring vocalist, composer, and activist Magos Herrera. 2018 saw the release of "Dreamers" (Sony Music/Mexico), her brilliant collaboration with Brooklyn Rider while December 2020 was the release date for "Con Alma: An Operatic Tableau on Isolation" (National Sawdust Tracks), Ms. Herrera's album with Italian-born composer Paola Prestini. The newer albums are reviewed below.

For those who don't know Magos Herrera, she's a native of Mexico City who came to the United States in 1992 to study at The Musicians Institute in Los Angeles.  She continued her studies in Boston, MA, before returning to Mexico.  Her first four albums as a solo artist were recorded in her home city. In 2008, Ms. Herrera moved to New York City and, one year later, released "Distancia" on Sunnyside Records––two years later, she followed up with "México Azul" for the same label.  Since then, she was 1/2 of the duo Magos & Limón (Spanish  guitarist Javier Limón) that recorded two albums for Sony Music.  What stands out for this listener includes her persuasive contralto voice, how she inhabits each song whether she's singing in Spanish, Portuguese, or English, and how she obliterates "borders" in her music (is she a jazz singer, a classical chanteuse, or a folk artist? Yes, all that and more.

"Aire" is her 11th album as a leader, her third for Sunnyside, the first release for that label in 12 years.  With her regular working trio of Vinicius Gomes (acoustic guitar), Sam Minaie (bass), and Alex Kautz (drums and percussion) plus guest Ingrid Jensen (trumpet and flugelhorn on two tracks), Dori Caymmi (voice on "Samba em Preludio"), and Gonzalo Grau (percussion on three tracks). The Knights, the 21-member chamber orchestra (see personnel below) also appear on 10 of the 12 tracks playing arrangements by Mr. Grau, by Argentinean pianist Diego Schissi, and the great Brazilian composer and arranger Jaques Morelenbaum ("Samba em Preludio"). The material includes five originals by Ms. Herrera as well as compositions by Chilean folklorist Violetta Parra (1917-1967), by Ariel Ramírez & Félix Luna, by Guinga & César Pinheiro, by Danilo Moraes & Paulo Cesar de Carvahlo, and by Vinicius de Moraes & Baden Powell. 

Photo: Shervin Lainez

There's so many reasons to listen to "Aire", not the least of which is how strong these songs are and how the vocalist works with both the trio and the orchestra.  Whether it's the dancing rhythms of the title track that opens the album (Grau's arrangement is both lavish and supportive) or the gentle swaying of "Samba em Preludio" (the blend of 79-year old Caymmi's handsome voice with the supple quality of Ms. Herreras voice is charming and touching), the music touches the heart.  Quiet guitar introduces Violetta Parra's "Gracias a la Vida" but note how Schissi's arrangement first introduces the reeds and then the strings move around under the voice. Add Ingrid Jensen's occasional trumpet responses to the vocal rises above the orchestra and the piece has a "magical-realism".  Guinga's "Passarinhadeira" (finch) is just voice and guitar––Ms. Herrera sings so gently over Gomes's finger-picked acoustic guitar that one must lean into the song.  Schissi's handsome string writing behind the wordless vocal on the short "Papalote Intro" leads the listener into Ms. Herrera's original piece. Gomes's delightful guitar solo follows the theme with The Knights' caressing sounds swimming around beneath him. They do the same for Ms. Herrera's wordless vocal improvisation.

The album closes with "Healer", a piece dedicated to and featuring the voice Maria Sabina (1894-1985), the Mexican shaman, in the opening moment.  Ms. Sabina not only used herbs, peyote, and mushrooms but also the voice to heal people. Ms. Herrera uses her voice to deliver the message of healing through music and the celebration of life.  The blend of percussion, voices, guitars, and The Knights brings "Aire" to a magical and delightful close.

Magos Herrera has created a panacea to the fear and worries of the past few years, music to escape the myriad voices of argument and disagreement of people who use words to hurt and stress their superiority.  Can music heal our souls?  Ms. Herrera believes so and this magnificent album serves as her proof!

For more information, go to www.magosherrera.com.  To hear and to purchase the album, go to https://magosherrera.bandcamp.com/album/aire.

The Knights:

Colin and Eric Jacobsen - artistic directors

Wayne du Maine - conductor

Colin Jacobsen, Christina Courtin, Abi Fayette, Alex Fortes, Kristi Hellberg, Nannte Iwata, Yaira Matyakubova - violin

Mario Goto, Celia Hatton - viola

Gabriel Cabezas, Jia Kim - cello

Grey Fulmer - bass

Alex Sopp - flute

Michelle Farah - oboe

Agnes Marchione - clarinet

Edward Burns - bassoon

Karl Kramer-Johansen - horn

Micah Killian - trumpet

Dave Nelson - trombone

Megan Conley - harp

Blair McMillen - piano

license

Listen to "Choro de Lua":

Venezuelan-born pianist and composer Edward Simon first met Magos Herrera in 2017 when he, his trio members (bassist Joe Martin and drummer Adam Cruz) and the vocalist performed together in a 2017 tribute concert honoring the great Argentine vocalist Mercedes Sosa (1935-2009).  That planted the seed in the pianist's mind to create a follow-up to his 2016 Sunnyside Records album "Latin American Songbook".  This time, Simon with Herrera and the Trio, would focus on Latin American women composers and performers. In addition, the ensemble (with bassist Reuben Rogers replacing Martin and now including  and guest percussionist Luis Quintero) worked on a commission that Simon received from the Chamber Music's New Jazz Works––"Latino Soy" is a three-movement piece, two movements featuring lyrics sung and spoken by Ms. Herrera.

"Femeninas: Songs of Latin American Women" (artistShare)  is an 11-song, 63-minute, program that pays tribute to artists such as Joyce Moreno (Brazil), Elizabeth (Chile), Chabuca Granda (Perú), Violetta Parra (Chile), Marta Valdés (Cuba), Rosa Passos (Brazil), and Georgina Hassan (Argentina).  Opening with Ms. Moreno's "Feminina", the music jumps out of the speakers on the lively rhythms created by the trio plus the crisp acoustic guitar of Romero Lubambo (one of his two appearances on the album).  After Ms. Herrera delivers the lyrics, composed as a question to a Mother as to what "female" means, Rogers takes a delightful, melodic, solo and Quintero adds a short solo. That leads into Ms. Morris's lovely ballad "Décimas"–Simon's arrangement does not stray too far from the original until he pushes the tempo in the second half of the piece. Again, Roger's melodic bass lines stand out not only as foundational but in counterpoint to the vocal. 

Simon's suite, "Latino Soy", takes up 1/3rd of the album's running time. "Naked Sky" features original English lyrics by Ms. Herrera. The music slowly builds up behind the vocal into a fast bolero––Cruz's drumming and brush work stand out as do the richly melodic solo Simon creates.  "Buleria" is even quicker, with the feel of flamenco (Simon's piano captures the feel of a guitarist). The break in the middle for drums, handclaps, and percussion sets up a powerful with Ms. Herrera's wordless vocal soaring above the ensemble. Here, the overdubbing creates a responsive chorus that is hypnotic, mesmerizing.  The final section, "Mujer Remolino", takes its title from one of the nicknames of the shaman Maria Sabina (see above)––the words translate to "Whirlwind Woman".  The medium-tempo piece opens up to a long, twisting, rhythmical, piano solo. After a break where Ms. Herrera joins in on wordless vocal, she then begins to read the words of one of the Mexican shaman's healing ceremonies.

Other highlights include the stunning "Gracias de la Vida" ("Here's to Life") from the pen of Ms. Parra. After the voice and piano move through the verses, Cruz enters to "converse" with Simon during his solo. Rogers joins them for the final verse of the song.  The song then breaks into double-time, a dramatic close to quite a dramatic piece.  Lubambo returns for Ms. Passos "Dunas" (lyrics by Fernando de Oliviera), a delicious Bossa Nova with a pleasing solo from Simon. 

The program closes with "Hacia Donde" ("where" or "wherever"), a lovely ballad composed by Ms. Valdés (born 1928) for voice and piano.  One may not understand Spanish but you cannot miss the pensive mood of the singer and the gentle, "formal", piano in the background that carries that introspective and emotional mood throughout the performance.  

When you sit and listen through "Femeninas" several times, you can really hear how the pairing of Magos Herrera and Edward Simon is magic. One feels, actually intuits, that they have worked together for many years.  Yet, that's just part of the magic of this project. The rhythm section is powerful, able to "groove" and support in equal measure. Simon's piano work is clear, his phrases articulate, and his arrangements intelligent and respectful.  Ms. Herrera's voice is so wondrous, her ability to express emotions and transport listeners beyond the mundane explains why every project she is involved with is worth investigating.  

"Femeninas" will be released on June 8, 2023––go to www.edwardsimon.com/projects/femeninas to find out more.

Listen to and watch "Gracias a la Vida":

A New Generation of Storytellers in Song (Pt 1)

Chances are good that, if you listen to jazz and/or attend concerts, you probably have heard vocalist Aubrey Johnson.  She has worked and recorded with Bobby McFerrin, Andrew Rathbun's Large Ensemble, John Zorn's Mycale, Fred Hersch's Pocket Orchestra, and others.  She studied at Western Michigan University and then studied at The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA. Ms. Johnson also toured with her uncle, keyboardist Lyle Mays, who had written several pieces for her.  Currently, she's on the faculty of both the Berklee College of Music and Queens College in New York City.

Over her years in Boston and New York, Ms. Johnson assembled a group of musicians, presented them with a repertoire of originals, covers, and standards; in 2017, the ensemble, composed of Tomoko Omura (violin), Michael Sachs (bass clarinet, alto saxophone), Matt Aronoff (bass), Jeremy Noller (drums), Chris Ziemba (piano) plus guest Vitor Gonçalves (accordion on two tracks), went into the studio and the results can be heard on "Unraveled" (Outside In Music).  As you listen to the 10 tracks, one can tell this is a band that truly connects with the music and do their utmost to create a canvas that the voice can paint myriad sounds.  The album opens with "No More I Love You", composed by the British duo The Lover Speaks which Annie Lenox covered quite successfully in the mid 1990s. As opposed to the "electronic pop" sounds of the original and the "hit" version, Ms. Johnson pick up the tempo, riding it forward atop the dancing drums, Ms. Omura's plucked and bowed violin plus the handsome bass clarinet sounds.  Play attention to Ziemba's wide-ranging solo as well as how easily the vocalist moves through her impressive range without sounding forced or facile. This version is nowhere near as campy as Ms. Lennox's (based on her "Cabaret"-esque video).

The songs connect on multiple levels. Musically, the band is top-notch while many of the songs are emotionally rich. "Lie In Wait" (composed by the leader) pulls you on the strength of the human voice yet note the rich alto saxophone sounds (and powerful solo), the rich piano chords, and Aronoff's resonant bass lines. The violinist composed and arranged "Voice Is Magic"; with its spare melody, the music opens up to fine solo from the composer, Ziemba, and a sparkling wordless vocal interaction with Zach's bass clarinet.  Also listen closely when Ms. Johnson sings the lyrics as they switch from Portuguese to Japanese.

The group takes the oft-recorded "Peacocks" (music by Jimmy Rowles, lyrics by Norma Winstone) and makes it their own. The ballad unfolds slowly, the bass clarinet rings out beneath the voice, Noller's gentle brush work, and the deliberate piano lines plus the lyrical alto sax solo caress and surround the voice with such care that even the intensity that builds in the second half of the piece is organic.

The album closes with Egberto Gismonti's "Karate", a playful vocal-piano-accordion interaction that includes breathless runs, classical piano riffs, and a sense of joy unleashed.  When Ms. Johnson and Gonçalves sing and play the stunning phrases, it not only startles the listener but makes one laugh with pleasure. It's hard to find the albums Aubrey Johnson recorded with Ron Di Salvio and drummer Jimmy Cobb but the presence and confidence she displays on "Unraveled" reveals is such a positive for contemporary music as it moves forward!

For more information, go to www.aubreyjohnsonmusic.com.

Here's the title track:

When vocalist-educator-composer Jeff Baker speaks, one should pay attention.  He has started his own record label – Next Music – and the initial release is the debut album of Sam Tru (not to be confused with Sam Tsui, hip hop artist who also records under the monicker Sam Tru).  "Cycle" features her original songs (many co-authored by producer-mentor Baker) with the help of Clark Sommers (bass), Matt Carroll (drums), Justin Nielson (piano, keyboards), and guitarist Gregory Uhlmann.  The title tune moves in on a rhythm that blends soul influences with West African guitar and flies on the strength of the rich vocal sound of Ms. Tru.  That tune as well as the blues-infused "Doing Fine" brings Bonnie Raitt to mind. Ms. Tru has a impressive range never straining to hit higher or lower notes plus she articulates so that one hears every word.

These songs resonate in one's mind. The slow, simmering, "Not Enough Liquor" tells of the frustration of love and obsession – note how the band builds the tension beneath the lyrics. Even more powerful is "Please Don't Go" that fervently speaks to a lover; the drums really push this piece as the piano and guitars color in the background.  "So Far Away" (not the Carole King song) speaks to a relationship in the midst of ennui. For the singer, time slows, drags, in the absence of a partner. Again the power of the rhythm section and Ms. Tru's heartfelt vocal drive the emotions in the song.

"Cycle" closes with "Wheel."  At 9:22, it's the longest track on the album, a slow love song infused with a soulful vocal that takes its time to unwind.  Uhlmann plays a subtle solo in the middle of the piece that leads back to the voice.  The intensity picks up in the final two minutes as the lyrics reminds us that the "wheel" often turns back to the ones we love.

Sam Tru makes quite a positive impression with her debut album.  If you are a fan of Bonnie Raitt, Sara Bareilles, and other vocalists who reach into the heart to tell their stories, then "Cycle" will please you. It's not a jazz vocal album but one hears so many possibilities in these songs that the future bodes well for this singer-songwriter.

For more information, go to www.nextmusiccompany.com/sam-tru.

Here's a taste:

Composer, vocalist, violinist, co-founder of The Knights, and educator Christina Courtin has her hands and feet in so many different genres.  She and bassist Michael LaValle lead a group called Pilot Violet, she's worked with Lee Ann Womack, Doyle Bramhall II, Sara Bareilles, and many others in the folk, country, and classical worlds.  Ms. Courtin has been recording as a solo artist since the mid-2000s with her first full-length album (self-titled) issued in 2009 on Nonesuch Records followed in 2013 with "Varsity" on High Pockets Records.   She's now signed to Brooklyn Rider violinist Johnny Gandelsman's In a Circle Records and her new album "Situation Station" has just been issued

Knowing her classical background probably won't necessarily prepare you for the fascinating worlds Ms. Courtin creates on the recording.  Despite the great number of musicians (see below), the lyrics are never crowded out by the instrumentalists.  Her range is impressive – opening with "Japanese Maple Tree", a lovely, hypnotic, ballad that is reminiscent of both Randy Newman and Tori Amos that leads directly into the poppy "Stare Into The Sun" which, thanks to the whistling (listen below), would not sound out of place on a Bruno Mars album (and it sounds like Joni Mitchell).  Listen to how Ms. Courtin's voice swells with The Knights on "Bouquet" and how she rocks impressively on the country-rock on "Life So Far" (listen to the strings "rock out").

From the beginning of the program, one is impressed by the vocal range and creativity of Ms. Courtin. The title song channels Harry Nilsson and The Beatles with a delightful melody, swirling strings, and a mid-section that rocks hard.  "Coyote Midnight" opens with trance-like electric piano over which the vocal tells the story of a broken relationship. There's powerful tenor sax from Doug Wiselman and a chorus reminiscent of some of Don Henley's ballads.  The tension between the rising strings, the torrent of notes from the saxophone, and Ms. Courtin's emotional vocal pull the listener in looking for release and relief.

"Situation Station" closes with "You Held Me Up", another powerful ballad with The Knights as accompaniment (watch the video below).  Again, there's a touch of Randy Newman in the arrangement and the song is short but ever-so-strong.  Christina Courtin has made a recording that stands out in a year of impressive albums, the program bursting with creativity and excellent musicianship plus songs that not only entertain but touch the heart.  Listen, listen with open ears and mind.

For more information, go to www.christinacourtin.com.

Here's the "whistling" tune:



And, the splendid final track:




Personnel:

Christina Courtin - vocals, violin, whistle, electric celeste
Greg Cohen - acoustic bass
Danny Fox - piano, prepared piano, Rhodes, electric harpsichord 
Michael LaValle - electric bass guitar
Chris Parker - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandola, slide guitar 
James Shipp - synthesizers, sequence, shruti box, riq
Doug Wiselman - tenor saxophone ("Coyote Midnight")
Kenny Wollesen - drums

Plus:

The Knights, Eric Jacobsen - conductor

Violins​
Christina Courtin, Sonya Chung, Nana Iwata,
Colin Jacobsen, Ariana Kim, Salley Koo, Michelle Lie
Yaira Matyakubova, Ross Snyder .

Violas​
Kyle Armbrust, Mario Gotoh, Miranda Sielaff, Alissa Smith

Cellos​
Andrea Lee, Karen Ouzounian, Caitlin Sullivan, Michael Unterman

​Flute
Alex Sopp

​Clarinet
Agnes Marchione

​Bassoon
Eddie Burns

​Horn
Mike Atkinson

​Bass
Logan Coale