Diego Baliardo, one of the founders of the world-famous Gipsy Kings, is carrying on the group’s tradition of playing their unique blend of musical styles with a new generation of musicians steeped in Romani culture. Baliardo is releasing Este Ritmo (This Rhythm), the debut release with his new group, The Gypsy Revolution. The Grammy-winning Gipsy Kings have performed all around the world, selling over 20 million albums in their 35-year career, making them the biggest selling musical group to come out of France. The band blends traditional flamenco styles with Western pop and Latin rhythms as well as elements of Arabic music, reggae, and jazz guitar reminiscent of the French Gypsy master Django Reinhardt. It is hard to sit still listening to the music on Este Ritmo. The polyrhythmic styles are infectious and have a joie de vivre that makes you want to get up and dance, as so many fans do at their live performances. The music is highly textured with three guitars and a mix of percussive instruments, like congas, shakers, timbales, tambourines, triangles, and guiros, that add sudden pops of color that keep each tune fresh and interesting. Fronting all this happy music is Diego Baliardo’s expressive and plaintive vocals and energetic rhythm guitar. The moods of the songs on Este Ritmo range from tongue-in-cheek, like on “No Tengo Dinero” (I Don’t Have Money), to wistful, like “Mi Niño” (My Child), to romantic, like “Cara Bonita” (Pretty Face). Yet each is firmly rooted in the flamenco with other Latin influences and a distinct pop flair. Diego Baliardo is the rare kind of musician who can bridge both diverse musical cultures and different generations, all in the service of keeping the music original and engaging while preserving a proud heritage that is over 1,000 years old.
Francesco Amenta is releasing Midtown Walk, his second album as a leader, featuring mostly original tunes penned by the composer, tenor saxophonist, and pianist. Amenta was born and raised in Italy but has been living in New York City since 2017, where he has become a regular on the city’s jazz scene. Midtown Walk comprises seven of Amenta’s compositions and one piece by Duke Ellington, “Come Sunday,” which Amenta wanted to record because of his love for Ellington’s music. The other seven tunes convey Amenta’s impressions of his life in the United States. Amenta’s sax playing has a rich, full tone. There is a lyrical quality to both his playing and composing that is very inviting. He easily conveys feeling and warmth without being emotional or cloying. “For me, composing is storytelling,” says Amenta. “I might write about my family and my experiences. Or I might write a piece just about my impressions of a beautiful day. What’s important for me is the emotional immediacy of an experience, which I try to capture in my compositions.” Amenta’s genuinely warm personality shines through his playing and compositions on this album. Backed by a top-notch band that is completely in sync with his attitude and approach, Midtown Walk is an auspicious American recording debut for Francesco Amenta.
Vocalist Judy Wexler is known for her soulful, heartfelt vocals and her ability to find under-exposed gems and imbue them with warmth and wit. Back To The Garden, her 6th CD, is a departure from Wexler’s previous albums, which featured modern jazz songs and selections from the Great American Songbook with just a smattering of pop tunes. On this new recording, Wexler points her gaze to interpreting iconic, well-known pop/rock songs from the 1960s with reimagined arrangements. According to Wexler, “Music is truly a reflection of the times, and the music of the 1960s reflected the turbulence engendered by war, political protests, and the rise of important social movements like feminism and racial justice. Fifty years later, we’re still struggling with those same issues and more.” Wexler has a sumptuous voice and approaches a song like an actress inhabiting a script. Eschewing vocal pyrotechnics, she focuses on lucid storytelling. She wields her formidable vocals chops, like her spot-on phrasing and sophisticated approach to melody, with great subtlety to capture the emotional essence of a song. NPR’s Susan Stamberg said, “Based on the evidence, Judy Wexler can sing almost anything.” UK’s Jazz Journal writes, “An always engaging demonstration of contemporary jazz singing at its best.”
Pianist Jeremy Monteiro considers himself a very fortunate man. Renowned as one of the premier jazz pianists in Singapore, he is presently entering the 45th year of a career spanning concerts, education, and music administration. He has played and recorded with many of the world’s greatest jazz artists, including James Moody, Benny Golson, Michael Brecker, Bobby McFerrin, Randy Brecker, Lee Ritenour, Herbie Mann, Paulinho DaCosta, Ernie Watts, Charlie Haden, Terumasa Hino, Al Foster, Carmen Bradford, and Toots Thielemans. Monteiro’s latest album Live At NO Black Tie finds the pianist at the helm of another all-star trio. Bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Lewis Nash rank among New York City’s most in- demand jazz musicians, but Monteiro did not come to New York to record with them; rather, it was Anderson and Nash who made the trip to Kuala Lumpur to work and record with Monteiro. Live At No Black Tie was recorded and mixed by exceptional sound engineer Sunil Kumar in Kuala Lumpur and mastered by Klaus Endel in Germany. Monteiro has received many awards and honors in his career, including the coveted Cultural Medallion (the highest artistic recognition available in Singapore), two literary awards from the Golden Door Awards (for his memoir, Late-Night Thoughts of a Jazz Musician), and a Silver Medal for Best Music Score from the International Radio Festival in New York for his original composition, “Overture in C Major: The Story of Singapore.” Live At No Black Tie is his 45th jazz album, and Monteiro hopes to reissue several of his older albums on his own label within the next few years. As is appropriate for a very fortunate and talented musician.
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