Product Description
“How would a jazz ensemble approach a Bolero? Or how would a singer with a Latin repertoire approach a jazz standard? I like to view it as a collage of things.”
– Lucía
It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it, as Ella once sung. For Veracruz-born jazz vocalist Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso, it’s the what and the way. As the first Mexican artist to enter and win the prestigious Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, she floored the judges and audience with her rendition of “What a Difference a Day Makes.” Popularized by Dinah Washington, the original incarnation is a bolero written in Spanish by María Grever. With the song also launching her debut album, Lucía tenderly sings it first as a jazz ballad in English, then turns up the heat and tempo in Spanish (“Cuando Vuelva A Tu Lado”) with her tack-sharp band.
For 22 of her 24 years on this planet, Lucía has been a sponge for musical tradition, singing and dancing in her parents’ son jarocho band, surrounded by fandangos, and studying voice and jazz at the University of Veracruz. She’s astutely aware that jazz and son jarocho share deep musical roots – in creole tradition, community and improvisation.
With the help of Grammy-winning producer Matt Pierson (Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny, Samara Joy) and a cadre of North & South American jazz virtuosos, Lucía’s soulful voice elevates the new collection of jazz standards and classic Spanish songs to reflect this rich cultural blend. “There was a moment in the studio when we were recording ‘Veracruz’ and I just started to cry,” Lucía says. “I was crying out of sheer happiness.”
