Sofia Rei Koutsovitis - Ojalá

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:29
Size: 114,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:49)  1. Ojala
(4:21)  2. Gatito E Las Penas
(4:37)  3. Gris
(4:32)  4. Dança Da Solidão
(4:20)  5. Silence 1
(3:51)  6. Silence 2
(5:49)  7. La Nostalgiosa
(3:07)  8. Alma Del Pueblo
(5:50)  9. El Suicida
(5:21) 10. You Don't Know What Love Is
(4:45) 11. El Silbador

On her debut recording Ojalá, Argentinean singer Sofia Koutsovitis fuses several Latin American rhythms with a post-bop aesthetic to create a fresh and innovative sound. Koutsovitis belongs to a new generation of Latin musicians who in the last fifteen years or so, have created diverse blends of jazz styles with several South American musicians  enriching their language as they integrate different musical traditions. Despite the long relationship between jazz and Latin music (some scholars trace the “Latin tinge to early expressions); Argentinean, Peruvian and other Latin rhythms are relatively new to the jazz vocabulary, since musicians have focused primarily on Afro-Caribbean and Brazilian styles.On this record, Koutsovitis, a skillful singer in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, is knowledgeable of many folkloric musical traditions as well as jazz and experimental music idioms. She presents a balanced feel and leads an octet that performs sophisticated arrangements of her own compositions and songs by Argentinean, Brazilian and Cuban composers.Eclectic, exciting, and aesthetically coherent, the recording shows the many faces of Koutsovitis’ influences. The opening track “Ojalá”, (a song by Cuban Nueva trova icon Silvio Rodriguez), features an arrangement with a Peruvian festejo rhythm. Other rhythms include “Gatito e la penas” (gato), and “Alma del pueblo” (chacarera) in duo with bassist Jorge Roeder, and “La Nostalgiosa”, which has a strong Argentinean feel. “Gris”, “Danca da Solidao”, “You Don’t Know What Love Is”, and “El Silbador” feature Koutsovitis as a more straight-ahead singer, with the swing incorporating ethnic rhythms. “Silence 1”, “Silence 2”, and “El Suicida” (based on the words by Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges) are more jazz oriented tracks featuring Koutsovitis as a more adventurous composer and singer playing with dissonances, rhythm changes, and her voice as an additional instrument of the ensemble. Ojalá exemplifies the recent trends in Latin Jazz and Latin American music in general, and proves why Sofia Koutsovitis is one of the most versatile and in-demand singers in the New York music scene. http://sofiamusic.com/2007/06/sofia-koutsovitis-ojala/

Personnel: Sofia Koutsovitis: vocals, arranger; Jason Palmer: trumper; Adam Schneit: alto saxophone, clarinet; Daniel Blake: tenor,soprano saxophone; Leo Genovese: piano; Jorge Roeder: bass; Richie Barshay: drums; Jorge Perez Albela: percussion; guests: Jamey Haddad: percussion; Reynaldo de Jesus: percussion; Felipe Salles: soprano saxophone.

Ojalá

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Sofia Rei Koutsovitis - Sube Azul

Styles: Vocal, World
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:41
Size: 125,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:44)  1. Coplera
(5:25)  2. Imaginaria
(4:33)  3. Jardines De Asfalto
(4:33)  4. Entre Paredes
(5:53)  5. Sube Azul
(5:56)  6. Cardo O Ceniza
(4:19)  7. Instante De Vos
(3:18)  8. El Lío
(3:34)  9. Las Cáscaras
(3:10) 10. El Mayoral
(4:40) 11. Segundo Final
(6:30) 12. La Chongoyapana

Argentinean-born singer Sofia Rei Koutsovitis is considered one of New York's most passionate, charismatic and inventive vocalists. On Sube Azul, her World Village debut, the listener is treated not only to the depth and fullness of a riveting voice, but also to her formidable skills as a songwriter and arranger. The album is a collection of mostly original Spanish-language songs that reflect Koutsovitis' immersion in modern and progressive jazz while also responding to the pull of ancestry and the appeal of organic, pan-musical connections. She brings to bear the folkloric traditions of Argentina and its regional neighbors, tying together diverse influences in a program full of complexity, melody and romance. Just as Sube Azul reconciles the artist's worlds, her North and South American homes, the album strikes other balances in turn the polish and professionalism of a seasoned artist, the hunger and wide-eyed energy of youth and the simple, sensual qualities that can spring only from the heart. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Sube-Azul-Sofia-Rei-Koutsovitis/dp/B002S5N066

“As the Argentine singer Sofa Rei Koutsovitis led her multinational band,(...) the passion and clarity with which she assayed a tricky mix of South American rhythms and jazz-inflected harmonies made clear why she has been embraced by New York City audiences from Carnegie Hall to the hippest downtown haunts."
~ Phil Lutz, New York Times

“Sofia has a lovely sound that is human and earthy all at once. She creates such a broad spectrum of colors and sounds. Sofia is so creative..."
~  Maria Schneider

“one of the most versatile and in-demand singers on the New York music scene",
~ Simon Calle, All About Jazz

“One of the most memorable performers I have ever encountered...
a superb and original songwriter."
~ Curtis Fuller

“Koutsovitis sings a varied, engaging set, with plenty to dance to, plenty to get down with, and plenty to think about. She's going for an ambitious goal: original, creative, and technically challenging music that's as exciting to a Bacchanalian crowd as to the ivory tower listener. “
~ The Live Music Report (Canada)

Sube Azul , the vibrant sophomore release from Argentine vocalist and composer Sofia Rei Koutsovitis, proves why she's been called “one of the most versatile and in-demand performers on the New York music scene" (All About Jazz).

Her acclaimed multilingual debut, Ojal was chosen as a top-10 release of 2006 by the Jazz Journalists Association. Now, in a departure, Sofia serves as Sube Azul 's composer, arranger, lyricist and - with bassist Jorge Roeder - producer. The result is a stirring collection of mostly original Spanish-language songs.

“[Sube Azul is] a fully formed synthesis, reflecting Sofia's immersion in modern and progressive jazz while also responding to the pull of ancestry and the appeal of organic, pan-musical connections" writes David R. Adler in his liner notes.

“A native of Buenos Aires, Sofia brings to bear the folkloric traditions of Argentina and its regional neighbors (Peru, Colombia, Uruguay), tying together diverse influences in a program full of complexity, melody and romance. The songs speak of heartbreak, individuality, special characters in Sofia's life, and the challenges of life abroad. There are tributes to Argentina's copleras (female folkloric singers), and comments on what Sofia terms 'the end of the utopia of the upcoming Latin American revolution.'"

Sofia fills out Sube Azul with an impressive and wildly diverse cast of musicians: Jorge Roeder on bass; Anat Cohen on clarinet; Geoffrey Keezer and Leo Genovese on piano; Dana Leong on cello and trombone; Eric Kurimski and Juancho Herrera on guitars; Yayo Serka on drums; Celso Duarte on harp; Dan Blake on soprano saxophone; Diego Obregn on tres; and Samuel Torres, Juan Medrano Cotito, Jorge Prez Albela, Morris Caate, Ronald Polo and Nestor Gmez on assorted percussion.

After immersing herself in modern and progressive jazz during graduate studies at Boston's New England Conservatory, Sofia relocated to New York in 2005 and began working in an array of projects, including the 12-piece Colombian unit Folklore Urbano and the Afro-Peruvian quintet Alcatraz, along with more straightforwardly jazz-related groups like Geoffrey Keezer's Aurea, whose self-titled 2009 release received a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album.

Sofia has also recorded, performed and collaborated with renowned artists and bands such as Lionel Loueke, Danilo Perez, John Scofield, Bob Moses, Russ Ferrante (Yellowjackets),Pavel Urkiza (Gema y Pavel), Avantango (Pablo Aslan), Aquiles Baez, and the Pedro Martinez Project. She toured Europe with the Grammy-winning Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra and premiered Schneider's “Cerulean Skies" in Vienna. She was also recently featured with vocal giant Bobby McFerrin in “Instant Opera" at Carnegie Hall. In December 2009 she will be one of four featured vocalists chosen to premiere newly commissioned work as part of The Jazz Gallery's “New Voices" concert series. In early 2010, John Zorn's Book of Angels: Masada Book 2 will come out on Tzadik Records, featuring Sofia alongside Ayelet Gottlieb (Israel), Malika Zarra (Morocco) and Basya Shechter (USA).

Sube Azul ties together Sofia's myriad of influences into an album that brings to life her transit between hemispheres and highlights a focused and unified musical identity. Sube Azul spans the continents, transcends its origins and gathers force as a self-contained narrative, more than the sum of its parts.  

http://news.allaboutjazz.com/sofia-rei-koutsovitis-releases-sube-azul-january-12.php#.VGO498mHmtg

Personnel: Celso Duarte (harp); Dana Leong (cello, trombone, background vocals); Leo Genovese (melodica, piano); Anat Cohen (clarinet); Dan Blake (soprano saxophone); Geoff Keezer (piano); Yayo Serka (drums, bombo); Samuel Torres (congas, bongos, kalimba, maracas, shaker, caxixi, percussion, background vocals); Nestor Gomez (maracas); Ronald Polo (tambora).

Sube Azul

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