No Solo Jazz (2015)

This week the second album of Anna Rodríguez arrives from the Canary Islands, seeking to take her place among the national jazz ladies.

No Solo Jazz presents a handful of standards that include some bolero and some doses of bossa nova.

Her voice, playful, classic, deep and full of personality; she has something of Erykah (Badu) and some of Ella (Fitzgerald).

The project includes a very rhythmic trio: guitar, bass and drums.

The album begins with an element that always baffles jazz fans and that we often reclaim: Spanish lyrics. The result, however, is not negative. Anna sings with a syncopated and funky rhythm, she has swing and we like it, as we like the other bossa nova tunes that she sings.

It's common knowledge that, since Astrud Gilberto became part of the jazz universe thanks to Stan Getz, bossa nova is considered a jazz style, allowing for singers to execute their songs without scatting, without swing and syncopation; and yet still remain jazz. Anna commits the sin (if it can be called a sin) of singing bossa nova serenely, without fireworks, and (surprise!) the result is pleasant and easy-to-listen jazz. So what?

She already has the opportunity to unleash other resources on songs such as "Caravan" ( which sounds joyful, sweet and fluid) or "The Way You Look Tonight", where swing permeates her voice in a vintage, yet always sweet, style.

The musicians of the album are three: guitarist Eliseo Lloreda, who brings forth that sensation of fluidity which guitars always bring, that live feeling, as Sonny Rollins used to say, with his energetic solo in "The Way You Look Tonight"; electric bassist Felu Morales, and drummer José Miguel Méndez "Churchi", solid and very classic, especially in ballads and the bolero "Dos gardenias".

No Solo Jazz is Anna Rodríguez's second album, a natural evolution of her debut album What We Are.

This new album also incorporates Eliseo Lloreda's impeccable guitar.

The collaboration between these two artists,  based in Tenerife, can be described as extraordinarily majestic, not only in the recording studio, but also on stage.

Now back to No Solo Jazz. In this album, Anna assumes leadership of the project, and releases her ability to easily flow English, Spanish and Portuguese. In each language, her vocal style is exceptionally intimate and warm. Her dynamic vocal range naturally caresses each of the ten tracks, never sounding tense or forced.

If you like Jazz, you will love this album. If you don't like this genre, it's also very likely that the album will hook you.

Here at Qfm, our favorite song is The Way You Look Tonight, a sophisticated version of the Swing classic.

Anna doesn’t only shine in the recording studio, take note that her live performances are nothing short of mesmerizing. At the 2014 Festival Jazz Roja in El Médano she was accompanied by an incredible line up of musicians, and she performed a one hour set of jazz and bossa nova standards, demonstrating her ability to manoeuvre her vocal tones from the sweet and sexy to the awesome and powerful.

In a music industry laden with auto-tune, talent(less) shows and recycled samples, it’s reassuring to know that we can still enjoy raw talent and grace.

Just as Jazz is incorporating the best of various musical styles, Anna easily absorbs all the good music she finds in her way. Her seductive voice and phrasing integrates a whole world of colors and influences masterfully and organically; from the classic jazz of Juan Tizol "Caravan" and Ram Ramirez "Loverman", Jobim's bossa "Aguas de Março" to the bolero "Dos Gardenias".

Anna Rodríguez is accompanied by some stellar jazz partners on her new album No Solo Jazz. But the singer's voice is the real attraction here. There is a true touch of the exotic in her voice; she moves effortlessly between English, Spanish and Portuguese with boleros, bossa nova, morna ("Petit Pays") giving these standards and classics new life. Listening to her is a real pleasure.

 

No Solo Jazz (Not Only Jazz) is Anna’s second studio album, and features her long time friends and colleagues guitarist Eliseo Lloreda ,  bassist Felu Morales and Jose Miguel Mendez "Churchi" on drums; all hailing from the Spanish island of Tenerife.

The album was recorded in Gallinero Records on July 16 and September 23, 2014 in one take, Anna was the artist, the producer, and the rest is, as we say, "Jazz history."