Vocalists hold an interesting and endearing position in the jazz world. When an instrumentalist improvises or even plays a melody, they are leaving their message up for interpretation. A vocalist can share the meaning behind a melody with exact precision, simply because they are using lyrics. They still have the same set of musical tools at their command - phrasing, dynamics, interplay, and more - but they also have the strength of the written word supporting their performance. Sharing meaning in a tangible way makes an instant connection with an audience; a good jazz singer makes such a strong connection that they can often hold an audience in the palm of their hands. Audience members naturally remember this connection fondly and many times they become major fans of that jazz singer. As a result, vocalists hold the potential of becoming the most adored musicians in jazz. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn . . . all the way up to modern singers like Diana Krall - they all hold a fond spot in the hearts of jazz lovers around the world.

Latin Jazz singers share the power of lyrics, but they face a whole set of additional challenges. Much of the jazz world is listening with their ears tuned to the English language, which doesn’t always fit as the most natural combination for Latin music. Vocalists need to bridge the gap between the English listening audience and the cultural aesthetics of Latin music. In some cases, this may mean finding a meaningful English lyric over a Cuban rhythm or simply forgoing the jazz audience and sticking with Spanish or Portuguese lyrics. At the same time, Spanish lyrics set up a listener expectation for salsa dancing, which often dilutes the music’s jazz element. Riding the blurry line between salsa and Latin Jazz doesn’t always best serve the Latin Jazz vocalist, as opportunities for improvisation diminish and their personalities get lost in the aesthetics of popular music. Latin Jazz vocalists really need to take an honest look at their options, history, and influences; they need to weigh these elements and take an organic path towards individual styles and sounds.

More singers are tackling the issues surrounding vocal Latin Jazz, creating distinctive musical personalities with their performances and recordings. They are applying creative problem solving to audience perception, language barriers, and artistic vision; the resultant musical settings are powerful testaments to their musicality. By all means, these artists are becoming an important piece of the Latin Jazz lineage. The strength of their musical presentation is gaining momentum, as they stand alongside their instrumental peers as authentic ambassadors of Latin Jazz. These singers are making significant statements in today’s Latin Jazz world - they need to be heard in any study of contemporary Latin Jazz. I’ve given a brief summary of their careers and a current album - take a chance to check them out!

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Venissa Santí
Philadelphia singer Venissa Santí has turned quite a few heads with her 2008 debut release Bienvenida, where she demonstrates her mastery as a vocalist, songwriter, and arranger. She gets some able help along the way, with major contributions from Latin Jazz heavy-hitters trumpet player Michael Rodriguez and piano player Robert Rodriguez, as well as bassist Yunior Terry. Her concept derives from years of training in a variety of musical settings, from classical to jazz and Latin music. Her passion comes from her Cuban heritage; her grandfather was a famous composer in Cuba and Santí carries a knowledgeable respect passed through family tradition. That respect and training shows through the album, resulting a stunning look at classic song from a new perspective.

Santi’s creative arrangements set the album apart and signal the emergence of a modern Latin Jazz voice. Her mixture of “Tender Shepherd” and “Little Girl Blue” grooves steadily over a 6/8 rhythm; the combination of Santi’s witty variations upon the main melody and jazz embellishments from the Rodriguez brothers make this an addictive track. Her raucous take upon the Cuban standard “Como Fue” jumps into full-blown blues mode with some assertive guitar work from Jeff Lee Johnson. Her original compositions “Talkin’ To You” and “Wish You Well” radiate with a pop accessibility without loosing any stylistic or artistic integrity. Santí makes a strong connection to Cuban folklore with “Columbia pa’ Miguel Angel,” a rumba that evolves into a powerful jam session. Each track on Bienvenida just shines with originality and depth, making it an addictive and meaningful recording.

Sofia Rei Koutsovitis
Sofia Rei Koutsovitis brings class and style to her unique musical vision, based upon her strong foundation and diverse experiences. Raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Koutsovitis began studying music at the age of 4 and by the time she was 9, she was a member of the Children’s Choir of Buenos Aires Opera House Teatro Colon. She leaped into more advanced studies at the National Conservatory and eventually toured the world with the National Youth Choir. A desire to study improvised music led Koutsovitis to the New England Conservatory, where she learned from Danilo Perez, Bob Moses, and Steve Lacy. Her eventual move to New York led her into a series of high profile engagements, including work with the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, Lionel Loueke, Pablo Aslan’s Avantango, and Bobby McFerrin’s Instant Opera. Koutsovitis found a place among New York’s burgeoning Afro-Peruvian Jazz scene as the singer for Alcatraz, recording on their 2007 self-titled debut album. Jazz pianist Geoffrey Keezer employed Koutsovitis as the singer for his current Afro-Peruvian jazz project Aurea, with an album to be released in 2009. In many ways, Koutsovitis has established herself as a strong vocalist with an in-depth artistic vision, and her dedication to jazz influenced by South American rhythms has captured the attention of the music world.

She applies her vast vocal skills and defined artistic sensibility to her 2005 release Ojala, presenting a group of original compositions and arrangements that touch many musical worlds. She places a Peruvian festejo rhythm underneath Cuban songwriter Silvio Rodriguez’s “Ojala,” using her voice to dramatic effect over richly harmonized horns. Bassist Jorge Roeder engages Koutsovitis in an improvisational conversation over an Argentinean chacarera rhythm on “Alma del Pueblo,” developing some attention grabbing interplay. Koutsovitis emerges as a bold and experimental composer on “Silence 1″ and “Silence 2,” exploring free jazz, semi-classical compositions, and modern jazz swing. In one of the album’s most captivating moments, Koutsovitis arranges author Jorge Luis Borges’ poem “El Suicida” over music, utilizing dissonance and free blowing to make her point. There’s a strong jazz influence over the samba feel on “Dança da Solidão,” with Koutsovitis displaying her improvised scat skills. Koutsovitis constructs a thoughtful English lyric on her composition “Gris,” supported by a slowly evolving and interesting accompaniment. Every track on Ojala offers a thought provoking surprise with Koutsovitis’ strong and passionate musical personality at the core.

Lucia Pulido
New York based vocalist Lucia Pulido stands apart from the crowd, both due to her musical background and her creative application of unusual aesthetics. Pulido honed her musical skills in her home country of Columbia and established a fairly successful career, performing throughout the 1980s in the duo Iván and Lucía. When Pulido moved to New York in 1994, she brought Columbian genres such as bullerenge, currulao, and joropo with her. This cultural connection became the basis of her jazz pursuits, automatically distinguishing her from the large number of Latin Jazz artists focused upon Cuban and Brazilian rhythms. Pulido avoided the easy path of simply placing Columbian rhythms under jazz harmonies; instead she let her experimental edge define her performances. Pulido liberally explores different instrumentations from duets to full bands, she applies various forms to her compositions, and she gladly opens songs to include free improvisation. This unique mixture of Columbian styles and experimental aesthetics results in some deeply intriguing music and an unmistakable voice.

Pulido’s combination of musical elements radiates with originality on her 2008 album Waning Moon. She sings with a commanding presence “Conoa Rancha,” inspiring a rousing response from her rhythm section and bluesy clarinet lines from Adam Kolker. Bassist Stomu Takeishi sets a somber mood on “Yo No Tenor Quien Me Quiera,” allowing Pulido to shape an impassioned vocal around his improvised interplay. “El Rey Del Río” resonates with a foundation in Columbian folklore; Pulido shines in this setting, respectfully shaping the melody with a heavy dose of musicality. Pulido performs a short but powerful vocal on “Solpaviento,” leaving her band plenty of room to improvise; the resulting trombone solo from Rafi Malkiel brings the track to a boil. An experimental spirit fuels “Zafra De Entierro/Grito De Monte” as Takeishi electronically manipulates his sound, Pulido uses her full vocal range, and the whole group improvises freely. Pulido’s unique musical approach and easily identifiable sound on Waning Moon instantly set her apart as an artist whose future contributions stand to push the Latin Jazz world in exciting directions.

Kat Parra
Bay Area vocalist Kat Parra brings a variety of stylistic experiences into her distinctive brand of Latin Jazz. Trained on a number of instruments ranging from piano to flute, she moved her vocal skills into high gear while studying at San Jose State University with Patti Cathcart of Tuck and Patti fame. With a wealth of vocal abilities under her belt, Parra kicked her music career into high gear, performing jazz, top 40, blues, and more. As Parra focused her energies upon the Latin music world, she explored the music of Cuba, Peru, and Brazil, often performing with the South Bay’s salsa band Charanga Nueve. Her interest in the Sephardic music of the Spanish Jews led to research and the creation of a specific repertoire. As Parra continues in her career, she continually evolves her musical personality into something identifiable and artistically interesting.

Her 2008 release Azucar de Amor highlight many of these elements in a finely crafted Latin Jazz set. Parra kicks the album into dance mode with a salsa tribute to Celia Cruz, “Sugar (Azucar De Amor)” and the timba-tinged track “Quitate La Queta.” She tackles some well-known jazz standards, applying some interesting phrasing to her bolero version of “Misty” and adding a middle-eastern tinge to “A Night In Tunisia.” Her interest in Sephardic music rises to the forefront on “Por La Tu Puerta” and “Esta Montanya D’Enfrente” as she mixes Cuban rhythm, jazz aesthetics, flamenco sounds, and middle-eastern scales. Parra dips into South American styles with a Peruvian landó fueling “Un Grito” and a Brazilian samba forming the foundation of “Feed My Desire.” There’s plenty of variety, depth, and enthusiasm on Azucar de Amor, making it an inescapable pleasure.

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Check Out These Related Posts:
5 Latin Jazz Guitarists Making A Contribution To The Scene
10 Latin Jazz Perspectives of John Coltrane
Reflections Upon An Influential Education: 10 Albums From Irakere Alumni
Patois Records: Documenting The Bay Area Latin Jazz Sound

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