Yesterday’s post on 5 Top Female Latin Jazz Artists was a fantastic start to our celebration of women in Latin Jazz. Let’s face it though – the modern Latin Jazz world is fortunate to have a wealth of female artists gracing it . . . many more than 5! I’m continuing the list today with 12 more outstanding female Latin Jazz artists. There’s a brief introduction of their work and some recommended listening. Take a minute to check out the list and then take a listen to their music. There’s some great stuff below, enjoy!

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Alexa Weber Morales
A diverse singer and songwriter from the San Francisco Bay Area that brings a strong Latin basis and a smart funky edge to her music. Her artistic vision has informed her own albums and helped infuse a strong personality into recordings from trombone player Wayne Wallace.
Required Listening:

Jazzmerica

Vagabundeo/Wanderings

Andrea Brachfeld
A stellar flautist that has been deeply rooted in New York’s thriving Latin Jazz scene for years. She brings that experience and inner knowledge of the music to a number of great recordings that sparkle with first-rate assistance from some of New York’s finest musicians.
Required Listening:

Back With Sweet Passion

Into The World: A Musical Offering

Anna Estrada
Bay Area based vocalist Anna Estrada began her artistic work in theater world, establishing herself as a fixture on the San Francisco scene before moving her focus onto vocals in 2002. We’re lucky she did as she delivers a strong mix of Brazilian and Cuban Jazz on her first release as a leader.
Required Listening:

Sonando Vuelos

Chiemi Nakai
An outstanding pianist that applies finely tuned technique to a wide array of Latin styles from rumba to timba and beyond and then mixes in a bit of explosive improvisation for good measure. Her strong skill and good taste can be heard on her own debut as a leader and live with trombonist Jimmy Bosch.
Required Listening:

Bridges

Eliane Elias
Brazilian pianist and vocalist Eliane Elias has been a mainstay in the jazz world for several decades now, from her groundbreaking piano work in the fusion band Steps Ahead to her recent recordings as a bandleader. Elias’ piano work has placed her in the forefront of the modern jazz world and her singing resonates with the beauty and grace of the rich Brazilian vocal tradition.
Required Listening:

Bossa Nova Stories

Eliane Elias Plays Jobim

Janine Santana
Colorado based conguero Janine Santana brings a masterful mixture of funk, jazz, rock, and powerful Afro-Cuban rhythms into her debut release. The depth of her artistry is consistently confirmed by her long list of collaborators that include some of the best names in the Latin Jazz world.
Required Listening:

Soft as Granite

Layla Angulo
A fiery saxophonist originally located in Seattle but now residing in New York, Angulo also carries a strong ability to double as a jazz vocalist, providing the makings of a complete and exciting show. Her enthusiastic performance approach and strong composition skills can be heard on her two most recent releases as a leader.
Required Listening:

Live At The Triple Door

Mientras…

Lucia Pulido
Colombian vocalist Lucia Pulido stands as a fearless voice in contemporary Latin Jazz that pushes the music in several unexpected directions. Not only does she draw upon the little-known folk rhythms of Columbia for her work; she bravely dives into collective improvisation and freethinking for her performances.
Required Listening:

Waning Moon

Magos Herrera
An awe-inspiring vocalist from Mexico, Herrera has produced a long stream of recordings in her home country that range from folk music to jazz and beyond. In the past few years, we’ve been lucky enough to get exposed Herrera’s work in the U.S., which display a amazingly expressive voice with a firm handle on modern jazz.
Required Listening:

País Maravilla

Distancia

Rebbeca Cline
A forward thinking pianist well versed in traditional jazz, fusion, and Afro-Cuban traditions, Cline has brought a powerful voice into her group Enclave which he co-leads with saxophonist Hilary Noble. Her compositions always push the envelope of musical boundaries and her assertive improvisations drive her band to greater heights.
Required Listening:

Enclave

Diaspora

Sandy Cressman
Bay Area vocalist has spent many years studying the broad world of Brazilian music and the depth of her knowledge shows in her two releases. She displays a distinct comfort as she glides over the rhythms and offers some outstanding arrangements for her talented band to perform.
Required Listening:

Homenagem Brasileira

Brasil-Sempre No Coracão

Susan Pereira
A pianist with a rich sense of harmony as well as a vocalist with a pure tone and fantastic sense of phrasing deeply rooted in the Brazilian tradition. As the leader of the heavy duty Brazilian Jazz band Sabor Brasil, Pereira brings strong compositions and arrangements to a wide array of Brazilian rhythms.
Required Listening:

Tudo Azul

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Let’s keep the list going! Have I missed your favorite female Latin Jazz artist? Add a comment and let me know - let’s celebrate as many artists as possible!

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Check Out These Related Posts:
4 Latin Jazz Flautists Bringing The Instrument Into The Forefront
Patois Records: Documenting The Bay Area Latin Jazz Sound
Exploring Latin Jazz: 2 Afro-Peruvian Jazz Albums From Vocalist Corina Bartra
Spotlight: Dia Real, Tanaora

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