Vocalist Carmen Lundy will be releasing her 12th album, Changes, on February 7. The promo video above tells us what to expect from her new release and I am very excited. I got to see Carmen in concert last summer at Yoshi’s Oakland and she and her band were amazing. In addition, there will also be a reissue of her Night and Day album next month.

I have been enjoying the music of Spanish Harlem Orchestra for several years. I first saw them burning up the Main Stage at the San Jose Jazz Festival. They were spectacular. They got the audience dancing on their feet. Their musicianship was superb and their vocals and dance moves were tight.

Spanish Harlem Orchestra’s new release Viva la Tradicón is their fourth album and their debut on the Concord Picante label. This album continues the fine tradition of wonderful music that the Spanish Harlem Orchestra has been making for the past ten years.

Viva la Tradicón opens the album with the spicy salsa number “La Salsa Dura” and “Mi Herencia Latina” (“My Latino Heritage”) celebrates the rich Spanish heritage. The 12-track collection is comprised largely of original compositions and arrangements of classic salsa tunes by bandleader/founder Oscar Hernandez. “Nuestra Cancion” (“Our Song”) is a beautiful ballad which makes you feel like you are dancing under the stars on a warm mid-summer night. It is one of the three songs arranged and composed by veteran composer and arranger Gil Lopez (“Son De Corazon,” “Nuestra Cancion,” and “Regala De Dios.”) “Rumba Urbana” is a swinging instrumental salsa and the album closes with “El Negro Tiene Tumbao” which features special guest Isaac Delgado on lead vocals.

Viva la Tradicón preserves the rich legacy of salsa music and will definitely bring new fans to Spanish Harlem Orchestra for years to come. “Preserving that legacy and introducing it to new audiences in a new century,” says Hernandez, “is more important than being the musical flavor of the month.”

Track Listing:

1. La Salsa Dura 5:56
2. Mi Herencia Latina 5:31
3. Son De Corazon 6:27
4. Como Baila Mi Mulata 5:41
5. Si Me Quieres Te Quiero 5:22
6. Baila Latino 5:41
7. La Fiesta Empezo 5:04
8. Nuestra Cancion 5:22
9. Linda 4:47
10. Regalo De Dios 5:28
11. Rumba Urbana 6:35
12. El Negro Tiene Tumbao 6:24

INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED VIOLINIST REGINA CARTER RELEASING REVERSE THREAD, A CELEBRATION OF AFRICAN FOLK MUSIC

EI Entertainment to Release REVERSE THREAD on May 18th

When preeminent violinist Regina Carter made the decision to record an album primarily of African folk tunes, she created a great challenge for herself: how do you take beautiful traditional music and infuse it with a contemporary feel while remaining true to its past – and then, not compromise its beauty? Her newest release, Reverse Thread, due out on E1 Entertainment on May 18th brilliantly responds to the challenge.

To achieve the uplifting and stirring result, Regina added an accordion and kora-the West African harp traditionally played by village storytellers-to her longstanding rhythm section. Kora virtuoso Yacouba Sissoko was brought on board to help recreate the spirit of passing stories from generation to generation. The result-unlike anything previously heard-is a haunting and beautiful compliment to Regina’s sumptuously seductive violin.

Without the support of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation, which “awards unrestricted fellowships to talented individuals,” Reverse Thread might never have been realized. As a MacArthur Fellow – a recipient of what is commonly known as the “genius grant” – Carter was armed with the funds and the freedom to follow her muse.

Regina turned to the World Music Institute in New York City, in which she found a diverse and inspirational resource for material, including ethnographic field recordings.

Regina looked not just to the music, but also the accompanying sounds and nuances of everyday life from anthropological and sociological perspectives which informed the spirit of the new arrangements.

“There is an immense amount of amazing music coming from all around the world, much of which is barely accessible,” emphasized Regina. “Reverse Thread gave me the opportunity to explore and celebrate a tiny portion of music that moved me.”

Both “Hiwumbe Awumba” and “Mwana Talitambula” are based on field recordings from the Ugandan Jews, a community in eastern Uganda who although are not genetically or historically Jewish, practice the Jewish religion. Setting the inspirational tone for the album, the first track “Hiwumbe Awumba” originates from a field recording of a group singing, “God creates and then He destroys.” Although the title is dark, the uplifting quality and spirit of the voice on the recording inspired Regina, and the final arrangement is a paean to the resiliency of the human spirit.

Using the field recording of a woman singing “Mwana Talitambula” as a departure point,

Regina’s bass player Chris Lightcap split the melody between the violin and bass with a hypnotically emotive result.

Reverse Thread also embraces music of the African Diaspora. As but one example, “Un Aguinaldo” skillfully layers the rhythmic aspects of African music with harmonies originating in India and Puerto Rico.

Through her albums, incessant touring and various guest appearances and collaborations, Regina has developed into a distinctly diverse musical personality. She has repeatedly toured throughout the world, was the first jazz artist and African American to play Niccolo Paganini’s famed Guarneri “Cannon” violin, has been featured with several symphony orchestras and performed with artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Lauryn Hill, Billy Joel, Kenny Barron and Mary J. Blige.

With Reverse Thread, Regina takes a giant step forward by making a meaningful musical contribution on her own terms.

REVERSE THREAD:
Regina Carter / Violin
Yacouba Sissoko / Kora
Adam Rogers / Guitar
Will Holshouser & Gary Versace / Accordion
Chris Lightcap & Mamadou Ba / Bass
Alvester Garnett / Drums & percussion

www.reginacarter.com

For more information, to receive a copy of Reverse Thread or to set up an interview with Regina Carter, please contact:

Pamela Lipshitz | Lip Service Media | pam@lipservicemedia.com | 917-859-6852