A Great Review!

Chip Boaz at The Latin Jazz Corner just published a detailed review of Vagabundeo. What I appreciated most about it was that I can learn from his observations. I especially love it when I am introduced to new musicians or hear what another person hears as my influences--though sometimes the influences may have been subliminal!

The introduction to “Ave Rara” recalls Pat Methany’s smooth Brazilian influenced albums, and then moves into a synth filled Yellowjackets influence. ... The colorful a cappella arrangement of “Calling You” frames a well-written pop song with a sparse and personal texture. The overdubbed voices bathe Morales’ melody in warmth, moving into an emotional scat solo from Kenny Washington. An authentic Cha Cha Cha rides beneath the English lyric to “Her Ways Wander.” The synthesizer pads along with the verse-chorus form lean towards a cross between smooth jazz and Latin pop. African bells give way to a slap bass, funk guitar, and disco drumbeat on the 70s influenced “The Goddess of War.” A Chick Corea influenced synthesizer sound drives solo licks from Martin, providing some fire against Morales’ assertive vocal. Morales adds these tastes of pop music into her musical foundation, maintaining her concept while opening her work to a wider audience.

I'm going to have to go back and listen to some Pat Metheny, Yellowjackets and Chick Corea!

That's just one out of a several paragraphs of good analysis:

Morales’s insightful vocal performance contains stylistic subtlety with tone changes between classical references and Salsa attack. Ruben Blades’ “El Cantante” brings a taste of authentic salsa to the album with a modern arrangement. Morales’ deftly interprets around clave, and then creatively brings her voice into the mambo’s interlocking horn lines.

And finally:

Morales’s [original composition] “Asi Es El Amor” weaves a beautifully shaped melody through a traditional salsa feel before seamlessly moving into samba.

Thank you, Chip Boaz!