Press & Radio

“Her large-scale skill and talent encourages her all-inclusive dreams… Gorgeous articulation, flowing time sense and warm tone.”
—Ken Micallef
Downbeat, June 2008

“Her passion for exploration suffuses her music, and whether interpreting tunes in French, Spanish, Portuguese or English, Weber Morales communicates a song’s emotional essence with an ardent, throaty alto that soars effortlessly into a crystalline soprano register.”
—Andrew Gilbert, San Jose Mercury News, August 16, 2007

“I find her command of Latin idioms completely convincing, entrancing even.”
—Tom Hull, former contributor to The Village Voice

“Beautiful and bewitching.”
—Arnaldo DeSouteiro, producer of such stars as João Gilberto, Luiz Bonfá, Yana Purim and João Donato

“With a voice sweet, pure and strong, Alexa Weber Morales is poised to ride the Bay Area Latin jazz scene to national recognition.”
—San Francisco Chronicle, June 17, 2007

“One of the greatest Bay Area recordings in recent times.”
—Luis Tamargo, Latin Beat magazine, September 2007

“Morales is a mix of jazzy sweetness … and Latin brightness.”
—Mary Kunz Goldman, The Buffalo News, June 22, 2007

“Very much the kind of singer you want to hear more of, more often, Morales is on the money throughout with a jazz/world date that open-eared adults will pass the word on quite easily.”
—Midwest Records, June 2007

“Alexa Weber Morales is a San Francisco Bay-area singer whose star is rapidly rising. … her lush, rangey, sensuous voice reminds me of Basia, another boundary-busting, powerhouse singer… Is this jazz with a pop/Latin sensibility, or Latin with a jazz/pop sensibility? In purist circles, ‘pop’ is a four-letter word, but how crucial is that when music is so high-spirited and
rendered with such care, talent, and heart?

Vagabundeo/Wanderings is a good name for this wide-ranging, engaging journey. If Weber Morales ever decides to tackle some jazz standards, she could blow away half the current crop of vocalists. At least.”
—Dr. Judith Schlesinger, All About Jazz, July 2007

PRAISE FOR THE RECKLESS SEARCH FOR BEAUTY (Patois Records, 2006)

“Stellar lead vocal”
—Matt Gallagher, Mix Magazine, August 2007

“It’s the bawdy, sultry version of Bill Withers’ Use Me”
–David Rubien, San Francisco Chronicle, February 2007

“Saucy, picante … passionate, smooth-toned lead vocal by Alexa Weber Morales”
–Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz, January 2007

PRAISE FOR JAZZMÉRICA (Crazy Monkey, 2004)

“A genre-bounding performer … delivering consistent soul-stirring performances.”
–Critic’s Choice, East Bay Express, March 2006

“Bay Area vocalist Alexa Weber Morales is an artist just waiting to happen. You can hear the enjoyment she derives from singing, as well as the chops that she’s honed to get to this point on Jazzmérica, her debut outing. The SF Bay’s Wayne Wallace, the extraordinary arranger and trombonist, co-produced the sessions with Alexa and created a patchwork of African-derived jazz fusion that is swinging. The hemispheric diversity is delightful. But I’m Weak is an original by Morales that takes us to Brazil. I Did It, I Live It is a ‘samba caribe,’ a gumbo with reggae, samba and Trinidadian flavors. All Blues is done in a 6/8 Afro-Cuban style, with John Santos on percussion. My favorite is the lush Manhattan Transfer-style vocal rendering of Claire Fischer’s Morning. Overall, Morales shows on this album that she is a jazz singer at heart but with a soul that sees no borders within its musical perspective.”
—Jesse “Chuy” Varela,
Musical Director
KCSM FM 91.1
Latin Beat magazine, February 2005

“What a joy to hear Alexa sing these songs. Such soul, passion and beauty mixed with Wayne Wallace’s exquisitely creative arranging and production touch is an inspiring combination.”
—Mike Marshall
Mandolinist, composer, partner
Adventure Music

“Alexa’s considerable versatility, flexibility and talent, combined with Wayne Wallace’s vision, make her debut recording a wonderful success. Her future is bright.”
—John Santos,
Machete Ensemble

“A captivating multilingual singer/songwriter… Alexa Weber Morales’s debut recording, ‘Jazzmérica,’ is an engaging collection of original pieces and standards set to various Brazilian and Caribbean grooves. From the hard-hitting salsa arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Smile Please’ to her sensual bolero rendition of Caetano Veloso’s ‘Luz do Sol,’ Morales delivers every song with a specific point of view, treating each piece like a carefully polished gem.”
—Andrew Gilbert
Times Correspondent
Contra Costa Times, 12/10/04

“Everyone knows about Stevie Wonder’s penchant for Latin music. I think he would be really proud of this version of his tune Smile Please that Alexa Weber Morales sings in English and Spanish. Her originals are good, but the things she covers-All Blues, Claire Fischer’s Morning-are just great.”
—Mark Ruffin
Emmy Award-winning correspondent for Artbeat Chicago on WTTW-TV, jazz editor for Chicago Magazine, co-host of the Listen Here!, a jazz review radio program syndicated on 85 stations.

“Alexa Weber Morales’ debut CD is produced by trombonist-composer Wayne Wallace, who also performs with other members of an all-star cast, among them Frank Martin, John Santos, Melecio Magdaluyo, Michael Spiro and others. With new lyric arrangements on classic Samba, Bossa Nova, Afro-Cuban, Reggae and jazz songs, Morales’ ‘Jazzmérica’ is a welcome addition to a body of work which is becoming more inclusive of a wider range of experiences and voices.”
—Wanda Sabir
Entertainment Editor
San Francisco Bay View, 12/08/04

“You go girl! You swing! I’m glad you’re willing to put your talent toward a good cause! You obviously learned from many wonderful musicians and I hope now will be a time when this can mix into the vibe of a beautiful and much needed social movement.”
—David Kromm
Music promoter and activist
Music for America.org
www.musicforamerica.org