Distancia

Five ENJOYABLE Stars!! Stunning performances! Magos Herrera has become the consummate international jazz singer: she can sing latin pop ballads, dazzle New York's jazz venues, be heralded by DownBeat magazine, visibly mesmerize maestro Don Armando Manzanero on TV in Mexico City with her voice and guitar, and show her versatility through a number of recent recordings, such as Pais Maravilla. And she has ability to sing natively in English, Spanish, and Portuguese but don't let the languages stop you, this music transcends language into a realm of pure wordless enjoyment that the listener should approach like "scat-singing" richly emoted, intense vocal notes. An example is the stunning work on "Reencuentro" (Encounter) where it could be all 'scat' but it's just great music. This music truly comes over a "distance" to the listener from as far...Read more

This is just an amazing album. I tend to work late into the night and just gradually found myself listening to it more often. It has a wonderful evening feel and seems to show me something different every time. I started out thinking "This is pretty nice!" But that soon morphed into "This is my favorite album of 2009!" I keep buying copies and giving it out to friends. Wow! Currently I am absolutely rapt listening to the percussion, but on different days I tune into different parts. Her voice is rich and fascinating, all that training was not for nothing. I like every tune on the disk, but the ones that really flip my switch are Tus Ojos, Inutil Paisaje, and Veracruz. Especially Veracruz. Give it a few listens if it doesn't grab you right away - it has a wonderful way of creeping up your playlist and becoming indispensable.

Magos Herrera's lucid, flowing contralto achieves full expression in this latest offering. Originally from Mexico, she blends influences and shifts effortlessly between languages to create a distinctive signature that is world jazz without borders. This disc nicely captures the intensity of her live performances, which are not to be missed.