Wind From the South
Claudia Acuna is a fresh vocal talent from Santiago, Chile. Blessed with an attractive voice, clean enunciation (despite relatively basic English), and a good sense of musical time. Acuna is not a scat singer nor particularly improvisatory, but she does have a way with songs that bears watching. The rangy repertoire here includes time-honored standards, songs sung in Acuna's native Spanish, contemporary delights likeStevie Wonder's "Visions," a lively reading of Gershwin's "My Man's Gone Now," and a bit of bop vocalese on "Long As You're Living." Acuna contributed the lion's share of arrangements and works and is accompanied largely by piano, bass, and drum and augmented on several tracks by horn soloists (including saxophonistDavid Sanchezon two tracks). Also included are two duets with veteran pianist Harry Whitaker. There's a buoyant and attractive seascape quality to several of the tracks, and forEllington's indelible "Prelude to a Kiss," Acuna jacks up the tempo and swings. Typical for a debut artist, Acuna is all over the map, but it's a map that promises exciting future destinations.--Willard Jenkins