GABRIELA ANDERS - Last Tango In Rio (2004)

Release Date: Oct 5, 2004
Genre:
Electronic, Jazz
Style:
Downtempo, Deep House, Tango

Personnel: Gabriela Anders (vocals, keyboards); Romero Lubambo, Wayne Krantz (guitar); Tito Castro, Gabriel Rivano (bandoneon); Jorge Anders (saxophone); H. Martignon (keyboards); John Benitez (bass instrument); Portinho (drums, percussion).


Tracklist:

01 You Go to My Head
02 Abracadabra
03 Love Is Here to Stay
04 God Bless the Child
05 Embrace Me
06 The Buenos Aires Mix
07 Body and Soul
08 All Your Love
09 Meant to Be
10 'Til the End of Time

Link to download:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/c432xv


Biography:
Born into a family of musicians, the Argentinean native studied classical guitar and piano in Buenos Aires while listening closely to her father, jazz saxophonist Jorge Anders. "There were so many influences when I was growing up, and I wanted to do something with them all. My father's concerts and studio work certainly affected me, as did the music of Brazil; it's so harmonically rich and so interesting melodically". After high school, Anders decided to continue her studies in New York. After a short while, she started to do studio and club work. This work lead to two recording projects with top producer Sergio George. Through Sergio, she had the opportunity to sing for Grover Washington Jr., Marc Anthony, Celia Cruz & Talhia. Her ongoing exposure to music of various sensibilities and her innate ability to fuse styles and formats were abundantly revealed in a few demo tracks she made on the cheap. Shortly thereafter, Anders became one of the only artists ever signed to Warner Bros. from unsolicited material. Gabriela Anders' 1999 debut, "Wanting", is brimming with vocal subtlety; although smooth, it is anything but simple (she wrote ten of the twelve tracks). "Wanting" elicited much praise for Anders vision and impassioned vocal style. Anders unique marriage of pop, Latin and jazz resulted in Vogue and People, among others, describing Anders and her music as: "exotic and bold"; "wonderfully soulful"; and "one of the most distinctive new voices to hit the music scene in years"Gabriela Anders continues a journey of musical excellence and introspection with her 2003 release, "Eclectica", a collection of Brazilian, R&B and jazz- influenced songs, and with her new all Spanish release, "Latina"(2003)."Last Tango In Rio" is her fourth released album.

"The sexy Argentine chanteuse has a wisp of a voice that tops Michael Franks for extreme subtlety, but there's no denying its calm and seductive appeal on a mix of uniquely arranged Billie Holiday classics and a handful of originals. The best way to describe Anders' approach to Lady Day is to imagine the legend chilling out in a South American rain forest surrounded by a gentle acoustic guitar and bandeon. "Our Love Is Here To Stay" plays like a slow-speed samba that Astrud Gilberto might feel at home with, but with trance effects. A few too many trippy liberties are taken, however, with "God Bless The Child," which is hard to recognize melodically even as Anders' restrained phrasing makes the lyrics clear. The best news for the singer is that at least a few of her originals -- particularly "Embrace Me" and the soundscape-enhanced "All Your Love" -- feel right at home among those legendary tracks. Judging from the intoxicating "The Buenos Aires Mix," she's also not averse to taking some odd-metered risks. No one can accuse Anders of possessing an overwhelming vocal presence, but for exotic make-out music, she's definitely on top of the pile. "~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide

"Gabriela boldly steps away from the more smoooth-jazz style that marked her 1998 WANTING CD. While the earlier album is unlikely to appeal to those who are looking for more progressive sounds (e.g., contemporary Brazilian, acid/jazz groove, etc.). LAST TANGO IN RIO gives Anders' softly emotive voice a more intriguing context. One could argue whether or not she was previously miscast as a smooth jazz singer, but in my opinion if she wants to distinguish herself as an artist, it is going to be via a musical approach such as what is heard here. The presence of such instruments as the bandoneon may win over fans of the likes of contemporary tango group GOTAN PROJECT, while the mixture of acoustic and electric instrumentation -- even with subtle electronica effects at times -- bridges the past with the present effectively. Throughout, RIO has a considerably more homegrown feel than the studio-polished WANTING."

"The very attractive album is the first I have ever heard from Gabriela Anders. It makes for very enjoyable listening on two levels - quietly and at a much louder volume. Ms Anders has a very pleasant Jazz styled voice and her singing is relentlessly sensuous! (whatever THAT means! ;-)) Gabriela Anders' instrumental ensemble adopts a very suave and low key Latin approach. There is some very tasteful acoustic guitar, keyboard and accordion playing on this album. Some nice random ambient elements also keep the instrumental aspect of this album agreeably and tastefully "left of centre". Needless to say, this the sort of thing that Robot-of-Romance, Norah Jones, was probably trying to do on her hapless first album. Gabriela Anders is the real thing and a 'class act' unlike her aforementioned peer. Last Tango in Rio is ideal late night listening - with a glass of wine, candle light and someone you fancy! "


more info:
http://www.gabrielaanders.com/

if you want to listen:
http://www.narada.com/images/AlbumPage/LastTangoRio/lasttango.htm