Seductive, vulnerable, moody, fun. An intimate trio with Ron Affif- guitar and Jeff Eckels- bass

10 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Jazz Vocals, JAZZ: Traditional Jazz Combo



Details:
This music makes me happy. Ron and Jeff help me sing free and strong. The conception for this album was to record music that would be indicative of a live gig where we would feel joyful and uninhibited. We recorded without separation, very close to each other, no edits, and I chose songs that would be familiar, with an attitude of 'let's just play and see where it takes us.'

I first started playing with Ron on these horrible restaurant gigs I was getting in college. More than any other musician that I had played with, he inspired me with the way he interacts and gives so much to play off of rhythmically. When I met Jeff, and we were both teaching at the Berklee program in Ecuador, we had an instant musical connection, and I realized that he shared a lot of the same qualities that I had come so much to appreciate in Ron. It came time to record and I knew I needed to bring him up to be on the CD. When they first played together Ron said, "Hey, this guy is just as crazy as me!" and I knew I'd made a good match.
I decided to call the album after the haunting Jobim tune Zingaro which means gypsy, because I have always felt that I have a gypsy heart, and with all the adventures I've been having over the last decade, other people are starting to think so too. For me, traveling and making music are the frame on which I weave this gypsy life I'm living. It's about the Moment, about personal connections and the resultant life changes that come from opening yourself up to cosmic interference!

The musical theme of the repertoire is the interplay between tradition and freedom. On some of the songs, like Sweet Lorraine and Gee Baby, we've gone for a playful early jazz sound, and then on others like Zingaro and Body and Soul we've taken a more open approach. I'm excited to include my original tune Morning with You which is a mix of Joy Spring and Coltrane 3rds. This and Walkin' are from a session I did a few years earlier which I'd been waiting for the opportunity to release. Playing trio without drums really allows for the maximum flexibility and intimacy, and I want us to be close. Very close.

Hope you enjoy the music!
xo
Alexis