New Music Monday—Nnenna Freelon, Alexa Tarantino, Miguel de Armas

Host Arturo Gomez will debut the following among others beginning Monday, May 17 at noon!

Nnenna Freelon – “Time Traveler”
After a few years of absence Nnenna returns with a very engaging recording featuring 8 songs that shaped her singing style growing up, she also adds 2 of her compositions. Freelon chose these retro-tunes because she feels music is a time-travel mechanism that whisks you to where you have not been before or returns you to cherished moments of the past. She dedicates this album to her recently deceased husband who was able to hear the selections before his demise.

Alexa Tarantina – “Firefly”
Before venturing out on her own, Award-winning multi-saxophonist, flutist, and clarinetist Alexa was a member of the Diva Jazz Orchestra and many other outstanding ensembles. Tarantino is a graduate of The Julliard School and the Eastman School of Music. For her 3rd recording as a leader, she chose to have both a vibraphone and piano in her quintet that has her once again collaborating with Aurora’s own Rudy Royston on drums.

Miguel de Armas – “Continuous”
A child prodigy, Cuban pianist was a member of the extremely influential and important NG La Banda, the new generation band that changed the course of Cuban music beginning in the late 1980s, de Armas was with them for 14 years before founding his own group that took him on a Canadian tour in 2012. One of their stops was Ottawa, Ontario-the capital of Canada. It was there he fell in love and decided to relocate there, quite a climate change for him, however, love for his wife and playing piano keeps him warm. This new recording is a stellar example of Miguel’s majestic playing.

Every Monday beginning at noon, I debut the latest arrivals to KUVO Jazz, often ahead of their regularly scheduled release date. In addition to the music, I’ll provide a few tidbits about the artist, in particular if it’s a new or up and coming artist.

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