Carmen Cuesta – Toda Una Vida
It doesn’t get much more romantic than this. The lovely voice of Carmen Cuesta, singing ballads in Spanish with her husband, Chuck Loeb, playing guitar. Those are the elements of Toda Una Vida (Tweety Records, 2014).
Loeb also plays keyboards. The other musicians are Jose San Martin, drums and shaker; Antonio “Tono” Miguel, acoustic bass; Moises P. Sanchez, piano and electric piano; Yuvisney Aguilar, percussion; Antonio Serrano, harmonica on “Contiga Aprendi”; Kike Perdomo, flute on “Quizas, Quizas, Quizas”; and Oli Rockberger, piano on “Todo Una Vida.”
The set begins with “Voy a Apagar La Luz” or “I’ll turn off the light.” Cuesta sings softly with the musicians playing elegantly behind her. Loeb adds an acoustic guitar solo. Sanchez opens “Eu Sei Que Voe Te Amar” in true, mood-setting fashion, setting up for Cuesta’s voice. The other musicians are subtle underneath as this easily could have been a piano/vocal duet. Cuesta and Sanchez complement each other well.
As romance goes, the cross connection couldn’t be more appropriate. Vocalist Carmen Cuesta celebrates bossa nova, that elegant blend of Brazilian song and North American jazz. Mi Bossa Nova (Tweety Records, 2011) is a collection of 11 titles, seven of them written by renowned Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Smooth Jazz Daily 