Raquel Cepeda - Passion - Latin Jazz (2019)

Cepeda’s latest release, "Passion", is her most personal to date: a Latin jazz mosaic of thirteen pieces, presenting five original compositions among gems from North and South American repertoires. The album’s progressive arrangements blend American swing elements with Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian rhythms while incorporating further influences from Argentina and Venezuela.
The recording in and of itself is a gallery of world-class musicians gathered from wide-ranging geographies under one creative umbrella, including Americans Barry Sames on piano and Thomas Helton on double bass, Brazilians Adriano Santos on drums and Cassio Duarte on percussion, Cubans Orlando Fuentes on drums and Ernesto Vega on sax and flute, and Puerto-Rican trumpeter Omar Martinez. Special guest appearances by Argentinean Grammy winner Hector del Curto on bandoneon, Grammy nominated Venezuelan cuatro player Jorge Glem, and American David Caceres on backup vocals kick the sound up to another level. With original arrangements by Barry Sames and Raquel Cepeda, and contributions from Joe LoCascio and Marvio Ciribelli, Passion also represents Cepeda’s debut as a producer, with recording engineer Andy Bradley as coproducer and Cassio Duarte as production assistant. The album was entirely recorded and mixed by Andy Bradley at Houston’s Wire Road Studios, and mastered by Jerry Tubb at Terra Nova Studios in Austin.

MUSICIAN LINE UP
Raquel Cepeda: Vocals
Barry Sames: Piano
Thomas Helton: Double Bass
Cassio Duarte: Percussion
Omar Martinez: Trumpet / Flugelhorn
Ernesto Vega: Tenor Sax / Soprano Sax / Flute
Adriano Santos, Orlando Fuentes: Drums
Hector del Curto*: Bandoneon on Little Gem
Jorge Glem**: Venezuelan Cuatro on Luz de Luna
David Caceres: Backup Vocals on It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) / Quimbara
Marlon Simon: Drums on Little Gem and Percussion on Luz de Luna

Tracklist:
01. Raquel Cepeda - Caravan (4:26)
02. Raquel Cepeda - Moliendo Cafe (5:58)
03. Raquel Cepeda - Berimbau (4:39)
04. Raquel Cepeda - From Afar (4:45)
05. Raquel Cepeda - Mil Congojas (4:11)
06. Raquel Cepeda - Lloraras (7:03)
07. Raquel Cepeda - Dentro Dos Olhos Seus (4:20)
08. Raquel Cepeda - Little Gem (4:38)
09. Raquel Cepeda - (You’d Be So) Easy to Love (3:40)
10. Raquel Cepeda - Luz De Luna (5:33)
11. Raquel Cepeda - Canto De Ossanha (7:43)
12. Raquel Cepeda - Your Return (5:46)
13. Raquel Cepeda - It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) / Quimbara (3:57)