Julia Vari, Negroni’s Trio - Somos (2026) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. La Bikina
02. Nature Boy
03. Siboney
04. Song for My Father
05. Noche de Ronda
06. C'est Si Bon
07. Historia de un Amor

Not simply familiar, but all seven are classic songs. She sings them in four of the eight languages she is proficient in, and therefore her renditions are as close to perfection as a multilingual artist can interpret each.

This is the Miami-based, world travelling vocalist Julia Vari, a smoky-voiced mezzo who is also very capable of accompanying herself on piano. However, on the seven songs of Somos, she features the celebrated Negroni’s Trio, comprising pianist and musical director José Negroni, bassist Rafael Valencia and drummer Nomar Negroni.

This treasure trove of classic music includes vibrant renditions of Rubén Fuentes’ galloping La Bikina, the song of mystery made eternal by Nat “King” Cole, Nature Boy, by the legendary Eden Ahbez, a creative version of Siboney, from the fabulous pen of Ernesto Lecuona. Of course, things don’t end there…

Then there is that wondrous classic by Horace Silver – Song For My Father, this one with Portuguese lyrics by Carolina Pérez Sanz – interpreted for a change in Mr Silver’s home-language Portuguese. And a song made famous in the world of jazz by Henri Salvador – C’est Si Bon, which Miss Vari sings seductively and in fluent French.

Miss Vari is a perfect singer to introduce us to these classics from Latin [and other linguistic] sources thanks to her multilingual proficiency, the agility of her voice and comfortable technique. Listen to the way she sails effortlessly through her full compass in a single phrase. This is so, both in a fast-paced La Bikina and the darker, more elegiac Noche de Ronda by Agustín Lara.

In both songs her voice is firm in the higher – soprano register – as well as in her superbly centred mezzo register. Of course, from La Bikina to Historia de Un Amor Miss Vari has the superb musicianship of the musicians from Negroni’s Trio, with joyous trumpet solo by Nathan Samuelson. The performance of all the musicians is keen as mustard filled with typically telling detail everywhere on this short album.