JazzTimes (p.124) - "[I]t's wonderful to hear not only how much more interesting and assured Allyson has grown, but how much deeper and richer her appreciation for Brazilian music's deceptively delicate subtlety now is."
Personnel: Karrin Allyson (vocals, piano); Rod Fleeman (acoustic guitar, acoustic 6-string guitar); Gil Goldstein (accordion, piano); Steve Nelson (vibraphone, marimba); David Finck (acoustic bass); Todd Strait (drums); Michael Spiro (pandeiro, shaker, surdo, tambourine, percussion).
Recording information: Sear Sound, New York, New York (2007).
Grammy-nominated jazz singer Karrin Allyson is of the generation for whom Bonnie Raitt and Joni Mitchell are as influential as Mose Allison and Abbey Lincoln. Allyson can scat-sing with the best of them but always remembers to invest herself in a song's meaning. IMAGINA is something of a departure for her, as it's all songs from Brazil sung in Portuguese and English. While some are established hits ("Desafinado"), many may be new to non-Brazilian audiences. Ace jazz vibraphonist Steve Nelson is part of this disc's triumph, his bright, brittle tone serving as a wonderful compliment to Allyson's skillful singing.