One of the best-kept secrets in New York City (but well-known among the cats who play there), Camila Meza is poised to step into a broader spotlight. The Chilean-born musician will soon issue Traces, a gorgeous album that features her beautiful, unorthodox compositions while showcasing her amazing vision and dexterity on voice and guitar. --Simon Rentner, NPR's A Blog Supreme
SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016
Vocalist/Guitarist/Composer Camila Meza
Continues Her Celebration of Traces
LIVE AT ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL (STAGE 3) at 11:15pm
Camila Meza, Shai Maestro, Rick Rosato & Kendrick Scott Traces is available on iTunes, Sunnyside Records, Amazon
CAMILA MEZA continues the celebration of her brilliant, critically-acclaimed new album, Traces, with an appearance at Rockwood Music Hall- Stage @ 11:15 PM on Saturday, April 23, 2016. Camila will be joined by Shai Maestro on piano, Rick Rosato on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums.
Camila Meza is a rarity, a glorious triptych of an artist. She possesses a gift for composing brilliant musical landscapes, a captivating, soulfully pure vocal instrument, and a consummate prowess on guitar, ablaze with irresistible melodies and improvisations.Vocalist/guitarist/composer Camila Meza, originally from Santiago, Chile, has garnered rapt attention from her colleagues, the press, and audiences in South America, New York City, and internationally, for her distinctive ability in blending jazz with her broad musical world (that includes Latin American, Brazilian, folk and pop), and for the emotional depth of her music. This rising star on the global jazz scene has been described by The New York Times as, “a bright young singer and guitarist with an ear for music of both folkloric and pop intention," and called, “a natural multi-talent, an improvising singer- guitarist who is one of the finest in the world in both creative realms," by pianist Aaron Goldberg. He added that, “she unites North and South America in a multilingual mega-continent, a pangaea of swing and harmony." Being called to join your peers on stage and in the studio remains one of the true tests that any NYC jazz musician will face, and Camila has passed, summa cum laude, staying very busy as an in-demand side musician, working with the likes of Ryan Keberle, Fabian Almazan, Aaron Goldberg, Sachal Vasandani, and many others. Sunnyside Records recently released Camila Meza's debut recording for the label (and her fourth overall), Traces, produced by Matt Pierson and featuring Shai Maestro, Matt Penman and Kendrick Scott, with special guests Bashiri Johnson, Sachal Vasandani and Jody Redhage.
At the inception of creating and crafting the music on Traces, Meza had a vivid dream of a seashore full of colorful, precious stones, each of them with their own size and particular design. She wandered through this beauty, wanting to carry every stone back home with her. But then she looked closer, and decided to take only the ones that she really loved, those that made her feel something special. “This dream was the beginning of my journey to the core of myself, getting closer to what moves me, accepting my own truth and embracing my intuition. This album represents the path traced, the moments, hopes and melodies that have marked my journey," said Meza. Traces is comprised of eight new original compositions, plus “Green Finch and Linnet Bird" (Sondheim), “Amazon Farewell" (Djavan), “Luchin" (Victor Jara) and “Little Person" (Jon Brion).
A songbird takes flight... Traces opens with the Meza composition, “Para Volar," on which she sings these words in Spanish (she also sings beautifully in English): “let the wind take you, fly free until you find truths with no fear or time, freedom in its essence, let the wind take you, fly and dream again." Camila writes about a failed attempt to rescue an injured bird, but these sentiments also speak of new beginnings, and of embracing your dreams. Traces was born from her joyous journey from a young, accomplished musician in Chile (inspired by Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Pat Metheny, Led Zeppelin, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix, Bjork, Elis Regina and Chet Baker), to becoming part of a new generation of adventurous jazz musicians in New York who are fearlessly imposing their disparate influences and experiences on jazz, with glorious results.
On the breathtaking “Emerald," Meza sings, “I've decided to stay, stay in this open place, here's where my heart sings, here's where there's no mistake." Camila explains, “this was one of the last songs written for the album, and it became like a hymn about actually having found the place I was looking for; the openness, the reassurance, the freedom, the passion and love for what I am and what I do."
Throughout Traces Camila offers the listener a remarkable gift; her true self and her abundant talents, as expressed through these songs, with no less than luminosity, passion, honesty and love.
Praise for Camila Meza
“Meza captivated the crowd... an extra dose of eclectic brashness."—Natalie Weiner, Billboard
“Chances are good you will not hear a better CD this year... music that lingers in the mind's ear long after the final notes fade."—Richard Kamins, Step Tempest
“Ms. Meza brings an appealing combination of lightness and depth to all the material, singing in a bright, clear voice against the agile stir of a first-rate band. Her improvising, on electric or acoustic guitar, is serious business..."—Nate Chinen, The New York Times
“Meza delivered pure, unaffected vocals, sung alternately in Spanish and English, that flooded the subterranean space with a genuine warmth and uplifting spirit. When she soloed on numbers like 'Para Volar,' 'Emerald' and the enchanting title track of her Sunnyside debut, Traces, it was clear that this triple threat from Santiago, Chile, had more to offer than just a beautiful voice, thoughtful lyrics and refreshing stage presence."—Bill Milkowski, DownBeat Magazine
“A powerful and entrancing performance in support of her forthcoming album-Traces (Sunnyside Records, 2016). Armed with guitar and voice, and accompanied by a killer unit featuring bassist Linda Oh, drummer Kendrick Scott, and pianist James Francies, she delivered a set that spoke both to her adopted home and motherland . . . all delivered with passion and dynamism... Meza's reputation as a talented triple-threat-guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter/composer proved true..." —Dan Bilawsky, AllAboutJazz.com
“Drawing on a wide sphere of musical influences and an abundance of talent, Camila Meza may be one of the most remarkable talents to emerge in recent years. In recent months, Meza has received a lot of critical buzz in New York. From the evidence of this album, it is well-deserved and only the beginning of greater triumphs."—Thomas Cunniffe, JazzHistoryOnline.com
Camila Meza Featured on NPR-A Blog Supreme's 5 Must-See Acts At The 2016 Winter Jazzfest
Vocalist/Guitarist/Composer Camila Meza
Continues Her Celebration of Traces
LIVE AT ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL (STAGE 3) at 11:15pm
Camila Meza, Shai Maestro, Rick Rosato & Kendrick Scott Traces is available on iTunes, Sunnyside Records, Amazon
CAMILA MEZA continues the celebration of her brilliant, critically-acclaimed new album, Traces, with an appearance at Rockwood Music Hall- Stage @ 11:15 PM on Saturday, April 23, 2016. Camila will be joined by Shai Maestro on piano, Rick Rosato on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums.
Camila Meza is a rarity, a glorious triptych of an artist. She possesses a gift for composing brilliant musical landscapes, a captivating, soulfully pure vocal instrument, and a consummate prowess on guitar, ablaze with irresistible melodies and improvisations.Vocalist/guitarist/composer Camila Meza, originally from Santiago, Chile, has garnered rapt attention from her colleagues, the press, and audiences in South America, New York City, and internationally, for her distinctive ability in blending jazz with her broad musical world (that includes Latin American, Brazilian, folk and pop), and for the emotional depth of her music. This rising star on the global jazz scene has been described by The New York Times as, “a bright young singer and guitarist with an ear for music of both folkloric and pop intention," and called, “a natural multi-talent, an improvising singer- guitarist who is one of the finest in the world in both creative realms," by pianist Aaron Goldberg. He added that, “she unites North and South America in a multilingual mega-continent, a pangaea of swing and harmony." Being called to join your peers on stage and in the studio remains one of the true tests that any NYC jazz musician will face, and Camila has passed, summa cum laude, staying very busy as an in-demand side musician, working with the likes of Ryan Keberle, Fabian Almazan, Aaron Goldberg, Sachal Vasandani, and many others. Sunnyside Records recently released Camila Meza's debut recording for the label (and her fourth overall), Traces, produced by Matt Pierson and featuring Shai Maestro, Matt Penman and Kendrick Scott, with special guests Bashiri Johnson, Sachal Vasandani and Jody Redhage.
At the inception of creating and crafting the music on Traces, Meza had a vivid dream of a seashore full of colorful, precious stones, each of them with their own size and particular design. She wandered through this beauty, wanting to carry every stone back home with her. But then she looked closer, and decided to take only the ones that she really loved, those that made her feel something special. “This dream was the beginning of my journey to the core of myself, getting closer to what moves me, accepting my own truth and embracing my intuition. This album represents the path traced, the moments, hopes and melodies that have marked my journey," said Meza. Traces is comprised of eight new original compositions, plus “Green Finch and Linnet Bird" (Sondheim), “Amazon Farewell" (Djavan), “Luchin" (Victor Jara) and “Little Person" (Jon Brion).
A songbird takes flight... Traces opens with the Meza composition, “Para Volar," on which she sings these words in Spanish (she also sings beautifully in English): “let the wind take you, fly free until you find truths with no fear or time, freedom in its essence, let the wind take you, fly and dream again." Camila writes about a failed attempt to rescue an injured bird, but these sentiments also speak of new beginnings, and of embracing your dreams. Traces was born from her joyous journey from a young, accomplished musician in Chile (inspired by Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Pat Metheny, Led Zeppelin, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix, Bjork, Elis Regina and Chet Baker), to becoming part of a new generation of adventurous jazz musicians in New York who are fearlessly imposing their disparate influences and experiences on jazz, with glorious results.
On the breathtaking “Emerald," Meza sings, “I've decided to stay, stay in this open place, here's where my heart sings, here's where there's no mistake." Camila explains, “this was one of the last songs written for the album, and it became like a hymn about actually having found the place I was looking for; the openness, the reassurance, the freedom, the passion and love for what I am and what I do."
Throughout Traces Camila offers the listener a remarkable gift; her true self and her abundant talents, as expressed through these songs, with no less than luminosity, passion, honesty and love.
Praise for Camila Meza
“Meza captivated the crowd... an extra dose of eclectic brashness."—Natalie Weiner, Billboard
“Chances are good you will not hear a better CD this year... music that lingers in the mind's ear long after the final notes fade."—Richard Kamins, Step Tempest
“Ms. Meza brings an appealing combination of lightness and depth to all the material, singing in a bright, clear voice against the agile stir of a first-rate band. Her improvising, on electric or acoustic guitar, is serious business..."—Nate Chinen, The New York Times
“Meza delivered pure, unaffected vocals, sung alternately in Spanish and English, that flooded the subterranean space with a genuine warmth and uplifting spirit. When she soloed on numbers like 'Para Volar,' 'Emerald' and the enchanting title track of her Sunnyside debut, Traces, it was clear that this triple threat from Santiago, Chile, had more to offer than just a beautiful voice, thoughtful lyrics and refreshing stage presence."—Bill Milkowski, DownBeat Magazine
“A powerful and entrancing performance in support of her forthcoming album-Traces (Sunnyside Records, 2016). Armed with guitar and voice, and accompanied by a killer unit featuring bassist Linda Oh, drummer Kendrick Scott, and pianist James Francies, she delivered a set that spoke both to her adopted home and motherland . . . all delivered with passion and dynamism... Meza's reputation as a talented triple-threat-guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter/composer proved true..." —Dan Bilawsky, AllAboutJazz.com
“Drawing on a wide sphere of musical influences and an abundance of talent, Camila Meza may be one of the most remarkable talents to emerge in recent years. In recent months, Meza has received a lot of critical buzz in New York. From the evidence of this album, it is well-deserved and only the beginning of greater triumphs."—Thomas Cunniffe, JazzHistoryOnline.com
Camila Meza Featured on NPR-A Blog Supreme's 5 Must-See Acts At The 2016 Winter Jazzfest
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