CD Review: Cathy Segal-Garcia, "Straight Ahead to the UK"

 

Cathy Segal-Garcia is a remarkably talented Vocalist who also Composes and Arranges beautiful music.  She came to mind recently in August of 2020 when I reviewed a new CD  from Mayita Dinos,  "The Garden Is My Stage".   Cathy Segal-Garcia has a major part in producing this CD and putting together the talented musicians who supported Mayita on her recording.  So I checked out "YouTube" to find out what Cathy has been doing in the past few years and it turns out that she has been very busy creating  beautiful new music.  I was particular interested in a CD that Cathy actually recorded in 2011 on a trip to England.  The CD sat on the shelf for a long time until she appeared on the Clifford Bell radio show in LA and he suggested that she pull it off the shelf and rework it as a new release.  This turned out to be an excellent idea.  Cathy brought the rough cuts to Engineer John Leftwich who turned them into musical gems.

The trip to England was arranged by an old friend of Cathy's, Super Sax player, Andy Macintosh.  Andy also secured some of the best Jazz players in England to join him and Cathy on this CD.  The CD contains a mix of original songs written by Cathy and some evergreens that never get old.  

I have attached two "YouTube" videos for your listening pleasure.  The first is a very sensitive rendition of the classic Hoagy Carmichael song, "I Get Along Without You".  Cathy Segal-Garcia is at her very best singing this tune.  It feels like she is having a very private and heart-felt conversation with the listener.  This recording certifies her remarkable understanding of Lyric that all Jazz singers should strive for.  The second song, "Shake It Down" was composed by Cathy after being inspired by a girl friend who loves to dance.   Enjoy!

Players:

Cathy Segal-Garcia-Vocals, composer, cuts 3, 6, 7, 8, 13

Carey Frank- Hammond B3 Organ 

Background Vocals- Bill Redd, Irene Cathaway

Guest Vocalist-Norma Winstone

Bassists- Paul Morgan, Laurence Cottle, John Leftwich

Piano-Cliff Hall, John Pearce, Roy Hilton

Synth Pads- John Leftwich

Drums- Ian Thomas

Trumpet- Simon Gardner

Saxes- Andy Macintosh

Percussion Brad Dutz

Playlist:

1. Wheelers and Dealers

2. Highwire

3. Hippityville

4. Sermonette

5. I Get Along Without You

6. Shake It Down

7. Recipe of Love

8. Song 4 Sandy

9. Something We May Never Know

10. Dreamsville

11. Gypsy In My Soul

12. Last Night When We Were Young

13. Hippityville

                                                              "I Get Along Without You"

                                                                       "Shake It Down"    

              

CD Review: Mayita Dinos, "The Garden Is My Stage"

Mayita Dinos has just released her debut CD, "The Garden Is My Stage".   The songs Dinos has included in the CD were guided by her love for landscape design and her mixed heritage.  She was born in Puerto Rico to a Puerto Rican mother and a father of Greek and Turkish ancestry.  Dinos is also a successful landscape designer who has spent many years appearing on various shows on the HGTV and DIY networks as landscape expert.  Dinos explains "a beautiful garden is like a lush symphony composed of colors, shapes, and textures.  Her love of flowers has combined with her soft sensitive voice to create new beauty for some wonderful lyrics she gives new life to.

Dinos was singing in various venues around Los Angeles, including at jam sessions hosted by Cathy Segal-Garcia, the prolific singer, recording artist, and primary arranger.  Segal-Garcia who has produced a number of CDs for vocalists, became her producer and brought on board Guitarist Dori Amarilio as her co-producer and primary arranger.  In addition to these talent musicians,  Segal-Garcia and Amarilio brought together some of the best musicians in Southern California.  The result of putting this outstanding group of musicians behind Dinos' wonderful voice and vocal interpretation  is the creation of a verbal painting for the listener.

I could have attached any of the 13 songs on this CD because everyone is interesting and beautiful in its own way.  I decided to pick "Spanish Harlem" because Dinos approach to this old chestnut gives new life to the lyric telling us "how beauty thrives even in challenging environments".  The second "YouTube" I chose was the classic Freddie Hubbard composition, "Little Sunflower".  Dinos explains that  the song "is a metaphor for a flower seeking light in the darkness".   It's stunningly beautiful!  I have heard this song played as an instrumental many times and especially by my friend, Steve Madieo, who played this song on his Trumpet as good as anyone.  I had never heard the lyric to this song and, I love it even more now.

Playlist:   
1. Ornithology
2. Come Back As A Flower
3. Pannonica
4. Woodstock
5. Lullaby of the Leaves
6. Un pats con el nombre de un rio
7. Little Sunflower
8. Double Rainbow
9. La Lola
10. A Flower is a Lovesome Thing
11. Spanish Harlem
12. Willow Weep for Me
13. Agua de beber

Players:    
Mayita Dinos-Vocals
Biil Cantos-Piano
Rich Eames-Piano
Gabe Davis-Acoustic Bass
Hussain Jiffry-Electric Bass
Dori Amarilio-Guitar
Michael Hunter-Trumpet & Flugelorn
Alex Budman-Flute, Clarinet, Soprano Sax
Steve Hass-Drums
Tiki Pasillas-Drums & Percussion

                                                                  "Spanish Harlem" 

                                                             "Little Sunflower"