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
