Ermelinda Cuellar is Jazz composer and vocalist born of Peruvian parents who was exposed to varieties of music from an early age. She studied opera performance and worked in that genre until she moved in the direction of Jazz. You can hear that clear and lush operatic training in the delivery of her vocals. She is marvelous.
Her new album, What a Difference a Day Made, is replete with splendid covers and two originals of her own. With her on vocals is Gilbert Sedeño on piano, Greg Petito on guitar, Anthony Caceres on bass, Andre Hayward on trombone, Marlon Simon on drums and percussion, and the late Anibal Ambert on percussion. It is an excellent collection of artists rendering exquisite treatments of marvelous covers and originals.
Man with a Horn (De Lange/Lake) opens the album and Andre Hayward’s trombone is the horn of subject. Nina Simone’s vocal approach may have set the standard but Ermelinda shows no reticence in taking ownership of the great song. Her velvety approach is wonderful. She follows that with the luscious Sabor a Mi (Taste of Me), the Bolero composed by Álvaro Carrillo in 1959. The piano of Sedeño and the guitar of Petito are absolutely lovely. But it is Ermelinda’s Spanish and English lyrics that are so warm and delightful. This one got several replays.
Ermelinda’s original, Al Mal Tiempo Buena Cara is roughly translated “bad weather, good face.” It is a Spanish proverb which speaks of being courageous in the face of difficulties. The piano is the pace-setter for a rousing trombone. There is a nod and a wink to the African American Spiritual Wade in the Water. You have to pay attention to catch it but it is inserted perfectly. A brilliant trade between bass and drums follows. What a wonderful song.
Lerner and Loewe’s I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady is given a Bossa Nova treatment that must be making Alan J. Lerner smile somewhere. Ermelinda sounds so much like Ella Fitzgerald here. Not that she is imitating—she is treating the music and the lyrics the way they should be. That is immediately followed by 1947’s Midnight Sun by Lionel Hampton with those great lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Oh, she does this right. So fluid, so beautiful.
Angelitos Negros (Renteria/Blanco) is from the 1948 movie of the same name--Little Black Angels. It is a melancholy piece with brilliant guitar work from Petito. What a Difference a Day Made was originally written in Spanish by Maria Grever. The English lyrics were by Stanley Adams. It was released by Dinah Washington in 1959 and covered by so many more. It is a magnificent retelling of the song and Ermelinda again puts her indelible stamp on the song.
Another Ermelinda original, Duerme Niño (Sleep baby), comes after. It is a wonderful lullaby with enchanting piano from Sedeño and warm and lovely lyrics and vocals from Ermelinda. Caceres’ bass solo adds to the warmth of the song. This is a keeper.
Who’s Crying Now by Jonathan Cain and Steve Perry is a surprise, indeed. The song was a huge hit for the band Journey. I must admit, I have never liked Steve Perry’s singing and I am not a fan of Journey. But Ermelinda takes this song and transforms it into a Jazz tune par excellence. Hayward’s trombone adds terrific flourishes and punctuations. Amazing.
Historia De Un Amor is a 1956 song by Carlos Almarán. It is about a man’s long-lost love and was written by Almarán following the death of his brother’s wife. It is sad, to be certain, but the sweetness of the melancholy is unmistakable and the remembrance of love is palpable. Again, Hayward’s trombone is a delightful addition. But Ermelinda’s vocals and emotions steal the show.
The album concludes with Alone Together, a 1932 tune by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz. Artie Shaw show was the first to record the song in 1939.
Our love is as deep as the sea
Our love is as great as a love can be
And we can weather the great unknown
If we're alone...together.
The bridge is a hot Latin interlude that turns everybody loose. This is a wonderful conclusion to a splendid album.
Ermelinda Cuellar’s What a Difference a Day Made is so well crafted and delivered. With a fine look towards standards and classics, old folk tunes and modern pop songs, Ermelinda Cueller has seized each and everyone of them and made them distinctly her own. No matter the genre or style, no matter Spanish or English, Ermelinda is a marvel.
~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl
Her new album, What a Difference a Day Made, is replete with splendid covers and two originals of her own. With her on vocals is Gilbert Sedeño on piano, Greg Petito on guitar, Anthony Caceres on bass, Andre Hayward on trombone, Marlon Simon on drums and percussion, and the late Anibal Ambert on percussion. It is an excellent collection of artists rendering exquisite treatments of marvelous covers and originals.
Man with a Horn (De Lange/Lake) opens the album and Andre Hayward’s trombone is the horn of subject. Nina Simone’s vocal approach may have set the standard but Ermelinda shows no reticence in taking ownership of the great song. Her velvety approach is wonderful. She follows that with the luscious Sabor a Mi (Taste of Me), the Bolero composed by Álvaro Carrillo in 1959. The piano of Sedeño and the guitar of Petito are absolutely lovely. But it is Ermelinda’s Spanish and English lyrics that are so warm and delightful. This one got several replays.
Ermelinda’s original, Al Mal Tiempo Buena Cara is roughly translated “bad weather, good face.” It is a Spanish proverb which speaks of being courageous in the face of difficulties. The piano is the pace-setter for a rousing trombone. There is a nod and a wink to the African American Spiritual Wade in the Water. You have to pay attention to catch it but it is inserted perfectly. A brilliant trade between bass and drums follows. What a wonderful song.
Lerner and Loewe’s I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady is given a Bossa Nova treatment that must be making Alan J. Lerner smile somewhere. Ermelinda sounds so much like Ella Fitzgerald here. Not that she is imitating—she is treating the music and the lyrics the way they should be. That is immediately followed by 1947’s Midnight Sun by Lionel Hampton with those great lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Oh, she does this right. So fluid, so beautiful.
Angelitos Negros (Renteria/Blanco) is from the 1948 movie of the same name--Little Black Angels. It is a melancholy piece with brilliant guitar work from Petito. What a Difference a Day Made was originally written in Spanish by Maria Grever. The English lyrics were by Stanley Adams. It was released by Dinah Washington in 1959 and covered by so many more. It is a magnificent retelling of the song and Ermelinda again puts her indelible stamp on the song.
Another Ermelinda original, Duerme Niño (Sleep baby), comes after. It is a wonderful lullaby with enchanting piano from Sedeño and warm and lovely lyrics and vocals from Ermelinda. Caceres’ bass solo adds to the warmth of the song. This is a keeper.
Who’s Crying Now by Jonathan Cain and Steve Perry is a surprise, indeed. The song was a huge hit for the band Journey. I must admit, I have never liked Steve Perry’s singing and I am not a fan of Journey. But Ermelinda takes this song and transforms it into a Jazz tune par excellence. Hayward’s trombone adds terrific flourishes and punctuations. Amazing.
Historia De Un Amor is a 1956 song by Carlos Almarán. It is about a man’s long-lost love and was written by Almarán following the death of his brother’s wife. It is sad, to be certain, but the sweetness of the melancholy is unmistakable and the remembrance of love is palpable. Again, Hayward’s trombone is a delightful addition. But Ermelinda’s vocals and emotions steal the show.
The album concludes with Alone Together, a 1932 tune by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz. Artie Shaw show was the first to record the song in 1939.
Our love is as deep as the sea
Our love is as great as a love can be
And we can weather the great unknown
If we're alone...together.
The bridge is a hot Latin interlude that turns everybody loose. This is a wonderful conclusion to a splendid album.
Ermelinda Cuellar’s What a Difference a Day Made is so well crafted and delivered. With a fine look towards standards and classics, old folk tunes and modern pop songs, Ermelinda Cueller has seized each and everyone of them and made them distinctly her own. No matter the genre or style, no matter Spanish or English, Ermelinda is a marvel.
~Travis Rogers, Jr. is The Jazz Owl
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