Andrea Brachfeld: Lotus Blossom

Lotus Blossom- Andrea Brachfeld

Andrea Brachfeld - flutes, vocals, thumb piano

Bill O’ Connell - piano

Winard Harper - drums

Rufus Reid – bass

Guests:

Wycliffe Gordon – sousaphone

Chembo Corniel – percussion

Nancy Harms - vocals

Andrea Brachfeld has a new CD- Lotus Blossom.  I’m starting with her list of musicians since this album is a beautiful collaboration of extraordinary jazz musicians.  The quartet perform seamlessly and creatively always with an interesting twist and turn!

Highlights (there are too many to name) include Herbie Mann’s “Memphis Underground” (track 4) with a very amusing sousaphone solo by guest Wycliffe Gordon,  track 5- “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” (Harry M. Woods) taken at a slow tempo that reveals the beauty of the piece,  Brachfeld’s “There Was a Time” (track 8) a wistful piece (with some sprightly optimism)  where flute and voice (Nancy Harms) intertwine in a beautiful duo line and track 9 also by Brachfeld called “This Is” which feature some fun duo’s between Winard Harper (drums) and Andrea on flute, as well as virtuosic solos by pianist Bill O’Connell.  She closes with “Queen Girl” a return to her Latin roots.

This is Brachfeld’s seventh album, but her first jazz flute album.  Although she’s studied flute with many jazz greats including Jimmy Health, Yuset Lateef, Hubert Laws, and Eddie Daniels, she was drawn to Latin music and has been a Latin music performer.  In her words: “ In 2008 I said all right, enough is enough; I’m going to change my playing.  And that’s what I did”.   This album is a result of this change in focus and Brachfeld does this beautifully.  Her sound, technique, pitch and creativity all sound effortless, a tribute to her virtuosity.  Congratulations on a terrific new CD.

The album is produced by Jazzheads Inc.  www.jazzheads.com , recorded at Trading 8’s, www.trading8smusic.com  www.AndreaBrachfeld.com