Latin Songstress Jessie Marquez Performs ‘Cool Cool Latin’ Concert
Featuring the Arnica String Quartet
Friday, March 30, 8pm-midnight, $12
Jimmy Mak’s, 221 Northwest 10th Avenue, Portland, OR 97209
(503) 295-6542 www.jimmymaks.com
Fans of Latin music are in for a treat on March 30th at Jimmy Mak’s. Vocalist Jessie Marquez brings her ensemble and The Arnica String Quartet together for a night of intoxicating Cuban/Brazilian/jazz/pop. Expect to enjoy lush harmony, richly textured, sexy, cool and inviting music. Marquez has a magnetic stage presence. She weaves together Spanish and English lyrics and compelling stories about her artistic life in Cuba.
Marquez’s latest release, All I See is Sky, was produced and co-written by pianist Clay Giberson (Upper Left Trio, Go By Train) and bassist Phil Baker (Pink Martini, Diana Ross). The Arnica String Quartet is featured on the recording, and creates a lush soundscape alongside the singer’s intimate and understated approach.
BACKGROUND:
Marquez grew up eating her grandmother’s Cuban cooking and hearing stories about the family’s days on the island. She first visited her father’s childhood home in 1996. Right away, she says, “there was something very familiar about it –the way people spoke, their gestures, their attitudes. I felt at home.”
In 2003, members of the Afro-Cuban Allstars heard her sing and offered to arrange and record her first CD. In a Havana home studio, between power outages, they recorded Sana Locura, which reached the top of charts in Latin America, Europe and the United States. Marquez appeared on Cuban television and radio and subsequently spent eight months performing throughout the island.
Her 2007 release, Get the Feeling, recorded with guitarist Mike Denny, explores the Cuban genre known as filin music (a play on the word “feeling”). Filin draws heavily from American jazz and Brazilian bossa nova.
In 2010, Marquez received a grant from the Oregon Arts Commission to develop a
small series of high-definition, live music videos. They can be seen on YouTube and at
www.jessiemarquez.com.
REVIEWS:
“A musical gem.” Latin Beat Magazine
“So otherworldly, so richly textured, so intimate and humid and spicy.” Half Note
“Her lyricism and impeccable style are absolutely intoxicating…” The Urban Flux
“One of the top Latin jazz vocalist in the business.” EJazz News
“Marquez not only hits it out of the park but circles the bases an extra time just to be sure. Hot stuff not to be missed.” Midwest Record
“La reina (the queen) of Cuban music in the Pacific Northwest.”Latina Style Magazine
“Great talent is where you find it, and in this case, the blessed zone is Oregon.”Hispanic Magazine