Claudia Acuña at Dizzy's Club in April

In Celebration of her latest Marsalis Music release "En Este Momento"
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola Presents
The Claudia Acuña Quartet
April 15-19, 2009

featuring:
Claudia Acuña – voice, Jason Lindner - piano, Juancho Herrera – guitar, Carlos Henderson - bass, Mark Kelley –bass (4/18), Yayo Serka – drums, Adam Cruz - drums (4/18)
Wed – Sun, April 15-19, 2009
7:30pm and 9:30pm only

Chilean born songstress Claudia Acuña has delved deep into her soul and brought forth her most personal album to date with "En Este Momento" (At This Moment) on the Marsalis Music label. This inspired 10 song collection, produced by acclaimed saxophonist and label head Branford Marsalis, showcases Acuña’s unparalleled talent for fusing maximum emotion into both Spanish and English lyrics while mastering the “essential elements of jazz with startling effectiveness” (The Los Angeles Times). Her new CD (and Marsalis Music debut) will be in stores April 7th with concert dates in selected cities across the U.S.

A New York City resident since 1995 who remains committed to her Chilean heritage, Acuña has fashioned "En Este Momento" with lyrics in both English and Spanish. Her versatility, and her command of both jazz and Latin rhythms, set Acuña apart from other vocalists of jazz’s new generation. “I’ve always dreamed of being a singer, and when I discovered jazz and the greatest jazz singers I could not believe the freedom they could find in every song,” Acuña explains. “I love jazz’s tradition, but I always promised myself that my music would pay tribute to who I am, which is why all of my albums contain at least one song from South America.”

"En Este Momento" shows Claudia Acuña collaborating with a stellar line-up of musicians who have formed a strong bond over the past decade, including Jason Lindner (piano), Juancho Herrera (guitar/mandolin), Omer Avital (bass), and Clarence Penn (drums, cajon, percussion). Additional guests Edgardo “Yayo” Serko (cajon, bombo leguero, palmas) and Branford Marsalis (soprano saxophone) contribute extra spice to the mix. To pay homage to her roots, Claudia chose several Spanish-language classics such as the hauntingly beautiful “La Mentira,” written by Alvaro Carrillo Alarcon, and three songs by Victor Jara, who has been called the Bob Dylan of Chile. She effortlessly glides through her own interpretation of the upbeat “Sueño Contigo” by Uruguayan singer and percussionist Ruben Rada (of legendary collaborations with Airto & the OPA group in the 70s), and shows her growing confidence as lyricist and co-composer of two songs “Tulum” and “That’s What They Say.”

“I always promised myself that I would honor my background,” she says, “and I’ve gone from the point where there were always one or two songs in Spanish to where there are always one or two in English. But I don’t want to lock myself into a formula because my growth has been organic, like a seed that produces more leaves, branches and flowers with each year.”
***********
Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola
Frederick P. Rose Hall
Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center Broadway at 60th Street
5th Floor

Reservations:
Call: 212 258-9595 or 9795. Seating is available on a first-come first-served basis either at tables or at the bar.

Cover Charge:
Artist Sets: $20-$35
After Hours Sets: $10
Food & Beverage: $10 minimum, table; $5 minimum, bar

Set Times:
Sunday-Thursday: 7:30 & 9:30pm
Friday & Saturday: 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30pm