Kat Parra CD Cover

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Wow! Azucar de Amor nominated for Latin Jazz Album of the year by the Jazz Journalists Association

Kat Parra Voted Best Latin Jazz Vocalist of 2008
Parra’s performance as a vocalist in the Latin Jazz world this past year was a standout appearance. Her album Azucar De Amor exuded class and style, swung like crazy, and featured a variety of Latin Jazz approaches that showcased Parra’s world-class vocal skills. From inspired pregons in a jazzed-up salsa setting like the song “Azucar De Amor” to classic jazz phrasing on tracks like the bolero version of “Misty,” Parra represented the total package in Latin Jazz vocals this year. Fantastic arrangements from Wayne Wallace and the support of some of the Bay Area’s best Latin Jazz musicians just pushed the album into the outstanding category. Parra blessed the Bay Area with regular performances, but also traveled to Chicago and Seattle this year. In addition, Parra was awarded a Zellerbach Foundation Grant for her Sephardic Jazz Project, allowing her to continue digging deeper into the Sephardic tradition. Parra’s presence has been an outstanding piece of the Bay Area Latin Jazz Scene and a major contributor to the Latin Jazz world in 2008.
Latin Jazz Corner

AZUCAR DE AMOR now available on iTunes, on CDBaby.com, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com

NPR's The California Report Magazine CD Review of Azucar de Amor
The roots of Latin jazz run deep in California. From Cal Tjader and Poncho Sanchez to John Santos, the Golden State has hosted some of the music's most popular and innovative artists. San Jose-based vocalist Kat Parra is building on that legacy. Jazz critic Andrew Gilbert reviews her new CD.

Kat Parra's "Sephardic Music Experience" Awarded a Zellerbach Foundation Grant
This grant will enable Kat to continue her exploration and development of new Sephardic musical material for concert performances.

BILLBOARD REVIEW by Philip Van Vleck:
Vocalist Kat Parra indulges her passion for Latin jazz on "Azucar de Amor," her second release for Patois Records. She opens the disc with a sweet bit of salsa/ mambo, "Sugar (Azucar de Amor)," that sets the tone for what proves to be a moveable feast of Latin styles. Parra knows how to light the fuse on a salsa number, and she shows us how it's done on the original tune "Quitate la Queta." In a completely different mood, Parra delivers a stirring interpretation of "Esta Montanya D'Enfrente," a mystic Sephardic ballad. Her vocal on this number is beautifully shaped; her grasp of this archaic Judeo-Spanish style is remarkable. Parra also shines on "Un Grito," a song she wrote with Wayne Wallace in the Afro-Peruvian lando style. It's yet another stylistic groove that she handles with an uncanny feel.