The U.S. recording career of Argentine-born vocalist Roxana Amed is a study in the frustration that assumptions about genre can create. Both 2021's Ontology and the following year's Unánime, released by Sony Music, were nominated for Latin Grammy Awards. That was well-deserved, yet these were also among the best jazz vocal recordings of those years. Her 2023 Sony Music release Los Trabajos Y Las Noches, to texts by Argentinean poet Alejandra Pizarnik, is backed by a trio of Frank Carlberg on piano, bassist Simón Willson and Michael Sarin on drums with saxophonist Adam Kolker, and language notwithstanding, it sure sounds like a jazz record.. Becoming Human (Sony Music, 2024), recorded in Miami's legendary Criteria Studios, is a deeply felt and autobiographical statement, her finest to date. It is largely sung in English and in its understatedeven prayerfulway makes the strongest case for Amed's overdue inclusion among the first rank of jazz vocalists.
Contact John Chacona on All About Jazz.
John Chacona is a freelance journalist, content writer and producer in Cleveland.
Contribute to Play This! Recommend a favorite song, album, or performance and we'll share it with your fellow All About Jazz readers. Submit it here.
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
We sent a confirmation message to . Look for it, then click the link to activate your account. If you don’t see the email in your inbox, check your spam, bulk or promotions folder.
African Jazz Afrobeat Beyond Jazz Big Band Blues Brazilian / Bossa Nova / Samba Classical / Chamber Free Improv / Avant-Garde Fringes of Jazz Funk / Groove / Acid Jazz Latin Modern Jazz Reggae / Ska Soul Spiritual / Cosmic Jazz Straight-ahead (Bop, Hard bop, Cool) Vocal