Search - Yolanda Duke :: Yolanda Duke "Te Llevo Bajo La Piel: The Great American Songbook Goes Latino" Feat. Arturo Sandoval

Yolanda Duke seems to weave a magic spell on the repertoire of The Great American Songbook, making them her own. She sings them with unabashed, almost naked emotion, in her majestic contralto. Every once and a while Ms. Duke takes flight into ranges that she would not normally venture, where she is absolutely and devastatingly beautiful. "Luna Azul," performed as a cha cha cha seems to exist in a rarefied realm. The haunting beauty of "Medley Myrta Silva" is a most spine chilling bolero, especially as Ms. Duke reaches for those high notes as if she were singing an aria.

La Duke reaches into the orchestra jazz roots with several interpretations of jazz standards, placed over Latin rhythms. The Orchestra screams into a hard hitting uptempo arrangement of Cole Porter's "Eso Que Llaman Amor (What Is This Thing Called Love)," framing Duke's powerful vocal with lush harmonies and tight rhythmic hits. As thick string patches float over a ferocious rhythm section groove, trumpet player John Walsh deftly twists jazz inflected melodies around the clave. La Duke returns with a strong second reading of the melody, sending the band into a wild mambo that sends the band flying towards a climax.

La Duke & Arturo Sandoval, the two musicians tackle a Cuban standard, the timeless song "Contigo En La Distancia," written by César Portillo de la Luz and loved around the world for its lush harmony, gorgeous melody, and potent lyrics.

Sandoval's complete musicianship brings out the best in Duke, helping her deliver an impassioned performance, full of powerful dynamic range, subtle nuance, and personal interpretation.

From the introductory trumpet flurry to a closing statement that pushes notes into the stratosphere, Sandoval approaches the song with a warm embrace, reflective of his close connection to the music. In fact, Sandoval puts a major mark on the song by creating the arrangement and playing all of the different instruments on the track.