1. Song For Rita
2. Antigua
3. I’m Glad There Is You
4. Little B’ Bounce
5. I Haven’t Got Anything Better To Do
6. Amazonas
7. So Tinha de Ser Com Voce
8. Wu Wei
9. Leaving
10. Vinteet’s Blues
11. Brigas, Nunca Mais
12. Waltz For Joanne
13. Au Contraire
Becca Duran (vocal); Jay Thomas (trumpet, flugelhorn, flute, tenor & soprano sax); Miguel Carrido (bass); Luis Peralta (drums & percussion ); Mark Ivester (drums & percussion); Norman Durkee (keyboard); Joshua Wolff (keyboard); Chas “Vineet” Davidson (guitar); Rick Reed (guitar)
“Well, Jay Thomas is one that knows the Getz style as he captures (but not copies) the inimitable tenor tone that gave Getz’s playing on-the-spot recognition.”
Dave Nathan, All Music Guide . . . more ›
“It's almost a given that anything Jay Thomas puts his name on will be good. This album happily is no exception.”
Lars Gandil, Victory Music Review . . . more ›
“This appealing CD of Latin inspired music bring to the forefront the sympathetic vocal styling of Becca Duran and the fluent and amazingly versatile instrumental ability of Jay Thomas.”
Al Merritt, Jazz Now . . . more ›
“SONG FOR RITA ……..is a delightful traipsing through the land of Brazil and the samba aided by a cast of musicians who capture the essence of that country's music.”
Cadence Magazine . . . more ›
* * * * *
JAY’S COMMENTS:
With the help of South American transplants, Luis Peralta and Miguel Garrido, Becca and I have produced a nice blend of Brazilian standards and American jazz. Becca does two wordless arrangements with the band, three lovely ballads in English, two Jobim standards that she sings in Portuguese and a very soulful composition by Richie Beirach with Spanish lyrics by Becca. We also do several original instrumental selections where I am featured on the soprano and tenor saxophones and the flute. If you are a fan of Stan Getz, Antonio Carlos Jobim and vocalist Elis Regina, please check out this CD. --- Jay Thomas
* * * * *
“Song For Rita” REVIEWS
By Dave Nathan, All Music Guide
John Coltrane is supposed to have said “if we could all play like Stan Getz, we would.” Well Jay Thomas is one that knows the Getz style as he captures (but not copies) the inimitable tenor tone that gave Getz’s playing on-the-spot recognition. Thomas goes several steps beyond Getz as he is equally at home with flute, soprano sax, flugelhorn and trumpet. He is one of the few who is adept on instruments with very different mouthpieces and requiring different embouchures.
Thomas brings all these powerful virtues to Song For Rita, his 5th session as a leader as he focuses on the intricacies of Latin sounds and rhythms. For a real treat, there are three relatively obscure tunes by Antonio Carlos Jobim.The entire affair is enhanced and enlivened by Thomas’ attractive wife, Becca Duran, both as a vocalist and as a composer of two of the most beguiling tunes on the set “Song For Rita” and “Au Contraire”. The former immediately brings to the ear aural images of Getz and his bossa nova collaborations with Astrud Gilberto. On the latter, Thomas noodles delicately and unobtrusively under Duran’s lilting vocal helped by good guitar by Chas Davidson. Although the tenor is where Thomas spends most of his time, he unpacks the hard to negotiate soprano for engaging rhapsodizing on “Vineet’s Blues”. His flute helps to impart the eerie environment and sounds of the jungle on “Amazonas”, while a mellow flugelhorn comes out on the samba, Wu Wei”. This tune also offers opportunities for some inventive percussion work by Mark Iverster. The one standard, “I’m Glad There Is You”, is here as a reminder that the artistry of the husband and wife duo extends beyond Brazilian as Duran puts a shiny, sensuous veneer on this classic torch song, aided and abetted by Norman Durkee’s keyboards. Thomas and Duran alternate between two rhythm sections and guitar and keyboard, with Miguel Garrido’s bass the only constant appearing on all tracks. The shift in personnel in no way detracts from the quality or vigor of the performances. The music was recorded in 1993 and 1996 but is just now being released. It’s about time; this is another fine effort by Seattle’s Jay Thomas and is highly recommended.
* * * * *
By Lars Gandil, Victory Music Review - December 2000
It's almost a given that anything Jay Thomas puts his name on will be good. This album happily is no exception. Once again Jay shows himself to be an eclectic artist with few peers. This Latin flavored outing is an association with vocalist Becca Duran and it is a pleasure from beginning to end. Duran sings with laid-back grace and perfect pitch. Her vocal on "I Haven't Got Anything Better to Do" is worth the price of admission on its own. As always Jay surrounds himself with very capable sidemen not the least of which is bass man Miguel Garrido. Miguel can do very tasteful restrained back up, but when called upon to solo he does so with a vengeance. The same can be said for guitarist Rick Reed (oh heck, the whole band will blow you away). The sections are all good. The title track is an upbeat samba number that sets the pace for the entire album. The Jay Thomas compositions "Little B's Bounce" and the lovely "Waltz for Joanne" are also show stoppers. This is a fine album and one more feather in Jay's cap.
* * * * *
By Al Merritt, Jazz Now - July 1993
This appealing CD of Latin inspired music bring to the forefront the sympathetic vocal styling of Becca Duran and the fluent and amazingly versatile instrumental ability of Jay Thomas. Becca uses her voice in both wordless vocals and in the normal manner to great advantage, never seeking to hold centre stage more than necessary. Jay Thomas provides facile solowork, principally on tenor and trumpet, and an ideal back-drop for Becca's vocals. The remaining rhythm section players fulfill an important role in the success of this recording, whether by soloing or filling out the background sounds. Luis Peralto seems to have been a prime mover in this event, contributing both enthusiasm and excellence of instrumental performance to the whole project.
A most enjoyable recording which I commend to all lovers of Latin-tinged Jazz.
* * * * *
Cadence Magazine - April 2001 Vol.27 No.4
BECCA DURAN is a singer and non-verbal vocalist who performs with co-leader and multi-instrumentalist JAY THOMAS on their highly rhythmic Latin adventure, SONG FOR RITA (McVouty 6240; date and location not provided). The music is a delightful traipsing through the land of Brazil and the samba aided by a cast of musicians who capture the essence of that country's music (Miguel Garrido, b; Luis Peralta, d, perc; Rick Reed, g; Norman Durkee, kybd; Joshua Wolff, kybd; Chas Davidson, g; Mark Iverster, d, perc). Duran sings the melodies in either English or Portuguese while projecting the warmth and charm inherent in the samba. The recording features original material, well-known standards and also some lesser known tunes from the samba master Antonio Carlos Jobim (Song for Rita / Antigua / I'm Glad There is You / Little B's Bounce / I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do / Amazonas / So Tinha de Ser Com Voce / Wu Wei/ Leaving / Vineet's Blues / Brigas, Nunca Mais / Waltz For Joanne / Au Contraire, 62:03). Duran has the spotlight often, using her enticing and earthy voice effectively to convey the sultry Brazilian mood. When Duran steps out, Thomas takes charge playing trumpet, flugelhorn, tenor, soprano or flute to embellish the enchanting Latin sound in the Stan Getz bossa mode. Reed appears on several tracks with high-profile guitar opportunities to set the romantic stage. The music takes on an occasional commercial air, but mostly it adheres to the precepts of Brazilian music and caresses the samba lovingly.