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Mayita Dinos: The Garden Is My Stage

By C. Michael Bailey
July 12, 2020
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Many artists have day jobs to pay the bills, and vocalist Mayita Dinos is no exception. After studying landscape design, and working in the field for "decades," Dinos emerges with a debut jazz vocal recording The Garden is My Stage. But, this is no wet-feet newbie recording. Dinos has been performing as an avocation around her Los Angeles home, including jam sessions hosted by vocalist and composer

Cathy Segal-Garcia

vocals
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Cathy Segal-Garcia, who recognised Dinos' potential, taking her under her wing as a vocal instructor and serving as co-producer of this disc. What emerges here is a fully-formed musical vision, internally integrated and deliberately conceived.

Cooperating closely with guitarist and arranger

Dori Amarilio

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Dori Amarilio, Dinos seasons every selection presented with the unifying clave rhythm of Brazilian music, languid, humid, sexy. The singer demonstrates how seamlessly the jazz songbook can be adapted to this humid lyric sway. The disc opens with Charlie Parker's "Ornithology," with lyrics penned by Dinos. So convincing is this performance that it is difficult not to argue a presence of this clave-driven soul in the collective unconscious of all music. Dinos extrapolates the same spirit to

Thelonious Monk

piano
1917 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Thelonious Monk's "Pannonica,' "Lullaby of the Leaves," and "Willow Weep for Me." In all cases, these sound jazz standards are further transformed into an easy Bossa Nova, one that is living and breathing and creating.

The original Bossa Nova pieces: "Un pais con el nombre de un rio," "Double Rainbow," and "Agua de beber" are lushly presented, Dinos' perfectly balanced voice cushioned carefully by a sensitive and capable rhythm section.

Michael Hunter

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Hunter's deft flugelhorn echoes this lushness on a lightly swinging take on

Freddie Hubbard

trumpet
1938 - 2008

" data-original-title="" title="">Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower." Inspired, Dinos takes a lyric from Federico Garcia Lorca to compose "La Lola," performed in a duet with bassist

Gabe Davis

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Gabe Davis. It is a spectacular exposition lasting just under two minutes. But, what a two minutes. The disc's showstopper is Dinos' edgy delivery of

Joni Mitchell

vocals
b.1943

" data-original-title="" title="">Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock," given a cutting rock edge by Amarilio that sizzles and dances: it's time to get back to the garden, indeed. If this is a debut, the future holds great things for Mayita Dinos.

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Track Listing

Orinthology; Come Back As A Flower; Pannonica; Woodstock; Lullaby of the Leaves; Un pais con el nombre de un rio; Little Sunflower; Double Rainbow; La Lola; A Flower is a Lovesome Thing; Spanish Harlem; Willow Weep for Me; Agua de beber.

Personnel

Mayita Dinos

vocals

Gabe Davis

bass, acoustic

Hussain Jiffry

bass, electric

Dori Amarillo

guitar

Bill Cantos

piano

Rich Eames

piano

Steve Hass

drums

Michael Hunter

trumpet

Ricardo "Tiki" Pasillas

drums

Alex Budman

flute

Album information

Title: The Garden Is My Stage | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Dash Hoffman Records

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