MARIA PUGA LAREO

MY UNIVERSE

My Keter Records

Maria Puga Lareo, vocals; Josh Nelson, piano/keyboards; Mike Valerio, bass/electric bass; Christian Euman, drums; Leo Amuedo, electric & acoustic guitars; Alex Acuña, percussion; Carol Robbins, harp; Bob Sheppard, saxophones/woodwinds; Jon Papenbrook, Dan Fornero & Anthony Bonsera Jr., trumpet; Ryan Dragon, trombone; Mark Spathes-Smith, vocals; Joey De Leon, tambourine. ORCHESTRA: Nan Schwartz, conductor. VIOLINS: Rafael Rishik, concertmaster; Charlie Bisharat, Joel Derouin, Pamela Gates, Gina Kronstadt, Natalie Leggett, Marisa Kuney, Kathleen Robertson, Susan Rishik, Kathleen Sloan, Sarah Thornblade, Ina Veli.  VIOLAS: Andrew Duckles, Meredith Crawford, Zach Dellinger & Rodney Wirtz. CELLOS: Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick, Ross Gasworth, Paula Hochhalter, & Armen Ksajikian. Mike Valerio, bass; Bob Sheppard, flute/alto flute; Dylan Hart, French horn; Carol Robbins, harp; Alex Acuña, percussion.

This album is Maria Puga Lareo’s first stateside debut.  She is an accomplished jazz and Brazilian music vocalist, songwriter, producer who has released three albums. Co-produced by her husband and legendary woodwind player, Bob Sheppard, they make a formidable music statement. The addition of a stunning orchestra to this production brings beauty and class to her first American album release.

Maria Puga Lareo was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She began performing in her early twenties, singing in local clubs. In 2000, she co-wrote the theme song for their popular Fox Sports TV program “Limite 4X4” that was broadcasted in over 25 countries.  In 2005, she released a self-produced debut album in Buenos Aires called “Body & Soul.”

Maria relocated to Los Angeles in 2014.  She opens this production with “Make Someone Happy” that spotlights her tone and vocal control.  This lovely ballad includes an awesome string section that warms the Nan Schwartz arrangement. Track #2 was arranged by Bob Sheppard, and kicks into high gear on the bridge that swings fluently. On “The Song is You” the piano solo of Josh Nelson reminds me of a saxophone in the way that he flutters and phrases on the 88 keys. Nelson’s piano and Bob Sheppard’s saxophone share a playful conversation.  When Maria re-enters the arrangement, she scat sings on the fade of the song, joined by her talented husband on tenor saxophone.  They musically tease each other, interacting with voice and sax in attentive ways.

“This was truly a fun project for me, because I don’t get a chance to produce that often,” said Bob Sheppard in her press package.

“I’ve been working in the studio for over 30 years, played on a ton of records, so I’m very at home in this setting. I quickly had to learn to trust Maria’s intuition rather than control things in the way that I knew.  Maria had her own sensibilities and process. Once I was able to trust that her instincts were so damn good, we really started to flow.  So, while I might have done the arranging, the actual technical part of it, Maria’s choices were totally brilliant to me,” Bob asserted.

Lareo sings with ease in both Portuguese and English, sharing compositions by legendary Brazilian composers like Dori Caymmi and Antonio Carlos Jobim.  She also tackles jazz standards, including Ray Noble’s “Cherokee.”

She and Sheppard have contributed a couple of original songs.  One is “Till the End of the World,” that lyrically could very well be a tribute to their love.

“At the End of the Night” features a strong and melodic bass line by Mike Valerio.  This is a funk contemporary original that Bob and Maria wrote.  It features a wonderful guitar solo by Leo Amuedo and added vocals by Mark Spathes-Smith. He mellows out Lareo’s soprano tones. I prefer her singing Brazilian songs that she sings with so much passion and tenderness, rather than the contemporary funk tune.  But clearly, she can sing it all.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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