KAREN SOUZA: "Velvet Vault"

Original released on CD Music Brokers MBB9337

(EU 2017, November 24)

Diana Krall or Karen Souza? Which one do you prefer? I think the choice is very, very difficult. Both are wonderful and georgeous ladies, both sing passionately, with fabulous voices. And their last CDs (look at the resemblance of the sleeves) are magnificent pieces of music. In 2013, Karen Souza spent two months touring throughout Mexico. While she was known for her jazz renditions of 1980s hits, her repertoire includes a number of her own songs, such as "Paris", "Break my Heart" and "Lie to Me". Her version of "Creep" by Radiohead was used extensively in the film "The Zero Theorem" (2013), directed by Terry Gilliam. Three years after the release of her successful "Essentials II", Karen Souza is back with her fourth studio album. "Velvet Vault" is the title of a collection that combine jazz standards with jazz reworks of pop classics plus two songs co-written by Karen herself. Japan's superstar Toku duets with Karen on the track "You Got That Something". Also part of the album are Robin Banerjee (Amy Winehouse guitarist) and legendary Tom 'Bones' Malone (Blues Brothers, Saturday Night Live Band). Vocals has been recorded in New York at The Orchard studios and produced by Richard Gottehrer (of Blondie, Richard Hell and Dr. Feelgood fame). The album's first single "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", was first available on November 10th. "Velvet Vault" is without a doubt, Karen Souza's most accomplished record to date and will definitely surpass the success of her previous efforts.

KAREN SOUZA - "Essentials II"

Original released on CD Music Brokers MBB9321

(ARGENTINA, 2014)

By now, it's pretty safe to say that Karen Souza is the great new voice of today's Jazz. After the success of her previous albums "Essentials" and "Hotel Souza", Karen presents now "Essentials II", a carefully selected collection of hit songs from all eras; in exquisite Jazz versions where her unique voice draws us into her intimate and sensual world. This time, the album's production has been helmed by legendary producer and entrepreneur Richard Gottehrer, famous for his work (and guiding the careers) with artists such as Blondie, The Go-Go's, Dr. Feelgood, Richard Hell and The Bongos to name just a few. Recorded at the The Orchard Studios in NYC, "Essentials II" will allow you to hear Karen's voice like never before. Once again she lends her versatile and sultry voice to classics such as Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" and Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams". Her amazing version of "Shape of My Heart" would move Sting himself.

WELCOME TO KAREN SOUZA HOTEL

Original released on CD MusicBrokers MBB 9997

(MEXICO, 2012)

There is a 19th Century short story by author Frank Stockton entitled, "The Lady, or the Tiger?" The hook of that work is the teaser leave-you-hanging ending: is there a Lady or the man-eating Tiger behind the door that is selected and "opened." With "Hotel Souza", her second CD, Buenos Aires-based vocalist Karen Souza leaves little to the imagination. This hotel has musical rooms of exquisite talent, beauty, elegance and intimacy. Displaying sensuality without a cloying phoniness, Souza delivers eleven beautifully-performed and impeccably-arranged songs, backed here by some of L.A.'s "usual suspects." The result is a marvelously entertaining tour d'hote. Souza's voice is one of elegant restraint and sensuousness. Hers is not an overpowering vocal presence, but rather, a very inviting one. She seduces deliciously with gentleness and whisper-to-the mic sultriness. That feeling is pervasive across an interesting selection of ballads, bossas (Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Dindi"), softer swing ("Delectable You," "Full Moon") and soft-rock grooves ("Night Demon"). 

She hits a soulful home run with a dark blue rendition of Marvin Gaye's classic, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," recorded here with members of Gaye's original band. The Joel McNeely arrangements are slick and frame Souza well without over-dominating her. That savvy set-up allows Souza's lyric and tonal skills to dominate. Her diction, phrasing, dynamic nuance and intonation are exceptional. In addition to her song-styling chops, the compositions Souza co- authored here — eight of them, demonstrate that she has a flair for the melodic and poetic. The ensemble and brief solo outings across the board are First Class and without studio sterility. The famous Michelin Travel Guide may rate the world's hotels and attractions and not musical fare. Perhaps if they did, "Hotel Souza" would score extremely well. Select any musical door here and a Lady of exuberant talent and taste awaits. (Nicholas F. Mondello, April 2013)

KAREN SOUZA - "Essentials I"

Original released on CD Music Brokers 

(MEXICO 2011, March 1)

Karen Souza is a jazz singer born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, though she has lived in a number of places over the course of her life, including stints in Brazil, New York and around Europe. While Karen Souza´s voice may sound like it was made for jazz, she is in fact a relative newcomer to this genre of music. Her career began under various psydeonymns as she provided vocal support to a number of electronic music producers and was part of several International House hits. She can be found singing under these pseudonymns on albums such as Pacha Ibiza, FTV (FashionTV), Paris Dernier, Hotel Costes and Privé. She had just begun to flirt with the idea of singing to jazz when she was contacted and invited to join the production of the first volume of the series, "Jazz and 80s". No one imagined the success that the series would have almost over night. The producer of the series knew a good thing when he saw it and he quickly shared his enthusiasm in the project with Karen and made her and her voice an important part of each album.

Now that Karen had gotten her toes wet in the studio, her label decided it was time to dive in and they sent her and the rest of the Quartet on tour to Brazil in late 2009. The visit was a great success and Karen came into her own onstage, gaining confidence and ever tuning and refining her singing. On the heels of the Brazilian adventure, the label again stepped in and told Karen it was time to focus on her own material. To this effect they sent her to Los Angeles for a few months to work with and learn from some of the best songwriters in the business. It was there that she studied under the guidance of Pam Oland, a multiple Grammy nominated songwriter who has worked with stars like Whitney Houston, Earth, Wind and Fire and Aretha Franklin, to name a few. This period gave new direction to Karen's own composing and songwriting and has helped her develop her signature sound while continuing to please fans with her characteristic lush vocals. After her stint in LA, Karen began to dedicate herself exclusively to rehearsing both new and older material with the rest of the quartet and they have achieved a symbiosis that is a pleasure to watch. The Cooltrane Quartet with Karen in the lead is an act not to be missed, full of excellent jazz versions and brand new soloist material from a truly dynamic young artist.

"Essentials" is a first collection (there's a number II also) of interesting and often surprising jazzy cover versions of carefully chosen great songs, that in original version are not jazzy at all. In my opinion some of them are true masterpieces, Radiohead's "Creep" and The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" should be mentioned here. Versions of Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" and Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" are great as well, but my favourite is Ian Dury's "Wake Up And Make Love With Me", because the fascinating chorus with french singer Renaud. In my opinion, no cover versions should be made from already perfect songs, but Karen always manages to add something. This way you never have the feeling that she tried herself at songs too big for her. And in every single song on this album her extraordinarily warm and soft voice fills the room with a most comfortable atmosphere. This album makes a perfect present too. Whether you give it to someone interested in Jazz, to someone who likes the original versions (easy), to someone who likes listening to relaxing music or just because of the special atmosphere the album builds up, I'm pretty sure people will like it. And it still seems to be sort of an inside-tip!