Saturday, January 13, 2024

Prester & Samargia: Digital Release to Go CD

Cover of the album being discussed

According to Amazon.com, the jazz album Quenara, performed by the duo of pianist Robert Prester and vocalist Adriana Samargia was released for digital download this past October 28. However, I recently received a press release to the effect that the CD version would be available this coming Friday, January 19. Given that, these days, it is hard to find CDs for sale anywhere other than at garage sales, I found this to be a surprising (if not amusing) effort to turn back the clock.

Alternatively, this may be an attempt to appeal to a wider audience. I did not see any reviews of the album after its digital release, but I have to confess that my own listening experience was disappointing. While I enjoyed listening to Prester’s piano work, which included four original compositions, Samargia’s vocal deliveries tended to overdo style to the disadvantage of substance; and her approach to style suggested that she had been inspired by Darlene Edwards. (There was certainly a tongue-in-cheek tone to some of the texts on the album for the physical CD.)

Nevertheless, I know there are many that disagree with my tastes, particularly where jazz vocalists are involved; and I have no trouble with accusations of holding a minority opinion!

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