Recital: Gabriela Martina '21 MM, Jazz Voice

First of all, I wanted to thank you all so much for being here in person at my graduation recital at NEC or watching it via livestream online.  Live performances have probably never meant as much to people than during this difficult time of living through a pandemic.

I also wanted to shout out a huge THANKS to all my dear mentors that have guided me through this path at NEC.  I have learned so much from all of you and can't thank you all enough for the incredible amount of work (and tons of extra work!!!) you all did during such a demanding time.  I'm extremely grateful for everything I can explore deeper - now and in the future,  Just to mention a few:

Frank Carlberg, Cecil McBee, Dominique Eade, Ken Schaphorst, Miguel Zenón, Jason Moran, John Heiss, and Nima Janmohammadi.

The works you will hear and experience tonight will include mostly new compositions from my upcoming recording of my new album called "States" that I have been working on during the time of the pandemic.

The word "states" has more than one meaning.  "State" comes from the Latin "status" meaning "condition of a country."  The word 'states" mostly gets associated with the United States of America.  In what 'state of mind' are the 'States' currently finding themselves in?  I will explore word play, political tension, and different states of mind in order to express my findings through sound.

Will sound alone be able to transform my intentions to an audience?  I would like to go back to the roots of music, which is simply voice and drums, and use these two textures as the core elements for my compositions.  I will take advantage of the fact that a vocalist can make music with words, but I will pay just as much attention to work on the playful side of writing compositions with words that have no meaning (gibberish).

Where and what will our States be in 2022?  2024? in 2030?

The Circus

Alpha Bird

The intro to "Alpha Bird" was inspired by Schubert's "Erlkönig", a setting of a poem by Goethe.  The lyrics are about the current 'state of the United States', and it speaks to the times we currently find ourselves in.  Alpha Bird refers to the eagle, chosen as the emblem of the United States in 1782 because of its long life, great strength, and majestic looks.  The eagle represents freedom...

Text

Like the bird's don't face this petty lawn
Heal from far away, still meet clouds
And jars breaking you'll never find
And you can fire a star
Look! A black hole base, star fruit phase
Like you know the flies can please
I withheld, (I) live in my head
Paid the price and chased hell out!
Woaw, in tears, alpha bird

Heal over the scars
And over-fight and you can know you
All you're gonna be
When you'll heal over the scars
When home will never fight your grace
until believing
Killing light - they get you!
Killing light - they get you!

Fall
Hide a crow shade
Low-end
High-end the gold train
Waiting

Living birds don't cry
Brush your feather, thee
Another hoodlum lie
Kinder away from me!
Stir and fry and tingle
Certain of, so may he lie

(So) Tall John called to the canny little money lie
Yuko knows, for the right!
And me?
You can double up free
I come sure euphoric

And you feel - over the clouds
When over trees, over again
The love will fall - your tree

Over the clouds

Rocksteady

Unfold

---intermission

Full Circle

Soso Zäuerli

Schiibeschtand

Come on Home