“Tranchina can swing with the vivacity of Anita O’Day and echo the fragility of Astrud Gilberto on ballads, but there is nothing derivative in her kaleidoscopic flourishes, embracing chants, rap, spoken passages and vocalese.”
Best jazz vocals for 2018: Gabriele Tranchina, Of Sailing Ships and the Stars in Your Eyes
Best Vocal Release of 2017: Gabriele Tranchina, Of Sailing Ships and the Stars in Your Eyes
“With her charismatic charms, Gabriele reaches out to a wide variety of audiences. One can’t help but be drawn into her world. Her music is for all lovers of song, new music, old favorites, music from places far away and exotic, and of gorgeous voices and great musicians. It transcends categories and opens up new territory for everyone’s ears. Ms. Tranchina takes us on a colorful journey. She entices us into moods and atmospheres that only music can capture. She woos us to join her on a journey to places we dream about and lands we long to know.”
Think Lambert, Hendricks and Ross meet Pink Martini, with a dash of Astrid Gilberto, a streak of Ute Lemper, a hint of Mina and a sense of Anita Baker, and you can begin – just about – to anticipate the startling effect of Tranchina’s voice as she juggles rhythms, styles and languages to create a constantly shifting mood.
…Gabriele is certainly above the pack, & totally “international” in her appeal to your ears! It really doesn’t matter what language she sings in, her energy, inflection and pure joy in the singing of it shines through for you to groove on. The title track, for instance, “A Song of Love’s Color”, opens with a wonderful blending of voices that punctuates the 4:58 piece wonderfully…”
It is clear from Tranchina’s performance that she is a vocalist of the highest order. Her style is not conventional. …When she interprets the narrative of a song and gets into character she has few peers. Anything new from her will be a welcome addition to the literature of vocal music.
Gabriele Tranchina A Song Of Love’s Color (Jazzheads) “is a wonderful release that is sure to charm listeners with not only Gabriele Tranchina’s lovely voice, but her wonderful expressiveness and the tight playing in support of her. This is a recording that easily lends itself to repeated listening.”
Tranchina’s lithe, clear; elegant singing evokes Sade, Flora Purim, Corinne Drewery (Swing Out Sister), and that “Girl From Ipanema,” Astrud Gilberto. …—She uses her voice a bit like an instrument but never at the expense of the song. This set will fly you ‘round the world in a (happy) daze.
Gabriele Tranchina, whose third release (and first since 2010), Of Sailing Ships and the Stars in Your Eyes, demonstrates the singer’s firm grasp across styles, genres, and, yes, languages. The singer’s voice is singular and well-balanced, capable of low purrs and assertive exuberance. Refined and fine is Of Sailing Ships and the Stars in Your Eyes.”
Gabriele surprises with her ability to hold steady notes that other singers might artificially push down to make smoky, or force up to sound light. All of Tranchina’s notes sound right and expertly turned. None of the notes sound as though the singer has strained to reach them. In short, she doesn’t make a grating sound.
Tranchina’s work flows easily from one culture to the next. Each piece of the instrumentation meshes with the other, and none of it overwhelms the singer. That is important; the album remains one of vocal jazz and listeners get a chance to hear who the singer is, as shown through the work.
Tranchina is a vocalist with a unique sound. There is the fragility of Stacey Kent and Astrud Gilberto but with the tonal quality of Nadia Basurto.
