Flautist Andrea Brachfeld has always professed an affinity for jazz and, though her background clearly demonstrates varied musical tastes, she has always been a hard bop musician at the core. Lady of the Island is the realization of a dream where the music selected reflects the jazz styles that tugs at her heart the most. Begun many years ago, this album is a triumph over personal and professional challenges, a session of tasteful, swinging and unquestionably entertaining melodies.
…Duke Ellington’s masterful “I Got It Bad” is the set’s first ballad, a duet performed exquisitely by Brachfeld on alto flute with O’Connell, together turning in one of the album’s clear highlights…
…As with the album’s opening salvo, Brachfeld closes this audacious album in the same swinging fashion with the sizzling, Latin-influenced rhythms of “Four Corners.” The award-winning Andrea Brachfeld draws on her experience with many genres, her affinity for the Latin flair including performances in Cuba, and her love of jazz, encapsulating an assortment of rich melodies and swinging grooves on Lady of the Island. The selection of music and the personnel listing alone is enticement enough to sample the treasures found on this island.
-Edward Blanco, December 2012, allaboutjazz.com