Lady of the Island

Personnel

• Andrea Brachfeld: C flute (1, 2, 4-7, 9), alto flute (3, 8), vocals (8)
• Bob Quaranta: piano (4, 9), Fender Rhodes (8)
• Andy Eulau: bass (1, 2, 4-9)
• Kim Plainfield: drums (1, 2, 4-9)
• Todd Bashore: alto saxophone (2, 6)
• Chembo Corniel: congas (2, 6, 8, 9), percussion (8)
• Wycliffe Gordon: trombone (1, 2, 6)
• Yasek Manzano: trumpet (2, 6, 9), flugelhorn (8)
• Bill O’Connell: piano (1-3, 5-8)
• Wallace Roney: trumpet (2, 5)

Lady Of The Island in the press

Andrea Brachfeld isn’t as well known, in part because she didn’t always focus on jazz, though she merits wider recognition. For Lady Of The Island, she utilizes different combinations of musicians from one track to the next, with material that includes jazz standards, pop and originals. Brachfeld starts with an impressive original, “Bebop Hanna”, featuring her choice bop licks and Wycliffe Gordon’s sassy trombone, along with Bill O’Connell’s engaging piano. The joyful “Little Girl’s Song” is a portrait of Brachfeld’s daughter, featuring bassist Andy Eulau. She also penned the haunting ballad “In the Center”, in which she and O’Connell achieve an intimate musical conversation. Her “Four Corners” is a breezy Latin jazz vehicle with a sizzling trumpet solo by Yasek Manzano, followed by Bob Quaranta’s driving piano. Freddie Hubbard’s “Birdlike” is a neglected gem from early in his career and O’Connell does a masterful job blending Latin jazz and hardbop in an arrangement that features Gordon’s powerful trombone solo. Ellington’s “I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good)” proves to be a magical duet between Brachfeld (on alto flute) and O’Connell, as they stretch it out and add many embellishments, rather than following the usual path. If there is a weak link to this release, it is Graham Nash’s bland title ballad, which resists the best efforts to make it a Latin jazz vehicle.

-Ken Dryden,March 2014,http://www.nycjazzrecord.com

Andrea Brachfeld’s new CD, Lady of the Island is an excellent addition to the jazz flute discography. Andrea with a terrific band and headliner guests mixes her own original tunes with tunes by Herbie Hancock, Duke Ellington, Freddie Hubbard and (title song) Graham Nash. All the playing is first rate, virtuosic in rhythm, pitch, heart and speed, which makes for an exciting listen. For those who are new to jazz, the tunes are accessible and interesting and for the aficionado, hearing these masters trade lines and explore rhythm is absorbing and satisfying. Andrea’s playing is clear, articulate, musical and fleet, and her original tunes very melodic and memorable. She plays C Flute, Alto Flute, and sings too!

The album comes with good notes written by Andrea, and fun photos of Andrea and the musicians in the recording studio. Go and get this album by one of flute’s best jazz players!

Andrea Brachfeld, Lady of the Island Recorded by Zoho Music Distribution by Allegro Corporation

-Barbara Siesel, March 2014, www.thefluteview.com

Mostly associated with New Yorks Latin Jazz and salsa scenes (it has been alleged that she was the first female flutist to be featured by a U.S- based Charanga, back in the mid-1970s), Andrea Brachfeld returns to her bebop roots on the CD Lady of the Island, in which she tastefully combines jazz standards and originals,while exhibiting her impeccable technique and admirable melodic skills, with the support of a distinguished cast of sidemen and special guests that include such gifted players as pianist Bill O Connell, percussionist Chembo Corniel, trumpeter Wallace Roney, and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, the latter of whom offered the following comment: Though she (Andrea) has varied tastes in musical approaches and stylistic interpretations, she is a hard bopper at heart, and this is obvious on this date. To which I must reply: Amen, brother Gordon!

Luis Tamargo, Latin Beat Magazine, Dec.2012-Jan.2103

Not all the jazz I listen to, cover, write about is avant. Anyone who regularly reads my blogs knows that. Why? For one thing, a constant diet of avant, or any other style, is not good for the soul. Second, it is important to cover what one thinks are valid musical statements being made today, no matter the style. Third, music is music. Good music is worthwhile no matter where it comes from or what it uses as building blocks.

So today we have a straight-ahead, mainstream effort by flautist Andrea Brachfeld, Lady of the Island (Zoho 201210). Andrea can PLAY. And shes put together some new and old standards, some compositions of her own, gathered a gaggle of excellent players, gotten some hip arrangements together, and let it all happen. Its a quartet with added folks for the larger arrangements. Those folks include Wycliffe Gordon, who sounds great, Wallace Roney (hey!), and others. Everything swings, some with a bit of the Latin tinge.

All reflects very well on Andrea Brachfeld and her artistry. Dig her version of Herbie Hancocks Eye of the Hurricane and youll get it!

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 Grego Applegate Edwards, Gapplegate Music Review, January 16, 2013

Sometimes our familiarity with a musician revolves around one genre, but that association often limits our conception of the musician’s fuller artistry. On one hand, a listener can’t really be blamed for connecting a musician with a style; they’re simply making their judgement based off the past performances from albums and live shows. In reality though, the albums or performances that any one listeners experiences are only small snapshots of a musician’s greater personality. While a musician may choose to record primarily in one style of music, they usually have spent time in other genres throughout their careers. In addition, they spend time practicing, listening, and doing other gigs between each recording or performance, resulting in broad musical pieces coming together into their visible personality. This is especially true when dealing with Latin Jazz, a style that is built upon the combination of two genres; in most cases, Latin Jazz musicians already have experience in both jazz and Latin styles. When we do get to see a musician step outside a style where they’ve developed themselves, it’s always an interesting perspective that can be both enlightening and exciting. Flautist Andrea Brachfeld lets us take a look at another side of her musicianship on Lady of the Island, as she steps outside the comfort zone of Latin Jazz into the realm of hard bop.

A Connection To Hard Bop Through Original Compositions
Brachfeld and her group make a defined entry into the hard bop arena with several originals that display their connection to the style. Pianist Bill O’Connell riffs over an understated groove on the introduction to “Bebop Hanna,” leading a bluesy melody shared between Brachfeld and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon. Bouncing between a melodic fluidity and fits of angular rhythmic emphasis, Brachfeld crafts a witty solo that organically explores the inner and outer edges of the chord changes. Gordon playfully travels through the full range of his instrument with a collection of memorable melodic phrases, leading into a smartly constructed solo from O’Connell full of running melodic lines and long syncopated figures. An open minor mood immediately emanates from “Little Girl’s Song,” giving way to an introspective melody from Brachfeld. Bassist Andy Eulau tears through the waltz feel with a sense of melodic ingenuity until O’Connell steps into the spotlight with an improvisation that captures the spirit of the song with a firm command over the harmonic basis and a strong sense of thematic development. With the band charging into high gear, Brachfeld flies into a finely crafted solo that builds off of the open harmonic basis and the passionate response of the band, and after a return to the melody, she vamps over a bouncing improvisation from drummer Kim Plainfield. A ferocious riffs send Brachfeld and trumpet player Wallace Roney roaring into a driving melody over an uptempo swing feel on O’Connell’s “Dead Ahead.” Roney aggressively attacks the chord changes, breathing fire into a solo full of dexterity, musical knowledge, and a high level of technical skill. Brachfeld play off Roney’s final riff, stepping into her own stream of hard bop infused virtuosity, until O’Connell tears into an assertive solo keeping his insightful handle on melodic creation at the breakneck speed. There’s plenty of investment in jazz in both the performances and composition on these tracks, reveling a group of musicians with the experience and knowledge to walk confidently in this world.

Building Upon Tradition With Unique Arrangements
The group explores several standards that connect to swing and hard bop, putting personal spins on the music with unique arrangements. Brachfeld riffs over an Afro-Cuban 6/8 groove on Herbie Hancock’s “Eye Of The Hurricane” before she falls into the main melody with Gordon and alto saxophonist Todd Bashore. Drawing upon her experience in Latin music, Brachfeld tears into her solo’s rhythmic element before the band files into an uptempo swing while the flautist cuts loose with an inspired improvisational vigor. Gordon displays a great ability to explore all facets of a melody on his improvisation before Roney digs into a virtuosic solo with an unstoppable hard bop fire. O’Connell provides a beautifully crafted solo introduction on Duke Ellington’s “I Got It Bad,” laying the foundation for Brachfeld’s sensitive melodic interpretation. The lush and breathy sound of Brachfeld’s alto compliments the intimate duet setting beautifully, bringing a deep, rich sonority into play that reveals a different and attention grabbing side to her musicianship. O’Connell keeps an open ear throughout the track, balancing roles as an accompanist, soloist, and interactive commentator with a graceful finesse and unerring strength that allows Brachfeld to flourish. A powerful Cuban vamp opens Freddie Hubbard’s “Birdlike” with a bang before the rhythm section pushes four horn line-up of Brachfeld, Gordon, Bashore, and trumpet player Yasek Manzano into a driving swing feel for the melody. A stop break introduces Brachfeld’s solo, a strong statement that she fills with persistent bop lines, abrupt rhythmic ideas, and melodic invention. Gordon once again shows a distinct ability to bring an idea to fruition through repetition, development, and rhythmic intensity, while Bashore slides through the changes with a cutting tone and an ability to capture unique colors around the chords. These tracks show a connection to the tradition while making a distinct statement about their own backgrounds and individuality.

Keeping A Connection To Latin Music
Latin music certainly plays a strong role in Brachfeld’s musical personality, and she indulges that piece of herself on two tracks. The rhythm section establishes a graceful bossa nova foundation on Graham Nash’s “Lady Of The Island,” which serve as a gentle launching point for intwining melodic lines from Brachfeld’s alto flute and Manzano’s flugelhorn. Both wind players make reflective statements that play off the smooth background of the rhythm section and the colorful nature of the arrangement. The dynamic gradually grows in texture and momentum as Plainfield adds a bit of funk to the feel the song opens into a conversational exchange between Brachfeld and Manzano. Plainfield and conguero Chembo Corniel charge into a blazing rumba feel on “Four Corners” opening the way for a powerful rhythmic melody from Brachfeld and Manzano. As the rhythm section powers forward, Manzano adds into a bit of hard bop fire into his improvisation, until O’Connell brings the band’s dynamic down only to drive them back into a frenzy with an aggressive solo. Brachfeld engages Corniel and Plainfeld in an unaccompanied rhythmic exchange that soars into a commanding solo that displays her connection to the style. These tracks leave no doubt that Brachfeld can walk through both Latin and jazz worlds with confidence and skill.

A Strong Statement Built Upon Solid Musicianship
Lady of the Island is certainly a different album than we’ve heard from Brachfeld in the past, but her solid musicianship makes this hard bop recording a strong statement. The flautist swings with the same ferocity that she approaches clave, and her performance as both a player and composer reveal an easy comfort in both worlds. Brachfeld never leaves her connection to Latin music behind, it appears in arrangements and on a couple of tunes. The passion and dedication that she applies to hard bop shines consistently though, showing her committed connection to the music. Throughout the album, she really grabs the hard bop esthetic in her improvisations, outlining chords with a fluid skill, and manipulating the material into an aggressive string of notes. Brachfeld has smartly surrounded herself with musicians fluent and experienced in hard bop, adding an authentic edge to the recording. Gordon and Roney fill the tracks with hard bop fire that obviously inspire the other musicians and raise the bar quite high. O’Connell is a perfect partner to Brachfeld throughout the recording, acting as another musician with vast experience performing in both jazz and Latin music. Brachfeld makes a defined statement about the breadth and reach of her musicianship on Lady of the Island, showing us another side of her artistry that resonates with strength, beauty, skill, and personality.

Chip Boaz, January 4, 2013, LatinJazzCorner.Com

There is something magical about the sound of the flute no matter how well it is played; and when it is played as masterfully as Andrea Brachfeld plays it on her album Lady of the Island it is not only magical but mystical as well.
This other-worldly beauty that Ms. Brachfeld brings to the flute comes from a refusal to accept that there are boundaries that cannot be crossed. So bold is her playing that it is possible to hear the notes sizzle and pop into a fourth dimension. For not only do the notes come alive in the world as we know it, but there is a spectral nature to them as well, which might account for the manner in which they echo seemingly from a dimension that exists only in the hidden recesses of the soul. Ms. Brachfeld also has a special way of stringing up the notes into lines that glitter and sparkle like ethereal strings of sound. She often stretches them to the limit of song and dance, carving great arcs of sound through the air; leaping like a mythical gazelle from one elevated plane to another bounding breathlessly from verse to verse.

Ms. Brachfeld also has a fearless approach towards repertoire and throws caution to the wind on the standards that she plays on this album, while bringing to the set several originals that imitate the rhythmic idiosyncrasies of the idiom of jazz with great depth of thought and unbridled ingenuity. On her own compositions Ms. Brachfeld is capable of writing with the swing of delight. “Bebop Hanna” is a delightful song where the flutist leaps for joy and is agape at the immensity of the world as she gazes upon it with a child’s eye. She does something similar on “Little Girl’s Song” a song about her daughter. Ms. Brachfeld shows she has a delightful ability to immerse herself in the subject of her muse. This is why she comes up with beautiful meaning in her narratives and character sketches making them entirely real and fleshing them out with humour and real quirks. These songs differ dramatically from Ms. Brachfeld’s other compositions. On the first, “In the Center,” a composition that she shares with pianist Bill O’Connell, Ms. Brachfeld as well as on “Four Corners” a chart she has written on her own, there is a dramatic focus on shape and space. The architecture of both songs pays homage to sound and silence, shape and emptiness in a beautiful manner. Both are exquisite songs and indicate that the composer has a boldness to go beyond the pale.

On the standards Ms. Brachfeld is magnificent in her approach to musical creativity as well as in her virtuoso approach to her chosen instrument. For instance, picking the alto flute to express the emotions felt by Duke Ellington in his aching elementally sad ballad is sheer genius. Turning Herbie Hancock`s tumultuous “Eye of the Hurricane” into a steamy Latin shuffling beat to open and close the song is also a master-stroke of musical ingenuity and belies an rare inspiration and begs the suggestion that Ms. Brachfeld is made entirely of music. Graham Nash’s beautiful melody is dreamily treated and indeed has that ethereal quality that Ms. Brachfeld imagined that Jon Lucien would bring to it were he part of this magical recording. Freddie Hubbard`s rarely-played chart, “Birdlike” pays tribute to the patron saint of bebop, Charlie Parker in inimitable fashion. Bill O’Connell also contributed a wonderful hard-bopping chart, “Dead Ahead” to the session.

And then there is that small matter of the musicians on this record. O’Connell always becomes a resident genius wherever he appears; here bring the mastery of his instrumentation and expression to this date, also stamping his ebullient personality all over the music. Trombonist Wycliffe Gordon shows why he is one of the finest players of that difficult instrument, playing with great humour as well as with the zeal of a soulful instrumentalist, something that very few musicians do today. Wallace Rooney’s solo on “Eye of the Hurricane” is truly memorable for his mighty blowing. Chembo Corniel enlivens all of the Latin interventions and Yasek Manzano is a revelation. OF course the session belongs to Andrea Brachfeld, who is as sensational and breathtaking as a master flutist can be, making a record as memorable as one can ever be.

Raul da Gama, December 14, 2012, LatinJazzNet.Com

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.

The flautist performs with a core quartet augmented by special guests including piano great Bill OConnell and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon (one of Brachfelds musical influences) who appear on the opening Bebop Hanna, setting the stage for a tantalizing set. Flawlessly performing OConnells arrangement of pianist Herbie Hancocks Eye of the Hurricane (one of the flautists favorites), trumpeter Wallace Roney, Gordon, bassist Andy Eulaudrummer Kim Plainfield and OConnell all making an impression.

Duke Ellingtons masterful I Got It Bad is the sets first ballad, a duet performed exquisitely by Brachfeld on alto flute with OConnell, together turning in one of the albums clear highlights. The core quartet delivers another highlight on the original Little Girls Song, featuring pianist Bob Quaranta in a pronounced role as the leader withdraws a bit, allowing the band to make its mark. Borrowing from OConnells songbook, the group lays down a swinging, hard bop rendition of Dead Ahead, with Roneys blazing trumpet accompanying the leader on her own dazzling C- flute solo.

On one of the hardest driving pieces of the recording, alto saxophonist Todd Bashore flies high on a version of trumpeter Freddie Hubbards Birdlike, propelled by Wycliffes strong playing and the leaders own floating lines. OConnell and Brachfeld join forces for the defining statement of the project on their beautiful, co-written ballad, In The Center. The Latin-tinged title track offers just as complimentary a performance, adding conguero/percussionist Chembo Corniel and Brachfields background vocals to the mix, along with young Cuban flugelhornist Yasek Manzano, for another set highlight.

As with the albums 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 8, 2012, AllAboutJazz.Com

Flautist ANDREA BRACHFELD has been best known for her Latin jazz playing. Lady of the Island (Zoho – 201210) is her first recording as leader for a straight ahead jazz session, and from the evidence here, it will likely not be her last. She plays a C flute on most of the tracks, but turns to the deeper pitched alto flute for “I Got it Bad,” a terrific duo with pianist Bill O’Connell, and “Lady of the Island.” There is a shifting cast of players on the nine tracks that includes Bob Quaranta or Bill O’Connell on piano, Andy Eulau on bass, Kim Plainfield on drums, Todd Bashore on alto sax, Chembo Corniel on congas and percussion, Wycliffe Gordon on trombone, Wallace Roney on trumpet, and Yasek Manzano on trumpet and flugelhorn. I will admit that I am not a big flute fan, but Brachfeld has a lovely tone, and a creative feel for improvisation that won me over for this recording. The shifting moods of this album make it fun to hear, and always fresh. (www.zohomusic.com)

Joseph Lang, January 2013, Jersey Jazz Issue, NewJerseyJazzSociety.Com

Jazz flute aficionados should not overlook this CD, for Andrea Brachfeld is currently one of the best players of jazz on the instrument. Brachfeld has been best known as a Latin jazz musician since the 70s, when she became the first female flutist to play in a Charanga band in the United States (Charanga 76). Since then she has performed with many of the top Latin jazz groups and artists, including Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, and Machito, and among her awards is the 2006 Chico OFarrill Lifetime Achievement Award. After a long 17-year hiatus to raise a family and also complete graduate school to earn her Masters, Brachfeld in 1999 embarked on a series of Latin jazz CDs that has led to Lady of the Island, her first straight-ahead jazz release. The core group heard here includes Brachfeld on C and alto flute, pianist Bob Quaranta, bassist Andy Eulau, and drummer Kim Plainfeld, supplemented by trumpeters Wallace Roney and Yasek Manzano, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, altoist Todd Bashore, pianist Bill OConnell, and on congas and percussion, Chembo Corniel. Their performances of a diverse roster of tunes have a vitality and substance that will encourage the uninitiated to seek out other recordings from Brachfelds discography.

The unusual harmony of Brachfelds flute and Gordons trombone on the tantalizing theme of the leaders Be Bop Hanna is a joy to the ears, as is the pairs solos. Brachfelds is both a technical marvel and a brilliantly sustained thematic invention. Gordon follows with his unique vocalized sounds splattered throughout a flowing, lucid streamprofound and laced with humor. OConnells solo maintains the level of excellence, and the attentive, exuberant drumming of Plainfield adds to the allure of this opening track. Herbie Hancocks Eye of the Hurricane is expertly arranged by OConnell. Brachfelds ecstatic prelude and the compelling interwoven negotiation of the theme by the flutist, Gordon, and Roney set up wondrous solo statements by a soaring, confident Brachfeld, a knowing, always searching (and finding) Gordon, and a lustrous long-lined Roney, with jolting written vamps serving to spur on each soloist. OConnells concise, dancing spot just prior to the emphatic reprise is not to be ignored. Ellingtons I Got It Bad is given a poignant duet interpretation by Brachfeld, on alto flute, and OConnell. The pianists captivating intro resolves into the flutists lovely rendering of the melody. OConnells fills are strongly affirmative here and even more so during the sweeping, whirling flute solo that ensues. His own vigorous improv makes the most of its limited duration.

Little Girls Song, written by Brachfeld years ago for her now grown-up daughter, is a lyrical gem that has the welcoming character of a tried and true standard. Eulau and Quarantas solos only confirm the viability of that first impression, both being so deeply communicative. The composers enraptured, unbridled exploration is bolstered by the committed, driving support of Eulau, Quaranta, and a slashing, relentless Plainfield. OConnells up-tempo Dead Ahead takes no prisoners, a bristling tune that inspires fleet solos from a spiraling Roney, a multi-textured Brachfeld, and a persistent OConnell. Eulau provides a firm foundation and Plainfields drum work is constantly insistent. OConnells flavorful arrangement of Freddie Hubbards Birdlike utilizes Corniels congas for the Latin intro. The boppish line is then enhanced by the colorations of Manzano, Gordon, and Bashore. Brachfelds solo is an irresistible combination of serene and outgoing. Gordon responds with a stunning break that launches his striving, personalized improv. Bashores piercing alto solo salutes Bird Parker with hard bop authority. OConnells preconceived vamps and connecting passages help make this one of the CDs prime tracks.

In the Center is a Brachfeld tune with OConnells reworked bridge. Its an enchantingly reflective and wistful melody that generates a rhapsodic OConnell solo, succeeded in turn by the soothing ebb and flow and rich, full sound of Brachfeld. Eulau also has a meaningful say before the flutes glowing reprise. Graham Nashs familiar Lady of the Island is dedicated to singer Jon Lucien, with whom OConnell and Plainfield played and Brachfeld was acquainted. A love song with a swaying Latin rhythm, it receives a heartfelt treatment by Brachfelds alto flute and Manzanos flugelhorn, each soloing movingly, buoyed by Corniels congas. Brachfelds wordless vocalizing provides additional texture as flute and flugelhorn exchange animated musings in the sensuous out chorus. Four Corners is Brachfelds tribute to the ancient Chinese custom of Feng Shui. Corniels pulsating congas and percussion precede the lively Latin theme played by Brachfeld and Manzanos trumpet. Manzano, who Brachfeld calls a young lion, offers up a serpentine, full-bodied solo, which is matched by Quarantas equally pasionate, two-handed flight. The flutists riveting feature is alternately towering and pensive, backed, as are the other improvisers, by the provocative output of Corniel, Eulau, Plainfield, and in this case Quaranta. This selection and the previous title track give further proof that Brachfelds high stature in the world of Latin jazz is totally deserved. The other seven tracks show how equally comfortable and productive she can be in a pure jazz context.

Scott Albin November 20, 2012, JazzTimes.com

Within the jazz spectrum, there have been a number of individuals whose proficiency on their respective instrument of choice has caused them to be cited as the genre’s standard bearer in that respect. To wit, John Coltrane and Charlie Parker have pretty much defined the idiom as saxophonists. Likewise, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie irrefutably cemented their legacies as jazz’s defining artists with respect to the trumpet. In turn, few have attained such a high level of proficiency on the guitar as did Wes Montgomery and Django Reinhardt.

However, the role of the flute in the jazz realm has to date not been as distinctly defined. The Moe Koffman Quartette certainly demonstrated its potential with his 1958 monster classic, The Swingin’ Shepherd Blues (Jubilee 5311). In 1962, Herbert Jay “Herbie Mann” Solomon set the standard of excellence with his landmark Herbie Mann At The Village Gate album (Atlantic SD-1380). But in the ensuing years, the impact of the flute on jazz was largely defined by occasional reminders from such capable soloists as Hubert Laws, Jerome Richardson, Nestor Torres and the late Ronald Theodore “Rahsaan Roland” Kirk.

However, those limited expectations are bound to change with Lady Of The Island, the latest release by New York-based flautist, composer and producer Andrea Brachfeld. A professional musician since the age of sixteen and an alumnus of the band Charanga ’76, Brachfeld has established an admirable legacy not only in jazz, but in many other genres, as well, including country, funk and Gospel.

Happily, Brachfeld also excels as a bandleader, as Lady Of The Island underscores in abundance. She is joined herein by such capable luminaries as co-producer and keyboardsman Bill O’Connell, bassist Andy Eulau, drummer Kim Plainfield, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, and trumpeters Yasek Manzano (who doubles on flugelhorn on the pensive Crosby, Stills and Nash cover that serves as the title track) and Wallace Roney (whose hard hitting If Only For One Night CD for the HighNote label was cited by Blitz Magazine as one of the best new releases of 2010).

Indeed, it is a combination of both the interpretive skills of the assembled players and Brachfeld’s acumen as both leader and visionary that in part enables all concerned to change moods with seeming effortlessness from track to track. Witness the genial camaraderie of the original opener, Bebop Hanna (complete with brief nods to the aforementioned Moe Koffman), whose title alone suggests the basic tenets of the project’s overall mission statement …

Michael McDowell, October 31, 2012, BlitzMag.Blogspot.Com

The jazz flute is hard to come by today. Too few flutists bother to learn the jazz craft, leaving the market a bit dry. Which is why Lady of the Island (Zoho) by flutist Andrea Brachfeld is a delightful surprise. You listen to her play, and you cant believe what youre hearing. Brachfeld is an incredibly skilled jazz player, her tone resonates and her lines pour out and hang in mid-air, evaporating ever slowly. Brachfeld is joined by Bob Quaranta on piano, Andy Eulau on bass and Kim Plainfield on drums.

Sample the title track and see how long it takes before you download this gem.

Marc Myers, October 21, 2012, JazzWax.Com

While Andrea Brachfeld is perhaps best known for her work in Latin Jazz, Lady Of The Island is her first full-length straight-ahead jazz CD. Featured on C flute and alto flute, she stakes her claim as one of the top jazz flutists around today. With a rhythm section usually comprised pianist Bill O Connell (who provided some of the arrangements), bassist Andy Eulau and drummer Kim Plainfield, the flutist is assisted by such guests as trumpeter Wallace Roney, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, altoist Todd Bashore and percussionist Chembo Corniel on various tracks. From Bebop Hanna (one of the leaders four originals) and Herbie Hancocks Eye of the Hurricane, to Freddie Hubbards Birdlike and O Connells Dead Ahead, this is a well-rounded set of modern swinging jazz.

Every selection has its fun moments. Lady of the Island, available from www.zohomusic.com, is Andrea Brachfelds definitive recording thus far.

Scott Yanow, October 2012, Waxing Poetic Reviews

If you check an online list of the 100 greatest jazz flautists, which seems to have been last updated in February of 2005, of course youll find names like Eric Dolphy, Herbie Mann and Rahsaan Roland Kirk leading the pack. Andrea Brachfeld comes in at number 70. Listen to her latest album, Lady of the Island, due out the ninth of October, and I think youll agree that the list could use a revision. Brachfeld plays passionate hard-driving be bop with the best of them, and in softer moments her tone is magic…

Jack Goodstein, October 5, 2012, BlogCritics.org

…I kinda like the fresh approach of Andrea Brachfeld. Her basic quartet of flute, piano, bass and drums is augmented here by a number of guests, notably Wycliffe Gordon on trombone and Wallace Roney on trumpet…Her brisk opener, “Bebop Hanna,” is a flag-waver, and “Dead Ahead” is taken at a tempo not for the faint of heart. The same might be said of her closing tune, the energetic, Latin-esque “Four Corners.” Brachfeld is anything but the stereotypical “lady flute player.” So don’t expect seamless New Age sounds. Brachfeld has surrounded herself with some steaming colleagues, and she definitely fits right in!

George Fendel, October 2012, JSOJazzScene.Org

With jazz flute, you’re always flirting with the danger of sounding like Muzak. There are several strategies for avoiding that fate, one of which is to swing really, really hard; another is to adopt a kind of super-woody tone that communicates musical seriousness; another is to shade off into avant-gardism. Andrea Brachfeld leans on none of those crutches, although she does demonstrate admirable swing and tonal flexibility, and her compositions display an impressive balance of accessibility and complexity. Her tone is a bit “classical” for my own tastes (her tone probably comes of being an actual trained flutist rather than a dabbling saxophonist, as so many jazz flute players are), but she’s a very skillful and idiomatic player and her band is exceptional.

Rick Anderson, October 2, 2012, CDHotlist.Com

Pity the poor flute. It suffered horrifically during the long siege of New Agery, which, oh please God let it be so!, now appears to finally have ground pretty much to a halt

it appears intelligence is finding its way back to the surface. Thats certainly the case with Andrea Brachfelds Lady of the Island. Yeah, I know the title kinda hints of unicorns and hobbits, but, trust me, this is a solid release (and the song, you may recall, is a Graham Nash composition).

Besides Brachfelds own forays between measured lyricism and bop, Bill OConnells piano and Wycliffe Gordons trombone (only three cuts for Gordon, but, man, wotta presence!) add immeasurably to the ambiances, with Kim Plainfields drumming ever a source of subtle and engaging backgrounding. .

Mark S. Tucker, September 26, 2012, AcousticMusic.Com

Andrea Brachfelds association with Charanga 76,Wayne Wallace, Tipica Ideal, Tito Puente and many others helped to establish her as the first flute lady of Latin jazz, but that designation, while flattering, is limiting. Lady Of The Island posits that shes actually been a closeted straight ahead player all along. For her fifth leader date, and first on the Zoho label, Brachfeld unleashes brazen chops and beauty with heart and flute aflutter

Dan Bilawsky, September 23, 2012, AllAboutJazz.Com

Just do it! — A bit of a bumper sticker and of course the famous calling card of the Nike brand but that same philosophy and approach to music can be the difference between a performer and a true artist.

Flute players are a dime a dozen but artists that play flute are rare. Herbie Mann, Hubert Laws, Dave Valentin are three of the best while other artists such as Eric Dolphy have taken the occasional stab at the instrument, there is not a line forming of formidable flute talent. The latest Zoho release from Andrea Brachfeld certainly places her at the very top of the list when it comes to memorable artistry. Brachfelds latest release titled Lady Of The Island streets on October 9th 2012

Brent Black, September 10, 2012, CriticalJazz.Com