Juno-nominated vocalist and pianist Carol Welsman’s forthcoming album Dance With Me is a collection of jazz songs infused with traditional Latin rhythms.
It’s the 13th album for the six-time Juno nominee and marks her first venture into Latin jazz. The song selections include popular Latin standards adapted into English, standards from the Great American Songbook, original compositions, and even a song written by Canadian rock icon Randy Bachman.
The first single is a duet with Juan Luis Guerra on an English adaptation of the Grammy-winning Dominican superstar’s song Si tú no bailas conmigo.
Dance With Me, which arrives this Friday, was co-produced by Welsman and Oscar Hernández, a four-time Grammy-winning composer and arranger.
Welsman is surrounded by the skills of saxophonist and flautist Justo Almario, percussionist Joey de Leon, bassist Rene Camacho and drummer Jimmy Branly.
The Cuban-born Branly was instrumental in introducing Welsman to Latin music, particularly the work of Beny Moré. She and co-lyricist Jo Perry chose a number of Latin standards to include on the album and wrote English adaptations — such as Y Hoy Como Ayer (I Think of You), Como Fue (Yesterday), and Ya Llegó La Hora (Time to Dance Cha Cha Cha) — in the hopes of introducing these songs to a new audience.
Among the album’s other cuts are Randy Bachman’s song A Taste of Paradise, which draws on his inspiration from Lenny Breau and Antônio Carlos Jobim, and two of Welsman’s own original compositions: Island Lullaby and Revelations.
Dance With Me will be released July 31.