Giaime, Chadia Rodriguez CI Sta

The yamato word for mirror, 鏡kagami, can be read as “kami (divinity) surrounding ga (self)”: if you look in a mirror, what you see is your own self surrounded by divinity. Kaori Uemura has called her tale Kagami , because she believes that music reflects the inner depths of the self in the same way as a mirror. Mirrors were used in art as a reflection of what is, and as an allegory of truth and wisdom, a means of knowing yourself as you are. This recording is also a tribute to the Baroque composers who saw music not only as a mirror of divine creation, but equally as a means of expressing human emotions through musical figures which could produce specific affects.

Iroko launches Avishai Cohen’s longtime dream “to do a Latin project with his favorite Latin musician in New York”. Israel based bassist - singer and master conguero-vocalist Abraham Rodriguez Jr., brim with tunefulness, grooves, warmth, indelible melodies and the bonds of brotherhood to summon Yoruba gods.

As the old saying goes, "the third time's the charm." This is indeed the third time the German label Accent has issued this coupling of Domenico Scarlatti's Stabat Mater with João Rodrigues Esteves' Missa a oito voces. The first time was in 1990, when the recording by Currende under the leadership of Erik van Nevel was new, and the second in 1998 as part of a box set containing this and several recordings by Concerto Palatino. No complaints here, though, as this is one of the finest discs Accent has to offer.

The Juilliard-level pianist and genre-hopping sideman with A$AP Rocky, Meshell Ndegeocello, and more makes his imaginative debut at age 23 with Let Sound Tell All. Rodriguez’s acoustic-jazz chops are formidable from the start of the hard-swinging “Blues at the Barn.” But already on this opener, there’s an intriguing blend between gritty lo-fi sound and more polished studio production, even within the same track. Rodriguez and co-producer Drew Ofthe Drew set ambitious goals and conjure a sonic atmosphere that avoids the obvious.

Carrie Rodriguez is a Texan singer-songwriter and violinist whose repertoire includes country, folk and rock, but is at her best when she explores her Mexican roots. Her great aunt Eva Garza, a Spanish-language singing star in the 1940s, inspired Rodriguez to “create my own blend of Tex-Mex music”. It’s a mix of classic Mexican songs, many slow and unashamedly emotional, and her own compositions, which are often in the ranchera tradition. The opener, Perfidia, shows how well Rodriguez has succeeded. She revives this tuneful, well-worn song of betrayal with pained, attacking vocals, helped by strong harmony work by Raul Malo and glorious twanging guitar by the great Bill Frisell. Elsewhere, there’s a powerful treatment of the 30s love song Noche de Ronda. Rodriguez’s compositions have a dash of country-blues and include a tribute to the ranchera star Lola Beltrán. This is a fresh, confident set.

“Omar Rodríguez-López Group is a long term friend of our studio. Our series "…Live at Clouds Hill" started in 2011 with an improvised “Krautrock” performance of extraordinaire: Faust & Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. Jean-Hervé Perón fell backwards with a running chainsaw and slit Rodriguez-Lopez' jeans and only with luck not his leg open.”

On his second Pentatone album Sogno, tenor Javier Camarena pays tribute to Francesco Paolo Tosti, together with pianist Ángel Rodríguez. Camarena and Rodríguez have curated a collection of Tosti’s songs that not only include some of his greatest hits but also highlight lesser-known works, including songs in French and English.

Se Dice Bisonte, No Bгfalo is Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's (The Mars Volta) third full-length recording. The players on this set include Mars Volta members Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez, Juan Alderete de la Peña, and Adrián Terrazas-González, with guest appearances by "Money Mark" Ramos-Nishita and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante. It was recorded mostly in Amsterdam with supplemental recording and mixing done in Los Angeles. The set opens with two brief sketches, the 26-second improvisation "The Lukewarm" and "Luxury of Infancy," a Spanish blues melody played over skeletal interlaced guitars. It may only be a minute and 15 seconds long, but it carries within it all the heart one needs to know that something special is in store…