in Flight Karminski

Over the years, Latin jazz has been dominated by instrumentalists. Think of Latin jazz' most celebrated figures, and most of the people who come to mind are instrumentalists (Dizzy Gillespie, Poncho Sanchez, Cal Tjader, and Pucho, among others). And even though many jazz vocalists have included Latin-influenced performances on their albums, it hasn't been their primary focus. Rarely have there been jazz vocalists who considered Latin rhythms a main ingredient instead of a side dish, but an exciting exception to that rule is Kat Parra, who shows considerable promise on her first solo album, Birds in Flight. Latin rhythms are not a mere afterthought for Parra; they are an integral part of her vocal jazz vision, which is best described as pan-Latin because she doesn't embrace any one Latin rhythm exclusively on Birds in Flight…