A note about the packaging artwork

I have long been a lover of Stoic Philosophy. Much of my work is through a stoic’s lens. I created an image in homage to René Magritte’s “Son of Man”  as my “Daughter of Universal Consciousness,” a nod to Hermeticism, which has a rich history in Andalusia. The mirror reflects the ocean and all it represents. Waves rolling in and out, mysteriousness of life, wilderness, fluidity, and powerful abandon, only partly predictable with a wide margin or error, and beyond control. The water also represents the universal whole that we are all part of. We are separate and not separate, drops in a whole body of life. Reflected in the mirror are two birds. Those represent us. In the closing song of the album WayAway are the lyrics "Find me in the sky with my wings spread swooping soaring" and I invite the listener to join me. We are the birds. My face is on a bust of the stoic philosopher Seneca, who was born in Córdoba, Spain. The bust shares the likeness (though you cannot see it under the mask of my face) of a bust of Seneca in Museo Del Prado, in Madrid, though the base is different. These were two places that I loved and visited during my trip to Spain, which shaped this album. 

Seneca’s presence is throughout this project. It was Seneca who said, “It is quality rather than quantity that matters.” This is reflected in the sparse songs that are succinct, just communicating their message with the efficiency of minimalism. 

And it was Seneca who said, “O how many noble deeds of women are lost in obscurity!” As a woman, this speaks to me every day — a truth faced by half of the global population, since the dawn of humanity. It is amazing how many incredible women have lived, created, contributed, bravely led, and innovated without recognition, in a world that chose not to acknowledge them and their contributions. Seneca wrote those words around 49 AD, nearly 2000 years ago.

The story behind the production

Sergio Pereira and I have long been friends and fans of each other's work, vowing to create something together in the elusive “future.” Separated by an ocean, and very busy with full lives, this “plan” to “one day do a project together” was a long game of watching for opportunities. 

 

My 25th wedding anniversary was coming up and we decided to celebrate in Spain. In April of 2023, about a week before I was headed into the studio to record my album, “Playfully,” I reached out to Sergio: “I will be in Valencia in mid-October, how do you feel about taking a day to record some music together then?” Sergio agreed, “That could work.” We were only going to be in Valencia for about a day and a half, two nights. I suggested that we take 6 hours, just after we arrive from Barcelona, to record a few songs. Both of us were busy with other projects, so we divided up the tasks: Sergio would book the studio and hire local musicians — Hive Recording Studio in Valencia with Rafa Sánchez, and hire Ales Cesarini bass, and Pancho Montañez drums, — and I would write the music. To kick off the project’s creation we also wrote one song together, “Can You Slip Away,” which was a fun, fluid, and organic process, as well. We both came to the project with love, admiration, and trust. It was a natural and easy collaboration between friends. From the beginning, I could feel that this was going to be a very special process resulting in beautifully textured music. 

I had never been to Spain before this. I fell in love with the country and the people. We landed in Barcelona and spent a day and a half there before heading to Valencia. I arrived at Hive Recording Studio with a cold and a little jetlag, but taking ibuprofen helped to bring down the swelling in my vocal cords so that I might be able to make any sound during our session.  I was greeted by Sergio, Rafa, Ales, and Pancho with warmth like a dear friend, though the only one I had met before was Sergio.  The loving energy, enthusiasm, and spiritual generosity were palpable.  It is hard to succinctly describe the immediate synergy but after a meet and greet and discussion about the music approach and form, we dove into the music together as one. This was a session with all new songs and all new friends. I return to the word TRUST. We trusted each other, and we approached the music wide open to the collective spirit of the moment. Like a flock of birds we acted as one taking turns leading and following as we moved together through the music. It was magical. We were able to record nine new songs together in those six hours!

When I arrived home and listened to the tracks. I felt that there was more to the album yet to be recorded. The spirit of the project was present, but the expression was not yet complete. I reached out to my friend, Hernán Milla, an incredible pianist  who  lives in Ciudad Real about a four-hour  drive from Valencia.  “Hernán, would you  be willing to travel to Valencia to record on my new album?” Much to my delight, he agreed and was joined by Ales and Pancho at Hive, with Rafa at the helm, in early December. I produced remotely from New Jersey, in the United States. Sergio was busy working on another project during that time, so he would circle back and record the rest of his parts from his home studio at a later date. The second session was equally incredible! Even through the computer screen, across the ocean, the vibe was high. 

I then imagined horn parts on a couple of the songs. So, I reached out to a couple of my friends in New York: Augie Haas who I have admired as both a trumpet player and a vocalist, and whom I had wanted to do a project with “at some point” and Keith Loftis, who is a near and dear friend of mine for just about 30 years. Keith and I have recorded together a couple of times already; his energy and incredible musical voice speaks directly to my heart. Both are brilliant musicians with hearts of gold. Augie recorded his part from his home studio between engagements and Keith, after returning from a tour in Europe, recorded his parts with celebrated recording engineer, Vinny Alfano, in Brooklyn. 

In mid-November, I invited Denise Barbarita to join me in producing this album. Denise and I, friends who had never worked together, had lunch and went to a museum, as we had a new tradition of doing. As we were talking about music and impressions, I had what felt like an intuitive and spiritual nudge: “Invite Denise to co-produce and mix the album.” Denise and I are both deep listeners. When she talks about music, mix, and production quality, I hear a reflection of how I think about performance and composition. It was a natural fit. This felt right.

There was one more person to call. I reached out to Jeff Lipton shortly after bringing Denise on. Jeff Lipton and Maria Rice have mastered some of the most beautiful recordings in recent history. I knew Jeff only through social media and the music community from afar. My intuition was pretty clear, “Reach out to Jeff Lipton,” and so I did. Jeff and I met over video conferencing and immediately there was creative chemistry and simpatico. He and Maria Rice of Peerless Mastering were joining the creative team. 

With a fresh, healthy, and rested voice, I re-recorded several of the vocal tracks in my home studio. Denise and I gathered twice in her Long Island City MONOLisa Studios, where we revised, recorded, and co-arranged, several of the vocal tracks and assembled pieces of the mix. It was fun — the kind of work filled with fellowship. 

What an incredible group of people! I am truly honored to have co-created this work with all of them. The beauty of the whole is in our collective heart. We made this with love, for you!