For anyone in the enthusiastic crowd at Vibrato Grill Jazz celebrating the impending release of Andy James' latest album Happy People who may have wondered about those wild, percussive arm, hip, and leg movements during her mesmerizing instrumental solos, I have the answer. In another lifetime, long before the delightfully versatile, deeply soulful maestra of soulful, raspy coolness moved to the U.S to perform in L.A. and Las Vegas and launch her recording career in 2018, she enjoyed a thriving career as an internationally acclaimed flamenco dancer.
Expressing “the rhythm and beats coursing through my whole body while seeking opportunities
to work with famous performers,” she lived in Madrid and traveled the world—captivating eyes,
touching souls, and quickening the pulses of thousands of fans over the course of two prolific
decades. She and her creative partner and husband Piero Pata were inspired to add jazz music to
their repertoire by famed flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia and Chick Corea, who had previously recorded jazz flamenco albums together.
Happy People, her sixth collection, offers a sonic world showcasing her intoxicating blend of
colorful phrasing, dynamic storytelling, improvisations, and flamenco rhythms. Rather than merely backing James, the talented eight-piece band of virtuosos (pianist Jon Cowherd (the album’s co-producer), keyboardist John Beasley, guitarist Chico Pinheiro, tenor saxophonist/bass clarinetist John Ellis, alto/soprano saxophonist Dave Binney, and legendary Weather Report percussionist Alex Acuna) is also featured prominently on the new album and took center stage at Vibrato, their dynamic energy constantly teetering on the verge of ignition.
Like many shows by vocalists at Vibrato, the set began with an instrumental classic jazz tune
(Herbie Hancock’s lively, timeless “One Finger Snap”) intended to introduce the ensemble and
solo talents of each member before Andy brought her exciting charisma and sultry charms to the
stage. She got off to a rambunctious start with a playful, swinging romp through Dave Brubeck’s
“Take 5” (not usually performed as a vocal) that showcased her wide vocal range and snazzy
phrasing, followed by one of the album’s exuberant originals “To Be So Young.” In the midst of
the song, she engaged in a sensual flamenco conversation with Piero, participating joyfully from
stage left. Though he was technically not performing this night, their rapport and chemistry were
undeniable.
The rest of the set was mostly an artful mix of ballads and faster paced tunes designed to
spotlight the immense, deep-seated joys and artistry of Happy People—starting with the graceful,
easy flow ballads “I Can’t Stop It” and “I Don’t Know How to Love,” and continuing later in the
set with the phenomenal one-two punch of Acuna’s expansive instrumental “El Madero”
(another dramatic, percussive showcase for her flamenco dancing and spirited interactions with
various band members) and the bold, fast, funky-exotic (and truly life affirming!) “Happy
People.” Along the way, the singer gave a sense of her full discography with a few songs from
her 2024 album Let Me See Your Heart, most notably a sly, inviting twist on Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” and concluding with a whimsical journey through Duke Ellington’s “Caravan,” the title track of her debut album.
Full disclosure: I had the honor and privilege to write liner notes for Happy People, and it was
truly a pleasure to finally see Andy in action as both a compelling vocalist and a multi-talented
dancer whose greatest joy seemed to be moving her body to the music and interacting with her
band. I wrote, “In these fraught and fractured sociopolitical times, only an artist as bold,
visionary and forward thinking as Andy James would dare challenge and push back on the
cultural zeitgeist by titling an album Happy People. Yet there’s truly no other way to express the
joy, exuberance, and optimism that she, her co-writers/producers Piero Pata and Jon Cowherd, and
an ensemble of American and Latin jazz greats feel and create as they explore the emotional ups
and downs of romance while fusing jazz and flamenco music, the two great loves of the multi-
talented singer, songwriter, and vocal interpreter’s life.” It was wonderful to watch and listen as
all that magic came alive on stage!
Photos by Jonathan Widran
