Reviews

“The luxurious darkness of her alto might recall contemporaries like Cassandra Wilson […], but Amed is distinguished by her scholarly tack. “Unánime” is both a response and a kind of resistance to one question she’s often asked, about her relationship to the so-called Latin jazz tradition.”

“[…] The dry, one word title Ontology is transformed in dramatic manner by the fourteen evocative songs in this repertoire. And in doing so Miss Amed emerges as an artist of the first order. Her voice is gloriously dark, generous, big and beautifully controlled, and impeccably throughout its phenomenal range. This lends itself perfectly to the bittersweet nature of these songs, most – if not all – of which tie in with the metaphysical nature of this album.[…] an album to die for.”

“A touch of class to Latin music.”

“Roxana Amed, a heart that beats to the rhythm of jazz. A unifying force.”

“[…] knotty juxtapositions pop up on almost every track on the album, evidencing Amed’s continual hunger to expand her stylistic range.”

“Amed’s own music can be meditative or fiery, often somber, sometimes incantatory. […] Her lyrics are lush with poetic evocations of the natural world, images of lovers and moonlight, and sometimes a hint of menace; they have a Spanish soulfulness, whether written in Spanish or English.”

“Undeniable quality that endures and demands to be listened.”

★★★★ A Must-listen
“Dreamy art, an essential album.”

“Strong emotional commitment. Captivating expressiveness”[…]“An emotional performer without sentimentality; a singer who manages to modify the limits of jazz without losing contact with the vocal tradition of the genre.”

★★★★½
“It is as though Amed and her brilliant band have just invented jazz, and put a unique slant on it that is partly exhilarating Latin flights and partly the hushed, interval-leaping options of contemporary art music. It is not just sophisticated musically, but emotionally, primarily speaking to us from the abyss of love and death; leading us to complex places and leaving us there to find our own way home. Exceptional.”

★★★★ Excellent • Editor’s Choice
“One of the best jazz albums of 2021”
“This seventh album from the Buenos Aires-born, US-based singer-songwriter
Roxana Amed presents a supremely atmospheric collection of 14 songs.”

“Argentine vocalist and composer Roxana Amed combines sounds and moods from Northern and Southern continents on this rich and flexible mix of originals and covers. […] She does wonders with Wayne Shorter’s “Virgo” catching the drift with Small’s soprano, while intimate and deft with Jago on “Blue In Green”. Her dreamy voice floats to Small’s tenor on “Tumbleweed” and is a mist on “Peaceful”. Pastels in 3D.”

★★★★½
“Listening to Ontology is a deeply textured, almost metaphysical experience as Amed deftly pulls together the distinct creative and cultural threads that make up the colorful weft of her artistic identity.”

★★★½ Excellent
“Upon further exploration Ontology reveals a deep ethnic and experiential reflection.” “Noteworthy.”

“With a poetic turn of phrase, a seductive warmth, and a remarkable instrument and technique, Argentinian vocalist Roxana Amed combines elements of her native roots with the jazz and Latin influences she encountered on her move to Miami in 2013. Her singularly affecting album, Ontology, features stunning vocals, deft arrangements, and artists willing to take big risks to get deeper. […] “Passion, intelligence, technique, artistry—vocalist/songwriter Roxana Amed comes fully equipped, and she takes you by the hand and leads you into the warmth of her voice, and you go oh so willingly Now, from Argentina, comes Roxana Amed with a poetic turn of phrase, a seductive warmth, and a remarkable instrument.”

“A beautiful musical journey. Deep and unsettling.”

“Her new album, “Ontology” (Sony Music Latin), should open the eyes and ears for many people. […] Ms. Amed mostly keeps her voice front and center; quite articulate in both Spanish and English as well as dramatic but she keeps her emotions under control. Nothing seems forced or rushed. […] There is so much music to explore here […] You want to inhabit these worlds that Roxana Amed and the musicians create, you want to linger a while in these songs and you should. Find this album – the music shines!”

“Singer, songwriter and producer Roxana Amed carves out a distinctive space for herself in contemporary music with Ontology.”

“Ontology emerges as an instance that further opens its quest to search. A search that, on the other hand, is perceived as insatiable. True thirst, it would be said. It is Amed’s eighth album and if something persists it is the risk, the abyss, the stone in the shoe, the antipodes of any comfort zone.”

“Roxana Amed, the voice of Buenos Aires.”

“Roxana Amed is a complete vocalist, possessing high rhythmic, timbral and harmonic resources and knows how to involve for the depth and nuances of singing, sometimes colloquial, in a game of tensions and languid distension. […] A lively and engaging journey.”

“[…] Amed has the natural heart of an artist […] She draws from the soul of such music from her native land, and it can be felt in her compositions. But make no mistake. She takes jazz in her hands and pulls it close to her heart. […] She says the music found her at the confluence of two worlds, Argentina and North America, and the result is an album that best describes her. […] She is masterful in her sense of melody and harmony. Throughout, the expressiveness of her vocal instrument is enticing”.