Gretchen Parlato in bloom with new album Flor

Grammy-nominated US vocalist Gretchen Parlato is set to return to with her first album in eight years as she releases Flor on Edition records, released digitally on 5 March, with a deluxe vinyl version following in April. Having made an international reputation with her three studio albums Gretchen Parlarto (2004), The Lost and Found (2011), In A Dream (2009) and Live in NYC (2013), the singer (who’s married to drummer Mark Guiliana) took a six-year hiatus to embrace motherhood and life away from performing. The Brazilian-inspired Flor (which translates as ‘flower’ in Portuguese) explores a wide range of sounds and influences including American popular music, Europeantinged classical and Brazilian standards.

The album also debuts Parlato’s band of the same name featuring São Paulo guitarist/MD Marcel Camargo, Rio de Janeiro native percussionist/ drummer Léo Costa and Armenian cellist Artyom Manukyan. Guests on the album include pianist Gerald Clayton on two songs (‘Sweet Love’ and ‘Wonderful’), as well as revered former Weather Report drummer-percussionist Airto Moreira, who is featured on ‘Roy Allen’ – a tribute to late trumpeter Roy Hargrove (the song named after his father), while the album closes with an emotive remake of David Bowie’s ‘No Plan’ with Bowie’s Blackstar collaborator Guiliana guesting on drums.

Further Edition new releases include Snowpoet’s Wait For Me (19 February), Sachal Vasandani feat. Romain Collin’s Midnight Shelter (19 March), Chris Potter’s Circuits Trio’s Sunrise Surprise (9 April) and Dave Holland feat. Kevin Eubanks and Obed Calvaire’s Another Land (23 April). See the April issue of Jazzwise for an in-depth interview with Gretchen Parlato.

For more info visit editionrecords.com/releases/gretchen-parlato-flor/