L’Tanya Mari’ – A Teardrop of Sun

With a clear and vibrant tone that ranges from the lilting falsetto to the huskiness of a Sarah Vaughn, Philadelphia-bred L’Tanya Mari’ displays a vocal prowess that is not seen very often. To call her a diva would be premature, but not unwarranted. To call her a songbird is a bit hackneyed, but it fits. To call her fabulous hits the mark.

Her debut CD A Teardrop of Sun, is the first step in a career that should carry her into the annals of vocal jazz history. Her daring and difficult rendition of Bill Evans “Very Early” is the first track on the release and shows her vocal range and abilities right from the start. Crystal Silence is a somber and beautiful lament of love lost.

That Old Black Magic is well known and oft used, but she squeezes a bit of jazzy new life into it. I Gotta Right To Sing the Blues is a smooth give and take with guitarist Paul Wingo. The vocal abilities of L’Tanya shine on all of the tracks including the lovely The  more I see. Get a copy and own the beginning of a legacy.