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Nika Rejto
Nika Rejto, acclaimed as one of the nation's finest jazz flutists, has graced the stage and stunned audiences with her "rich tone and technique that never descends into gimmickry" for the last 30 years (Leonard Feather). As a soloist, she has performed with many jazz greats, including Red Holloway, Hubert Laws, Lanny Morgan, Frank Wess, Jeremy Steig, Freddie Hubbard, Chick Corea, Benny Carter, Airto and Flora Purim, George Cables, Billy Higgins, Buddy Collette, and Horace Silver, to name a few. Downbeat Magazine wrote "... her solo brought the house down!" [referring to her guest appearance with Hubert Laws at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles.] Besides leading her own jazz band as both flutist and vocalist, she also performs with various orchestras and ensemble groups.
Nika Rejto released her first album, Naked Emotions, on her own label, Unika Records, showcasing her multi- faceted talents as composer, arranger, and producer. Leonard Feather's liner notes set in motion her climb up the ladder as one of the best flutists to hit the scene. "Rejto's flute is rich in long, affirmative phrases decorated by all manners of trills, tremolos, growls and other effects that never descend into gimmickry...Rejto, who was once introduced as a guest soloist with Hubert Laws at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, sounded like a good bet for records with this diversified display of her well honed talents."
In 1998, Bridge Weaver, produced by Herb Wong, firmly established Nika on the jazz scene. Jack Bowers of JAZZ NOW wrote, "...there are only a handful of working flutists with whom to compare her - old hands Frank Wess, Herbie Mann, James Moody..." Herb Wong states, "Anyone hearing Nika is simply knocked out by her remarkably gorgeous tone - something from the angels." Robert Tate of JAZZ NOW reviewed Nika's performance with Red Holloway at Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, and had this to say about her; "Nika's improvisation was beautiful, imaginative, swinging . . . anything but predictable; but what we were really hearing out in the seats was how much she meant every note of it. We got personally involved in her effort; it was as though we were making the journey with her, note by note." In the summer of 1999, Nika once again produced and released her 3rd recording, Liquid Love, this time featuring 14 year old pianist, Taylor Eigsti.
Midnite Kiss, (May, 2002) once again features her fine flute work coupled with eight of her own compositions. JAZZ USA says, "This is another one of those GEMS that pops up in the review pile every so often. This is a keeper." Jazz Now writes, "If you don't MELT to this one you need to kick-start your soul."
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Zeena Quinn: Going My Way
by Jack Bowers
With so many singers these days competing to tempt the ears of an ever-shrinking jazz audience, success often rests not only on the talents of the vocalist but on the songs he or she chooses to interpret. On Going My Way, San Francisco-based vocalist Zeena Quinn puts her best foot forward on the opening numbers, Lover" and So in Love" (it's hard to go astray with Rodgers and Hart or Cole Porter) but it takes her quite a while to ...
read moreNika Rejto: Midnite Kiss
by Craig W. Hurst
On her newest release, Midnite Kiss, flautist Nika Rejto “burns” on an instrument that is often thought of as a delicate option in the woodwind family. In contrast to the breathy aggressiveness of the sound of Herbie Mann or the vibrato-laden shimmer of Lou Tabackin, Rejto’s tone is more classical in nature. While her tone may swing more to the classical side of flutedom, she really gets down to business of playing jazz in her inventive solo lines. Rejto puts ...
read moreNika Rejto Has A New CD, Midnite Kiss
Source:
All About Jazz
Jazz flutist, Nika Rejto, soars on this new addition to the jazz world. Featuring eight original compositions, Nika and cohorts tear it up in the jazz vein. Compared to the great James Moody, Nika once again teases our souls and delights our ears with such pristine flute playing it is hard to imagine that she is not touring the world!
This is a must for your collection of fine jazz music.
Visit Nika's website for more details and other cds. ...
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