By j. poet | Published July 2019
Before moving to Los Angeles in 1999, Karina Corradini already was one of the best-known jazz vocalists in Argentina, a regular at the top venues in Buenos Aires.
But she moved to Los Angeles to learn how to sing like Ella Fitzgerald, and on six of the tracks on Bridge To Infinity, she uses arrangements by Erich Bulling, the man who collaborated with Fizgerald on Ella Abraça Jobim. The others were arranged by bassist Christian McBride, who co-produced the record with Corradini. While the singer leaves plenty of room for the backing band to stretch out, it’s her vocal presence that captures listeners’ attention.
She plays with tempo on “Until I Met You (Corner Pocket),” singing new lyrics and adding grace notes that stretch and compress the words to make them dance over Mahesh Balasooriya’s mischievous piano. “What A Difference A Day Makes” becomes a bolero, with Corradini whispering several verses in Spanish, as Munyungo Jackson adds percussion accents. Corradini sings “Doralice,” Dorival Caymmi’s tale of hopeless love, in Portuguese, against a gentle bossa nova pulse. Midway through the take, the tempo accelerates and her vocals turn the lyrics into a celebration, happy to be leaving the doomed relationship behind.
The set closes with a wild, double-time reading of “Lover, Come Back to Me,” McBride and drummer Marvin “Smitty” Smith sending the beat into overdrive. Corradini’s vocals swing just as hard, breaking the melody into staccato fragments that match Zane Musa’s blazing saxophone solo with their animated power.
Bridge To Infinity: You Turned The Tables On Me; All Of You; What A Difference A Day Makes; Like Someone In Love; I Could Have Told You; I’m Gonna Lock My Heart (And Throw Away The Key); Doralice; Cai Dentro; If You Went Away (Preciso Aprender A Ser Só); Você E Eu (You And I); É Com Esse Que Eu Vou; Tu Mi Delirio; Until I Met You (Corner Pocket); When The Time Is Right; Lover, Come Back To Me. (64:41)
Personnel: Karina Corradini, vocals; Mahesh Balasooriya, piano; Christian McBride, Rene Camacho (2–4, 5, 10, 13), bass; Marvin “Smitty” Smith, drums; Munyungo Jackson, percussion; Zane Musa, saxophone; Nolan Shaheed, trumpet.
