BWW Reviews: Lindsay Mendez and Marco Paguia's THIS TIME is Captivatingly Jazzy

In 2007, Lindsay Mendez made her Broadway Debut as Jan in a revival of GREASE. She has since returned to Broadway in Sherie Rene Scott's EVERYDAY RAPTURE in 2012, the GODSPELL's revival in 2011, and she is currently starring as Elphaba in WICKED. In addition to these Broadway roles, she got phenomenal reviews as Rose in Off-Broadway's DOGFIGHT at 2nd Stage Theatre Company in 2012. Furthermore, Lindsey Mendez is an accomplished jazz vocalist and has recorded the 13 track THIS TIME with pianist/band leader Marco Paguia. The album lavishly showcases their prowess as performers and their infectious musical chemistry.

On THIS TIME, Lindsay Mendez's rich and luxurious rangy alto instrument is outstanding and compelling on each of the wonderfully performed provocative tracks. The album delivers an impressively diverse mix of popular music that she delightfully tinkers with. Across the album, her timbre is distinctive and delightfully heavy with emotional zeal, making her resplendent vocalizing exhilarating.

The album opens with an up-tempo, energetic, and bold rendition of John Legend's "Ordinary People." Another standout on the disc is the powerfully soulful interpretation of Buddy Miles' "Them Changes." Her vocals on James H. Shelton's "Lilac Wine" are softly sumptuous, delivering a gorgeous and stirring ballad. Also, her version of Martin Sexton's "Freedom of the Road" is funky, fascinating, and gripping.

Marco Paguia leads the band and expertly plays the piano on each track, providing a lushly opulent backdrop for Lindsay Mendez's powerhouse vocals. Moreover, his arrangements deftly capture the soul of the original songs while giving Lindsay Mendez a playground to reinvent them to pristinely fit her unique voice. Pete Donovan on bass and Tommy Crane on drums add depth and rhythm to the sound, ensuring that the album has that dazzling jazz ambience and vibe on every track.

Lindsay Mendez and Marco Paguia's THIS TIME was recorded at Sear Sound in New York City. Lindsay Mendez and Marco Paguia Produced the electrifying album, with Co-Production by Dean Sharenow, who also dexterously Engineered and Mixed the album at Steel Cut Audio in Brooklyn, New York. Scott Hull excellently Mastered the album at Masterdisk in New York City.

Watch the band perform "Them Changes" by Buddy Miles at Birdland:

Lindsay Mendez and Marco Paguia's captivatingly jazzy THIS TIME is a winsome and eclectic collection of beguiling tunes. The album was released digitally on May 28, 2013, and can be purchased from iTunes and Amazon. Physical copies of the album can be purchased from the lobby of the Gershwin Theatre in New York City, where Lindsay Mendez is starring as Elphaba in WICKED. A broader brick-and-mortar distribution of the physical CD will coincide with Lindsay Mendez and Marco Paguia's July 21st CD release concert at Birdland. For more information about the CD release concert, please visit http://www.LMandMP.com.

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Image courtesy of MondoTunes.

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