Grammy Winner Luciana Souza Announced At The Soraya's Jazz Club

=The Soraya's intimate onstage Jazz Club welcomes GRAMMY Winner Luciana Souza for two nights performing songs from her critically acclaimed album, The Book of Longing. Inspired by the poetry of Leonard Cohen, Brazilian-American vocal jazz veteran Souza explores the theme of saudade, or yearning, in this work. NPR music critic Michelle Mercer has said of Souza's The Book of Longing, "[This is her] most graceful album...it's one of her best yet."

Luciana Souza along with special guest musicians Chico Pinheiro (bass) and Scott Colley (guitar), who accompanied Souza on the album, will perform both nights at 8pm in The Soraya's intimate Onstage Jazz Club on Friday and Saturday, January 17 and 18. Tickets start at $44 and can be purchased at TheSoraya.org.

"We are very excited for the first artist in our Jazz Club lineup this season," said Thor Steingraber, Executive Director of The Soraya. "Hosted by La Marisoul of La Santa Cecilia, Jazz Club features three distinctive female artists who are infusing jazz music with folk, poetry and visual art inspirations from across the Americas. Luciana Souza is an extraordinary jazz singer and composer who will be performing songs from her album The Book of Longing live for our Onstage Jazz Club audience. You won't want to miss it."

A virtuosic string duo, Pinheiro and Colley, will join Souza on stage for her intimate performance at The Soraya.

Following Souza's January performances, this season of the Onstage Jazz Club will continue with Chilean vocalist, guitarist and composer Camila Meza on March 7 and Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana on March 12 & 13. Los Angeles' own Marisol Hernandez, lead singer of La Santa Cecilia and frequent performer at The Soraya, has been the host of this season's Jazz Club performances.

The Brazilian-American jazz singer and composer has been nominated for six GRAMMYs and won a GRAMMY as a featured vocalist on Herbie Hancock's album, River - The Joni Letters.

Souza, who is best known for songs from her native Brazil, explores the theme of saudade, or yearning, in her latest recording, The Book of Longing. Her songs are inspired by the poetry of Leonard Cohen Emily Dickinson, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Christina Rossetti, and includes original lyrics by Souza herself. NPR music critic Michelle Mercer noted, "Longing is in Luciana Souza's blood. As the child of Bossa Nova songwriters, she grew up steeped in saudade..."

Souza credits her musical collaborators on the album, guitarist Chico Pinheiro and bassist Scott Colley, "The musicians also helped me by creating this very transparent place where things can't be hidden. We are all exposed- sounds and words."

For more information call (818) 677-3000 or visit TheSoraya.org

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