Melissa Aldana Releases 'FILIN'
Tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana released "FILIN" on Blue Note Records, generating excitement among jazz circles. Blues Magazine dropped a weekly Spotify playlist spotlighting Spencer MacKenzie, The Georgia Thunderbolts, Wishbone Ash, and Kent Burnside. Solomon Hicks' "How Did I Ever Get This Blue?" earned praise for its modern blues production and covers like "Rumour Has It."
- The album's title, *FILIN*, is derived from the English word "feeling" and explores the Cuban "filin" musical tradition of the 1940s, '50s, and '60s, which blended American jazz sensibilities with intimate, poetic Spanish lyrics. - The album was a long-held desire for Aldana, who aimed to create a ballads record in the vein of John Coltrane's iconic 1963 album, *Ballads*, as a way to delve deeper into the nuances of her own sound. - The quartet backing Aldana on this record includes acclaimed Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, veteran bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Kush Abadey. Two tracks on the album feature guest vocals from celebrated jazz singer Cécile McLorin Salvant. - This is Aldana's third release on the historic Blue Note Records label, following *12 Stars* (2022) and *Echoes Of The Inner Prophet* (2024). - Originally from Santiago, Chile, Aldana is a second-generation saxophonist taught by her father, Marcos Aldana. In 2013, at age 24, she became the first female instrumentalist and the first South American to win the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. - In addition to Cuban "filin" songs, the album features interpretations of works by Brazilian composers, including Hermeto Pascoal's "Little Church" and Cartola's "Las Rosas No Hablan". - Aldana's 2019 album, *Visions*, was inspired by the life of artist Frida Kahlo and earned Aldana her first Grammy nomination for Best Improvised Jazz Solo. - She was also a founding member of the all-star female jazz collective ARTEMIS, which released its debut album on Blue Note in 2020.
