God Bless the Child
Mishka Adams is a new discovery by Alan Bates, who has a reputation for discovering and recording new jazz singers who rapidly move into the ’star’ category. At only 20 year old Mishka Adams, singer/songwriter/saxophonist/guitarist is already a name to look out for. As the youngest signing to Candid Records in a multi-records deal, she is often compared to legendary vocalists from the golden era of American Popular Songbook.
Mishka was among the performers in the landmark Philippine concert organized by the British Council Philippines featuring Courtney Pine. That concert proved to be a turning point for this talented young artist. On this album she displays a maturity and confidence rarely seen from one so young in the jazz music scene. “if I wanted fame, then I would have done something like Britney Spears”, said Mishka. And true enogh, with her unique talent and beautiful Filipino-British features she could have gone that route, instead she has decided to play jazz, albeit more contemporary and infused with other genres like rock and world music and even a touch of pop.
When it came to choosing which songs would be included in the album, Mishka says, “I chose songs I felt I made to be my own”. For the covers, she and her band didn’t just lift the arrangements. “I had ideas I wanted to play around with. “ These ideas lend among others, a plaintive ‘Change Partners’, a groovy version of ‘Summertime’, and a haunting rendition of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’. Her version is stripped down – just with guitar, mostly playing harmonics which ring and float throughout the song, her voice like an echo of loss that gives the song a character that it has never had before. Her originals display the character in her music. Mishka says that ‘Mama’s Garden’ is deeply personal, and ‘Marrakech’ was inspired by a backpacking holiday she took with her boyfriend Ariz Guinto, with whom she produced the album. Then there’s the irresistible groove and sing-along-ability of ‘Where Do We Begin’ which sounds like a classic already. With her originals she seems to use jazz as a springboard from which to innovate, letting the song take its course, her voice leading the way.
The collective whisper in the street suggests this young jazz minstrel British-Filipina, immaculately pretty and blessed with vocal prowess is ‘predestined to be a star’.
- Mishka Adams: vocals, tenor sax on track 3 and guitars on tracks 11 & 5
- Edgar Avenir: guitarist and arranger on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10 & 14
- Ria Villena-Osorio: keyboard
- Louie Talan: bass
- Mike Guevarra: saxophones
- Arnold Casinto: percussion
- Koko Bermejo: drums except on tracks 3 & 14
- Sammy Asuncion: guitarist and arranger on tracks 5, 8, 11, 13 & 15
- Fritz Barth: drums on tracks 3 & 14
- Noli Aurillo: guitarist and arranger on tracks 12
- Brandy Aranilla: bass trumpet on track 10
- Bo Razon: percussion on track 4
- Elhmir Saison: pianist and arranger on track 6
