Leslie Paula

Leslie Paula, the youngest of four children was born into a richly musical family, her grandmother was a Vaudevillian tango singer, her father the renowned Latin jazz vocalist and percussionist Mike Gutierrez who during the 1950's and 1960's performed with the likes of Peggy Lee, Tito Puente, Poncho Sanchez and Pete Escovedo. An infectious mix of Latin Pop and Jazz "Te Quiero - I Want You" proves to be a cut above most Latin fusion albums, due in large part to the sheer presence and vitality of Paula's performance, although the excellent support she receives from her band certainly plays a part. Paula is blessed with huge vocal range, tremendous power and control, with an almost over powering emotive quality that belies the seemingly light weight material, heard to dramatic effect on the ballad "Quisiera ser Angel" (sexily seductive when sung in the original Spanish, ruinously saccharine when recapitulated in English several tracks later- you have been warned)