Espejo Mirror: Eliana Cuevas

Eliana Cuevas: A lot of Espejo feels that way. For a CD thats so obviously heartfelt Melancol a might be about immigration while Antito is about her sweet girl daughter the 10-tune collection nevertheless feels contrived to dazzle more than move you, despite the efforts of its crackerjack band led by Jeremy Ledbetter, her partner, producer, arranger and pianist. But maybe thats where you find Cuevass real genius, in creating an impressive album for her fans and to equally serve as a calling card for the music industry to recognize a major international talent thats on its way, according to The Star and About halfway through Espejo Mirror , Eliana Cuevas s fourth CD since her 2002 debut Cohesi n , the Venezuela-born Toronto singer hits warp-drive speed with El Tucusito, a dazzling bit of Latin scat bopping that showcases her remarkable range of talents as a singer and composer. The problem is, the performance feels as if its mostly about making an impression, which it does. Had El Tucusito been slightly slower and less showy, its inner structure and dramatic ending would be more apparent as would the true depth of talent involved. Cuevas has won just about every indie award in Canada over the years for a reason, including a 2009 National Jazz Award for Latin Jazz Artist of the Year. Eliana Cuevas is appearing at Hughs Room as part of Jazz FM91s World Music Festival on Wednesday, Aug. 7. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.