Andrea Brachfeld and Phoenix Rising: Remembered Dreams

Latin Beat Magazine, June-July, 2003 by Gilbert Rivera

(Latin Cool)

During the salsa explosion of the 1970s in New York City, there was one female flute player that worked with the bulk of the hands in the Latín music scene. Her name is Andrea Brachfeld, and she performed with Charanga Típica, Charanga 76, Tito Puente, Johnny Pacheco, Machito, Charanga América, Joe Quijano, Orchestra Broadway and numerous others. Within a couple of years, she built an impressive reputation for her musicianship and impeccable technique on the flute. After almost two decades without recording, Brachfeld comes back with a special production of all original compositions under the new Latin Cool Records label from New Jersey. Remembered Dreams marks the return to the studio and to the Latín jazz scene of this wonderful female flutist and bandleader. Through eight selections on this CD, Brachfeld's flute is featured portraying upheat Brazilian forms such as the baião/mambo of Latin Sunset, the partido alto/bossa of Oceanside, and the 6/8 chachachá/baião of Mojivin Sun. On the Afro-Caribbean side, there's Le Metro (a tasty upheat mambo), Quatemala's Dance (an exploration of the Cuban chachachá), and Afra Jade (a chant-inspired composition). The cover track is a beautiful ballad that was written about 20 years ago by Brachfeld and served as the final inspiration for forming her own band, Phoenix Rising, and making this production a reality.