mi sueno

It may be because the Homescribe is in her middle-age, but lately I have found myself drawn to music that I never listened to before. I have become a Tony Bennett fan, and am indeed planning a birthday trip to Seattle in September to see him live and in person.

I have also starting listening to Brazilian bossa nova music. I started with A Day in New York, by the Morelenbaum/Sakamoto Trio, and went from there, including much of the original bossa nova artists, such as Jobim and Gilberto.

Along the way, I also became a fan of the Buena Vista Social Club, which leads to my recommendation for Ibrahim Ferrer’s final album, Mi Sueno. This album was a dream of a lifetime for Ferrer, as he always wanted to sing the traditional Cuban love songs, or boleros, in addition to the more up tempo material that the Buena Vista Social Club is known for.

Ferrer died in 2005, at the age of 78, just as he was finishing the album.

Mi Sueno (My Dream) is heartbreakenly beautiful. Yes, the voice is thin and raspy, but it really makes no difference. This is as gorgeous an album of love songs as I’ve heard since Tony Bennett’s Art of Romance.

Available widely, including Amazon and iTunes.