Music

Sandra Grace: Sultry and Soothing Songs

By Adela Brito

Friday, April 8, 2005

On her self-titled CD, Sandra Grace doesn’t just focus on one genre or even two for that matter. The listener gets electronic, a rock tune, classical sampling and a soothing instrumental as the final track. In other words, there’s something for every musical taste.

“This Attraction,” a sexy, sultry confession, is the opening song of the CD. On this track, Ms. Grace sounds a bit like Sarah McLachlan and Dido, while on the second and third tracks, “Here With You” and “Open Heart” her voice is deeper and there are lots of vocal layering. These three tracks were co-written and electronically produced by Paul Avgerinos, a Grammy-nominated producer and composer.

“Epiphany,” the fifth track, is the rock tune on this CD. Playing guitar, Zecarlos, a former band mate from her rock band days with Sister Sez, a band for which Ms. Grace sang lead and founded years ago.

The short electronic piece “Vicious Ass Nocturne” has some classical sampling of Frederic Chopin’s “Nocturne in C# Minor.” The final track, “Santu,” (her grandfather’s nickname) is dedicated to his memory. The prevailing melody in this song is the six-note tune of her grandparents’ doorbell. Although I enjoyed all the songs on this CD, mostly because I appreciate all the variety, I especially liked this instrumental piece.

I was able to ask Ms. Grace about her music. When I inquired about her musical influences, she did not respond with the name of any famous musician or classical composer. Early on, Sandra was surrounded by music, mainly because of her mother and grandfather’s musical talents. Santo, her maternal grandfather, played the guitar and the clarinet. Back in Italy, he played in a band at the silent movie theatres to add to the audience’s movie experience. Her mother, a piano player, taught in Brooklyn for over 30 years and was the chorus director at the elementary school where Sandra attended. Sandra was a member of her mom’s chorus. Along with singing, Sandra plays keyboards and guitar, writes and produces. Her upcoming short film, Open, will be presented at film festivals later this year.

Clearly, Sandra Grace is a woman of many talents. And this CD proves she is capable of producing interesting, moving, and sensual musical compositions.

To learn more about Sandra Grace and to purchase this CD, visit Sandra Grace