(JazzMa Records)

Singer Kat Parra’s latest effort is an impressive musical excursion. Songbook of The Americas.features compositions primarily by women songwriters from all of the Americas, North, Central South American countries. Covered are tunes written by Maria Teresa Vera, Consuelo Velazquez and Betty Carter among others. Parra also wrote a number of the tunes and arrangements. She’s a singer of impeccable skill and delivery of the language, whether it’s Spanish or scat. Parra is joined by several guests on the project, including, the guitar-vocal duo, Tuck and Patti, singers Maria Marquez and Nate Pruitt on separate tracks. The backing musicians on the project include pianist Murray Low, drummer Daniel Foltz, acoustic bassists Aaron Germain and Sascha Jacobsen, electric bassist Marc van Wageningen and percussionists Michael Spiro and Raúl Ramirez, among many others. Parra is fantastic and this is a thoroughly entertaining production.