Carla Hassett
Quero Saber
Carla Hassett merges Brazilian rhythms (bossa nova, baião, samba) and American pop with featured artists Mike Patton, Jerry Goodman, and more.
With an impressive group of friends in tow, including Mike Patton (Faith No More, Peeping Tom), Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra), Ruper Hine, Carmine Rojas, Kátia Moraes, and more, Carla Hassett gets set to release her anticipated sophomore effort where she dives deeper into her Brazilian roots, exploring bossa nova and beyond into the rhythms of Bahia as the foundation for her hooky latin pop.
Carla's self-produced music has been compared to Bebel Gilberto as well as Beck, but her gifted voice demonstrates a vocal passion more along the lines of a young Aretha Franklin with hints of Diana Krall, and Sade.
Carla has toured and/or recorded with popular acts Billy Idol, Gino Vannelli, Michael Bublé, REO Speedwagon, Jon Anderson, Christopher Cross, as well as Latin legends Sergio Mendez, Mexico's Christian Castro, and Brazil's Marcelo Augusto. Carla is also the featured vocalist in the Robert Towne (Chinatown) major motion picture Ask The Dust, and lends her voice in Portuguese to the Disney feature Kronk's New Groove.
Carla has just completed a stellar music video for the popular song Not Real Love (which can be viewed at http://carlamusic.com/video/). She currently lives in Los Angeles where she records and teaches voice and piano at Flea's (Red Hot Chili Peppers) Silverlake Conservatory of Music.
Reviews:
Carla Hassett has created a beautiful CD. Partly sung in Portuguese, the South American rhythms along with Carla's expressive voice make this a CD that transcends language. Her cover of the Beatles "Julia" is just gorgeous. --The Promise Live365.com
Born in Brazil, raised in the U.S. and now based in Los Angeles, Carla Hassett has sung background for acts ranging from Sergio Mendez to REO Speedwagon. An ear for hooks is apparent on her first full-length album, which features 11 breezy, Brazilian-flavored tracks sung in English and Portuguese. With touches of samba, bossa, Bahia as well as a lot of straight-ahead pop, this disc sounds custom-designed to play in your local coffeehouse on a summer afternoon. Hassett, who also plays guitar and programs some of the beats, has a smoky voice and eclectic taste in songs: Mike Patton guests on a bossa-fied and bilingual take on the Beatles “Julia”; “Mulato Casado” and “Abusou” are energetic bursts of samba; and the choruses of “Over You” and “Not Real love” sound ripped from the Christina Aguilera songbook. While casting a wide net, Hassett manages to synthesize it all into a fun, lightweight, sunny album. --Global Rhythm Magazine
Lush instrumentation, catchy vocal hooks and contemporary rhythms are the qualities that bind this diverse album and separate it from the multitudes of contemporary music that foray into Brazilian jazz. Gorgeous chants in English and Portuguese are arranged with acoustic guitar and electronic beats and samples, creating a refreshing, funky palate of loungy classics, original material and creative, beat-heavy covers. If you enjoy Bebel Gilberto in doses but yearn for the musical moxie of alternative artists, Carla Hassett might just be your favorite find of this year. — World Pulse Magazine
Although Carla Hasset's new album Quero Saber emphasizes her Brazilian roots, this bilingual recording will also be enjoyed by the American audience. With beautiful English and Portuguese chants, accompanied by acoustic guitar and blended with computer samples and beats, Carla Hassett offers a diverse album from beginning to end. Each song shows a different emotion and tone, constantly changing how the listener wants to interpret Hasset's music. On songs, such as the opening track "What I'm Living For (Seu Amor)," joy and celebration are obvious, while the title track expresses mystery and confusion augmented by a breath-taking solo from renowned electric- violinist Jerry Goodman. The listener is rewarded by even more guest appearances, including the vocal talents of Mike Patton (Faith No More, Peeping Tom) on the relaxed "Julia." --The Rockit Newspaper
CARLA HASSETT/Quero Saber: LA gal by way of Brazil is as eclectic in her music and outlook as you could ever expect. With guest diverse as Jerry Goodman and Mike Patton lending a hand, this do it all performer let’s her jazzy, Brazilian roots show proudly, but there more to her than that. An MVP player in LA musical affairs seemingly no matter what the genre or mode, when she focuses the beam on herself, you get quite a show. Bringing a lot of depth to the fore, this is a top notch effort that’s a pure musical treat from start to finish. Certainly if Babel Gilberto has turned your head, Hassett will continue to set you swiveling. –Midwest Record 2-19-07
"I'm impressed with songwriters who can write in multiple languages and still manage to keep their music authentic, and Carla Hassett achieves that on her sophomore effort Quero Saber, which is in both English and Portuguese. Like always, it's a daring move to cover a Beatles song, though Hassett pulls it off with grace on "Julia" in which Mike Patton joins her on vocals for her bi-lingual version of the song. Though most of the album's tracks are very loungy and classically styled, standout tracks are the more upbeat contemporaries. "Over You" features seductive sounding raps by Liquid Delvin Deluxe which add emphasis Hassett's choruses repeating "All I want is to fade into the night with you my baby." "Abusou" closes the album and starts off with a slow intro, and breaks into a poppy-dancehallish rhythm, which is an unexpected delight. Carla Hassett will no doubt gain well-deserved attention with Quero Saber." _Reviewer: Elisa Padilla, URB Magazine
"Just stunning!" Nette Radio CD Preview
Latin: MPB