BuzzCuts: New Music

Pacha Massive fuse Latin, alt, techno into a smooth brew straight outta the boogie down Bronx, and jazz singer Tierney Sutton pursues another side of happiness with her most artistic statement yet.

Tierney Sutton, "On the Other Side," (Telarc)

The best jazz artists can bring substance to the most banal, sugary popular tunes — take John Coltrane's version of "My Favorite Things" — causing us to see these songs in a different light. Singer Tierney Sutton does this on her new CD, "On the Other Side."

Sutton can take the somewhat corny "You Are My Sunshine" and turn it into a mesmerizing romantic ballad about loneliness and yearning, slowing the tempo and arranging it in a minor key.

Sutton even offers contrasting versions of two songs that bookend this suite-like collection of 13 songs devoted to the pursuit of happiness, which from her perspective can be accompanied by disillusionment, heartache, longing and even unbridled joy. She opens the CD with a dirge-like, brooding version of Harold Arlen's "Get Happy," but then reprises it as a fast-paced celebratory tune full of positive vibes in which she showcases her impressive jazz chops. "Happy Days Are Here Again" is first done somewhat frenetically with a bit of funk, but later is turned into a gently rippling ballad.

The arrangements let the singer mesh seamlessly with her rhythm section — pianist Christian Jacob, bassists Kevin Axt and Trey Henry, and drummer Ray Brinker — with whom she has been performing for more than a dozen years. "On the Other Side," an offbeat reflection on happiness, might be her most mature artistic statement yet. (Charles J. Gans)

Try to load Pacha Massive's album onto an iPod, and you'll notice that the genre it is filed under is one that is most apt: Unclassifiable.

The debut album from this duo is a sophisticated mix of sounds that defies any one label. One hears on these 15 tracks snippets and influences from Latin, hip-hop, lounge, reggae, dub, son, disco, world folk, trance, etc. The result is a surprisingly smooth concoction that is deliciously intoxicating.

The band — which takes its name from Pachamama, or Mother Earth — is made up of Nova and Maya, who are, respectively, from the Dominican Republic and Colombia but live in the New York borough of the Bronx.

Pacha Massive mix English and Spanish lyrics with ease. Their bilingual first single, "Don't Let Go," is a slickly funky groove with a contagious hook and suave rap styling. The song is receiving U.S. airplay after being featured in the Mexican film "La Mujer de Mi Hermano" as well as an episode of the television show "Las Vegas."

"All Good Things" is co-written by the duo and self-produced by Nova with some mixing by Alejandro Rosso (known for his work with Mexico's Plastilina Mosh). What emerges is, as Maya puts it, "a very Pacha sound." Perhaps that's the best way to describe this remarkable debut. (Michelle Morgante)

Previous BuzzCuts: Music By Lily Allen, Harry Connick Jr., Katharine McPhee, Bill Kirchen, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and Norah Jones

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