Vocalist and composer Thana Alexa has released her latest album, ONA. Throughout ONA, which is the word for “she” in her family’s native Croatian language, Alexa explores through eight unique original compositions and two new arrangements, the complex theme of what it means to be a woman. The tracks are at once deeply personal, in part reflecting Alexa’s Croatian-American roots, yet resonate with the many cultures of women who have come into her life and influenced her music.
Alexa has already amassed a large following considering this is only her second album. Musically, ONA is a departure from that one, 2014’s Ode to Heroes (Harmonia Mundi/Jazz Village) and pushes her into new and uncharted territory. While ONA, too, is ostensibly jazz, it weaves in the contemporary soul, world music and pop. Alexa uses her voice as both a lyrical and experimental instrument, while also using atmospheric sounds, electronics, soundscapes and textures, partly through her keyboards, all meshing in a unique hybrid sound unlikely any heard elsewhere. At times, it does not even seem like a vocal record. And, it is long at almost 80 minutes so settle in for a musical experience beyond classification.
It helps to have kindred spirits who contribute to her exciting journey. Alexa’s band consists of Grammy-winning drummer and co-producer Antonio Sanchez, bassist Matt Brewer, pianist Carmen Staaf, and guitarist Jordan Peters. In celebrating the feminine throughout the album, Alexa also features an all-female line up of special guest artists of the highest caliber: Regina Carter, Becca Stevens, Claudia Acuña, Sofia Rei, Nicole Zuraitis, Sarah Charles, poet Staceyann Chin, and ROSA Vocal Group, including Aleksandra Denda, Astrid Kuljanic, Tiffany Wilson, Shilpa Ananth, Valentina Blu Lombardi and Eleni Arapoglou – who specialize in Balkan singing. Yes, this is a multi-cultural aggregation approaching a village but they appear just on select tracks.
The catalyst for the album evolved over two years was 2017’s Women’s March in Washington D.C. The inspiration from that event is heard on the title track, “ONA” opens with the equivalent of a rallying cry and marks the first time Alexa has ever written lyrics in Croatian and introduced ethnic sounds in her original compositions. She features the ROSA Vocal Group with six voices echoing refrains throughout in Croatian lyrics comprised of sayings and teachings she has learned from her grandmother (with whom she speaks Croatian) and the English lyrics (“I am woman, I am free”) are rooted in life experience with her mother (with whom she speaks English). Alexa says, “It is a beautiful combination of the two most prominent female voices in my life.” The second track, “The Resistance” also takes its cues from the March and is thematically fueled by the spoken word of poet and activist Staceyann Chin.
The incomparable, in-demand violinist Regina Carter’s always inspired playing is featured on the standout “Pachamama.” Named for the Incan goddess of Earth and fertility, the track is a haunting call to protect our threatened environment. Of Alexa’s music Regina says, “Thana isn’t afraid to take risks. Her vocal performances are powerful, vulnerable, joyful, spiritual and genuine. Her use of rhythm, textures and intricate harmonies is unique and at times, complex. Sometimes you think you know where she is going, then she surprises you.”
The tender piano/vocal duet “Set Free” presents Alexa, the sister, as she reflects on the untimely death of her brother and their powerful bond. The relationship between father and daughter is explored in her soothing, acoustic original “You Taught Me”. She delivers a sensual arrangement of Massive Attack’s “Teardrop,” with stirring guitar work from Jordan Peters before moving to “Cassandra,” her salute to the #MeToo movement, honors the unheard and unrecognized women of the world who have suffered abuse, assault and harassment. This features outstanding interplay between Staaf’s acoustic piano and Alexa’s voice as well as a solo from Sanchez.
In Alexa’s own words, “ONA is the musical expression of what being a woman means to me. It is the discovery of the wild woman spirit within me and the experiences I’ve encountered in setting her free. It celebrates the inspirational women who have given me the confidence to realize my truth and express it freely.”
ONA conveys what I have learned about the lives of women, starting with my own, our experiences, our emotions, our sexuality, our worth, and our ability to overcome injustice by fighting for what we believe in.”
Alexa is exploring and articulating the full range of what it means to be a woman, including comfort in her own sexuality as heard on her original, the darkly sensual “Animal Instinct.” There are other observations on love too. The Pan American influenced “He Said, She Said”, features Becca Stevens on voice, charango and ukulele, was written as a wedding present for Alexa’s best friend and her Peruvian husband. It charmingly portrays two people who throw themselves into love’s vulnerability, risking everything to be together because they believe in the power of their love. Alexa uniquely arranges “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” from Tears for Fears in the closer, another example of her bent toward intricate rhythms and modern harmonies with another shining guitar part from Peters.
Now, some of you are wondering about that line above “amassed a large following.” Although her debut was certainly well recognized, nominated for a PORIN – Croatia’s Grammy equivalent – for Best Jazz Composition and winning the international Jazzon Alpe Adria Composition Competition, much of the credit is also due to her husband Antonio Sanchez who is a five-time Grammy® winner. Together with his band Migration, in which she is the vocalist and lyricist, they have recorded and toured three critically acclaimed albums, including the most recent CAM Jazz recording Lines in the Sand. She has also toured and recorded four albums with guitarist Gene Ess and appeared as a vocalist with bassist Michael Olatuja’s Lagos Pepper Soup among others. Given her own debut and these other roles, she has been in the Downbeat Magazine Rising Star Female Vocalist Poll for four consecutive years (2016-2019).
Most recently, in recognition of the uniqueness of ONA, Alexa recently received the first music production grant ever awarded in New York City by the Cafe Royal Cultural Foundation. ONA has spawned additional female-focused projects: Alexa, together with Grammy® nominated artist, Nicole Zuraitis and one of NYC’s most versatile and sought-after bassists, Julia Adamy, formed SONICA, an exciting trio that fuses electronics, vocal loops, three-part harmonies, electric bass, keyboards and percussion into their unique original music and arrangements. Alexa also created the project Founding Mothers of Jazz in conjunction with MusicTalks Concerts to celebrate and honor the powerhouse women who helped build the jazz genre from the ground up, many of whom were not historically recognized for their contributions because of their gender. Alexa was also one of the primary organizers of the recent week-long online jazz series for us stay-at-homers, “Live from Our Living Rooms,” featuring many of the top artists in jazz.
