Named “An uncompromising voice” by CITY newsweekly’s Ron Netsky, jazz vocalist Diane Armesto is working on her latest CDs in New York City where she is recording with such renowned musicians as Eric Alexander, Vince Herring, David Hazeltine, John Webber, Joe Farnsworth … and more.

In Netsky’s interview with Armesto, he quotes Diane as saying she has never been interested in compromising when it comes to her music. Rather than selling thousands of albums for maximum impact with an eye on fame and fortune, Netsky writes, Diane Armesto is more about creating works of art. And if there is ever a profit to be made from her musical creations, Armesto makes it abundantly clear that it will merely be “icing on the cake” that will hopefully go toward composing, recording and producing even more music.

“I’m not into this for vainglorious reasons.” Armesto says. “I’m into music for music. It’s my oxygen.”

Working with 100% artistic integrity, Armesto hopes that she will bring pleasure into the lives of jazz lovers and musicians.

With Diane Armesto’s warm alto voice that is recognized for its emotional intensities, opulent tonal shadings, contrasting dynamics and thoroughly unique style of phrasing, there are plans to submit her latest CDs for Grammy Award Nominations.

With a gift for singing, producing and bringing the best musicians together, Diane Armesto’s first CD release was received with great critical acclaim. EVERYTHING I LOVED earned the title “Top Recording by a Local Artist in Rochester, ” and was the result of her work at Bill Coppard’s The Little Theatre Café. On this particular recording there are two original songs. Diane Armesto joined pianist Mark Flugge in writing the lyric to his composition “The Audition” – retitled “Knowing You’re In My Life.” The second original is a ballad, “If I Had Time For Romance,” composed by jazz trombonist Frank Rosolino with words by both Rosolino and Armesto. It is a treat to listen to the intervalic leaps Diane takes as a vocalist, and that, as the trombonist he was, only Rosolino could have written.

Performing along side pianists Russ Schmidt, renowned performer Harold Danko, and Cabo Frio’s Joe Santora, Diane Armesto went on to produce a second successful CD, CLASSIC JAZZ STANDARDS AND ORIGINALS. Working with many of the same artists, her second release continues to include bassist Fred Stone Jr., a graduate of Berklee College of Music and of Eastman, who has performed and toured with an impressive list of jazz legends including Buddy Rich, Mel Lewis, Jerry Bergonzi, Chet Baker and singers Peggy Lee and Mark Murphy. Captured on this CD, is the classic playing of the world class drummer Joe LaBarbera who is perhaps best known for his long-term association with jazz greats such as the legendary Bill Evans and singer/GrammyAward winner Tony Bennett. Playing drums on other tracks is also Eastman School of Music faculty drummer Rich Thompson who is first heard on the fiery first take – Cole Porter’s “Night and Day.” Thompson’s artistry on ballads is captivating on “All The Way,” “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” and the obscure “This Is Always.” It is also on this CD that Armesto again features virtuoso trumpeter Mike DiMartino (aka “Miguelito ‘Coco’ Lopez” when he toured and recorded with Afro-Cuban percussionist Mongo Santa Maria). On CLASSIC JAZZ STANDARDS AND ORIGINALs are two more collaborative works. The first is Diane’s lyric to Harold Danko’s ” New Autumn” – retitled “A New Autumn.” The words to this song seem to define Armesto’s often-menancholy – even mysterious view of love; “Fate warns you from the start, one day it may break your hearts.” The second original is Armesto’s and Flugge’s “Knowing You’re In My LIfe.” Using a different arrangement of the same tune on her first CD, in the song’s cool jazz sound – sans piano – Diane Armesto showcases the vocal talent that has drawn attention to her work. Her performance results in her noted warm alto voice and her unpredictable, understated phrasing. On this track, DiMartino also delivers a highly imaginative, dextrous solo that is rich with his own “contrasting dynamics” and “emotional intensity.”

After her first two CDs, Diane Armesto followed with two more: JAZZ WITH BRASS, WINDS & STRINGS and BALLADS WITH STRINGS - both with song arrangements by Diane. The string, brass and wind arrangements were created by world renowned musician/composer Bill Dobbins. With no separation in the studio, no vocal overdubbing and no pro-tools, Armesto took some daring chances in the company of such brilliance. In an interview Dobbin’s says of Armesto, “Performing with a singer who really reveled in such unpredictable spontaneity rather than preferring the safe and predictable approach of polished but ultimately restrictive arrangements, enabled some very special music to develop.” “It was as though we were simply allowing the music to manifest itself, rather than actually make it.” As for the overall session, Dobbins comments “As a writer and especially as a player, I think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.” “Everyone performed in a way that every note counts. That doesn’t happen all the time.”

On BRASS, WINDS AND STRINGS, along with Dobbins In the rhythm section/trio are once again bassist Fred Stone Jr. and consummate drummer Mike Melito. On “All Or Nothing At All” is yet another drummer who hails from Rochester and who Diane refers to as “the all heart and soul Bobby Blandino.” Joe LaBarbera is again featured on this CD wherein he takes a lyrical solo on the jazz classic “I’ll Remember April,” which is followed by Armesto’s timely return back into the song with drums only, and an effective re-entrance by bassist Fred Stone Jr. in the B section of the tune. Percussionist Wendell Rivera can be heard playing congas on the instantly captivating first TK, “That’s All.” As for Armesto herself, it is especially wonderful to listen to her sensitive, rhythmic and harmonic interaction with the trio – now a quartet – on tunes such as “I Wished On The Moon,” and “There Will Never Be Another You.” Armesto concludes JAZZ WITH BRASS, WINDS & STRINGS with bass and voice only on Gershwin’s “But Not For Me,” – yet another example of Diane’s “melancholy view of love.”

On Diane Armesto’s fourth CD, BALLADS WITH STRINGS, there is a compilation of more jazz standards beginning with “I Wish I Knew” which features a superb solo by tenor saxophonist Bob Shepard. Two favorites of favorites for Armesto, and a challenge to sing are the ballads “Never Let Me Go” and “Lover Man” with profoundly poignant solos by Bill Dobbins before Armesto enters with strings. There are also classic solos by saxophonist Joe Romano on “Body and Soul” and another original “Just Because,” with words written to the music of celebrated trumpeter and composer Joe Magnirelli. These two solos would be the last solos that Romano would record before his death in 2008. Armesto is grateful that the work of this “musician’s musician” has been immortalized on her recordings. Everlasting as well is the work of Diane’s father – a deeply touching ballad, “I Don’t Want To Love You,” by John Armesto. The emotional depth and sincerity that Diane brings to this song (which Dobbins considers to be “as good as they get”), along with the profoundly sensitive and sophisticated interaction with in the rhythm section – and the lush string arrangements by Mr. Dobbins … all have made this particular tune a favorite among many fans. Armesto ends her CD, BALLADS WITH STRINGS, by singing a haunting rendition of J.J. Johnson’s “Lament” with words by John Hendricks and D’Ambrosia. One can almost feel the pain Diane herself may be feeling amid the tragic loss of both the composer J. J. Johnson, and trombonist Frank Rosolino.

Having finished recording in New York – at least for now, Diane Armesto is soon to release her latest four recordings that are a blend of standards and nearly a dozen more new, fresh and exciting originals. On Armesto’s fifth CD, BALLADS WITH STRINGS; VOLUME II, she continues her collaborative work as lyricist with musician Bill Dobbins on a bossa nova – “If You Go.” VOLUME II also includes a second original – which is also a second rendition of Diane’s father’s “I Don’t Want To Love You,” this time performed as a “straight ballad” vs. the slow bossa on her first BALLADS WITH STRINGS. Featured in the rhythm section/trio on this CD is again pianist Bill Dobbins, bassist Fred Stone Jr., drummers Mike Melito, Bobby Blandino and finally Rich Thompson who plays on Miles Davis’s OR Bill Evans’s “Blue in Green.” (Who actually did compose this tune?) Featured soloists on BALLADS WITH STRINGS; VOLUME II, are trumpeter Mike DiMartino, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander and guitarist Gene Bertoncini.

On Diane Armesto’s sixth CD, OUR DAY WILL COME and her seventh CD, YOUNG AND FOOLISH (which is dedicated to Cedar Walton – one of Armesto’s favorite musicians, arrangers and composers) there are many more standard tunes and jazz classics performed as ballads, bossa novas, swing and latin/swing. Featured soloists on these recordings are Eric Alexander on tenor saxophone, Vince Herring on alto saxophone, along with pianist John Hazeltine. Setting the pulse, the time – “the groove” is is the rhythmic team consisting of drummer Joe Farnsworth and bassist John Webber. Also featured is Papo Pepin on congas. And there are percussion contributions by Rich Thompson. Armesto states repeatedly that she is surely honored to have all of these gifted musicians join her on these sessions. Diane Armesto is equally appreciative for have worked with such fine studio engineers as Dave Dusman, David Anderson, Tim Hull, Max Ross and Jeff Gilhart AND in studios like Linden Oaks in Rochester and Systems Two in Brooklyn. As for her CD, OUR DAY WILL COME, there is also a plethora of more original work, some with lyrics by Armesto set to music created by saxophonist Eric Alexander, drummer Joe Farnsworth, and the legendary George Coleman. Eric’s composition “Gently,” – now known as Eric’s and Diane’s “Gently and Sincere,” is performed as a lithe and just naturally catchy bossa nova. And there is yet a third rendition of John Armesto’s “I don’t Want To Love You.” There are also three more originals inspired by the eternally great and irreplaceable drummer/singer/composer Billy Higgins AND trumpeter Lee Morgan. Along with Bill Dobbins’s contribution of string arrangements for the ballads, pianist David Hazeltine made great contributions to the horn arrangements for several of the straight ahead and Latin flavored tunes that were recorded to include those inspired by Higgins. It is Billy Higgins, Diane Armesto’s personal good friend of many years, to whom Armesto also gives dedication on her YOUNG AND FOOLISH CD.

Finally there is Armesto’s eighth CD, THE INTIMATE SIDE. It is a compilation of the ballads which had already been tracked on the previous CD, OUR DAY WILL COME, and for which Bill Dobbins once again brilliantly crafted his exquisite string arrangements. Also included on the recording is the collaborative work of Armesto and Alexander on on “Gently and Sincere,” this time performed as a ballad. The words, the message, the story that Armesto tells in this song, is one that depicts the contrast between joy and pain, and the unpredictable fate that occurs in love. Included on this final recording is also a soul stirring rendition of the classic “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” for which Diane has plans to create a video. And there is Armesto’s own soul-stirring ballad creation, “My Dear Friend,” which is her first attempt at song writing. If there is any song that should absorb the listener, this may be it, as it is testimony to all of our romantic fears … the often times tragic consequences of our vulnerability when we fall in love. Diane extracted the tunes from her previous recording OUR DAY WILL COME, to produce yet another “ballad only” CD which she felt would be able to sustain “the mood” for those so inclined to listen to torch songs … un-interrupted. Featured entirely throughout “THE INTIMATE SIDE” on every tune are also the superior – if not supernatural and now immortalized solos of one of Armesto’s most admired musicians, Eric Alexander. Also captured is Armesto’s growth and maturity as a singer/song writer & arranger, producer … and perhaps most importantly an interpreter of ballads that is just beginning to peak. If you listen – really listen, you will experience tempos, minimalism at its best, and vocal phrasing that allows the harmony and rhythm – and all the strings to breath. And there is something in Diane Armesto’s soft, breathy, intimate approach to singing ballads that transcends the words “sensual” and “sultry,” and just naturally falls into the realm of musically rich, emotionally deep and profoundly sincere.

Diane Armesto’s music is her gift to jazz and to jazz lovers around the world. As stated earlier, there are plans to submit these latest recordings by Armesto for Grammy Award Nomination. There are also many people waiting for this vocal artist to finally open the floodgates to the sale of her CDs on line and throughout the world so that those musicians and jazz lovers who are her inspiration, can finally hear her work. Upon listening, it will become clear that Diane Armesto’s career in music should continue to be a “must follow.”