Product Description
Unexpected and utterly sublime, El Turista's sultry song cycle shuffle seamlessly in tandem with Getz/Gilberto and Paul Simon's Graceland, albums as boldly surprising in their eras as El Turista is in this one.

The record marks a new direction for the critically acclaimed artist, while offering the musical sophistication and emotional depth Rouse's devoted constituents have come to expect.

His new songs continue the consistently enthralling body of work highlighted by the modern-day landmark albums 1972 and Nashville. Throughout El Turista, simple, Spanish-influenced street rhythms unfurl into epic versions of Guaraldi-like jazz numbers, resulting in yet another career defining touchstone and a genre-blending album that is as sophisticated as it is infectious.

1. Bienvenido
2. Dureme
3. Lemon Tree
4. Sweet Elaine
5. Mesie Julian
6. I Will Live On Islands
7. Valencia
8. Cotton Eye Joe
9. Las Voces
10. Don't Act Tough

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00332DBLC/?tag=imwan-20

Josh Rouse's Sun-Kissed New Album 'El Turista' (Yep Roc/March 9) Inspired by Legendary Cuban Cabaret Star

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 20, 2010

On Josh Rouse's new Mediterranean idyll of an album, 'El Turista' (Yep Roc, March 9), he sings a Cuban lullaby called "Duerme," an invitation to dream. The song, a bossa nova, is emblematic of the sun-kissed, romantic nature of the album, which blends Spanish, Cuban and Brazilian songs with Rouse originals sung in English and Spanish.

Rouse, a Nebraska native, lives in Valencia, Spain with his wife, Paz Suay and their child. Describing the album's genesis, Rouse says, "I was just searching, looking for a new direction. A couple of years ago, my wife put this Bola de Nieve record on and I said, 'Wow, what is that?' Hearing that record was a breakthrough for me.'"

Both "Duerme" and another track, "Mesie Julian," are versions of songs made famous by the legendary Cuban singer/pianist Bola de Nieve, who, says Rouse, inspired the entire project. He sings them in a laid-back style reminiscent of bossa nova master Joao Gilberto.

Bola de Nieve was the stage name of Ignacio Jacinto Villa, a cabaret star of Havana's Golden Age, whose nickname translates, ironically, as "Snowball." Often called "the Louis Armstrong of Cuba," he had an urbane style, an international repertoire that included songs in French and English, and a legion of famous fans including Edith Piaf and Pablo Neruda.

http://www.joshrouse.com
http://www.yeproc.com
http://www.shorefire.com/clients/jrouse

Bump: added tracklisting to the first post.