Latin Roots Rocker and Troubadour Patricia Vonne releases "Firebird"
Austin TX,--Patricia Vonne's remarkable third release "Firebird" is the payoff for seven years of hard work and cements the bilingual songstress's ability to deliver a perfect balance of Tex-Mex and roots-rock with strength, purpose and femininity. Vonne's excellent songwriting has a flare for romance, drama and fantasy, even while chronicling the ups and downs of everyday life.
"Firebird" opens with the haunting "Missing Women" a tribute to the hundreds of women murdered in Juarez, Mexico. Vonne made several trips to Juarez doing research for the song and shooting a video. She had the opportunity to
meet many of the mothers of the victims' and has become very close to the project and in hopes of bringing more awareness to the campaign she has donated the song as a free download on the Amnesty International's website for the film "Bordertown" with Jennifer Lopez and Antonio Banderas.
The CD features a Spanish version of the same song, "Mujeres Desaparecidas" as a bonus track. Vonne's husband and long time musical partner, Robert LaRoche, co-wrote five of the ten tunes and his stellar guitar work is the perfect accompaniment for Vonne's sultry vocals. They duet on the beautiful "Battle Scars".
On "Firebird" Vonne works with an all star cast of musicians including Rick Del Castillo, Michael Hardwick, Steven Medina Hufsteter, Tito Larriva, David Perales, Michael Ramos, Joe Reyes, Scott Garber, Dony Wynn, Elizabeth Rodriguez, and Carl Thiel.
Every song on "Firebird" carries a great personal story from Vonne. She co-wrote with her childhood musical hero, Johnny Reno on "Hot Rod Heart,"
and was so inspired by visiting the home of late Spanish poet, Federico Garcia Lorca in Granada, Spain that she wrote "La Huerta de San Vincente" about the experience. "Dutch Cigarette" chronicles the non-stop travel from
13 European tours that has elevated Vonne to playing huge festivals overseas, while the sweet "Karolina" is a tribute to the children in hospitals in NYC that Vonne would visit and sing to while a "musician on call".
"Firebird" is a follow up to 2004's "Guitars and Castanets" and Vonne's self titled debut in 2002 and is a her best work yet and a fine addition to her ever growing musical legacy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HOUSTON PRESS REVIEW OF FIREBIRD by Chris Gray~~~~~~~~~~~~
*******Patricia Vonne has absorbed just about every indigenous musical style Texas has on offer, and can summon any one in the flick of a castanet or guitar pick. She may have acting experience — Vonne's brother is Grind House and Desperado director Robert Rodriguez, who cast her in Sin City and Spy Kids — but she's not acting on Firebird. Picking up where 2005's Guitars and Castanets left off, her third LP mingles Vonne's Latin roots with her rockabilly soul. "Hot Rod Heart," cowritten with native Texan and former Chris Isaak sax maniac Johnny Reno, ably follows G&C's dusty Joe Ely tribute "Joe's Gone Ridin'," as "Jett Rink" canters around the set of her favorite movie, Giant. "Torera" is Shakira-sultry — Vonne has an affinity for lady bullfighters, as well she should — while she turns brassy roots-rocker à la Maria McKee for "Dutch Cigarette," and "Carolina" as close as she's ever come to country. Vonne's riskiest move may be bookending Firebird with "Missing Women/Mujeres Desaparecidas," her tribute to the nearly 500 women missing near Juarez, Mexico since 1993. Both English and Spanish versions are sung in steely Pat Benatar tones, but here love is no battlefield. It's a mass grave.
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This is ancient history, but we met several years ago at Momo's when you came to checkout a band I'm too embarrassed to admit ever having played with. Ha ha!
Anyway it's great to see that you've done so well for yourself. Moreover, that you're doing something to raise awareness about human rights.
thank you for adding me! i heard you for the first time at the beginning of january when i was playing in austin. they had you on at cheapos and i freaked out and bought all your records. please come play chicago soon. all the best, tim
hey pretty lady! thanx for the add i was in ATX. last couple weeks wish i could've seen your show @ antones :-( but i did get to see julie n that was great anyway happy new year peace :-)
