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about
Pianist Jason Yeager presents a reimagined chamber-jazz arrangement of singer-songwriter Violeta Parra’s timeless piece, the title of which means “thanks to life.” This recording features lush cello, clarinet, and flugelhorn behind singer Erini’s compellingly expressive interpretation, with scintillating solos from Grammy-winning drummer Mark Walker, flugelhorn virtuoso Milena Casado, and the pianist himself. Yeager’s moving version seamlessly integrates modern jazz harmonies and rhythms with Chilean folk music, Venezuelan merengue, and classical counterpoint.
lyrics
Gracias A La Vida - Violeta Parra (1966)
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me dio dos luceros, que cuando los abro
Perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco
Y en el alto cielo su fondo estrellado
Y en las multitudes del hombre que yo amo
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me ha dado el oído que en todo su ancho
Graba noche y día, grillos y canarios
Martillos, turbinas, ladridos, chubascos
Y la voz tan tierna de mi bien amado
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me ha dado el sonido y el abecedario
Con él las palabras que pienso y declaro
Madre, amigo, hermano, y luz alumbrando
La ruta del alma del que estoy amando
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me ha dado la marcha de mis pies cansados
Con ellos anduve ciudades y charcos
Playas y desiertos, montañas y llanos
Y la casa tuya, tu calle y tu patio
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me dio el corazón que agita su marco
Cuando miro el fruto del cerebro humano
Cuando miro al bueno tan lejos del malo
Cuando miro al fondo de tus ojos claros
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me ha dado la risa y me ha dado el llanto
Así yo distingo dicha de quebranto
Los dos materiales que forman mi canto
Y el canto de ustedes que es mi mismo canto
Y el canto de todos que es mi propio canto
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
English Translation:
Thank you to life, which has given me so much
It gave me two stars (eyes), that when I open them
I perfectly distinguish the black from the white
And in the depths of the starry high heavens
And in the multitudes of the man that I love
Thank you to life, which has given me so much
It has given me my ear, that with all of its width
Records night and day, crickets and canaries
Hammers, turbines, barks, showers
And the ever-tender voice of my beloved
Thank you to life, which has given me so much
It has given me sound and the alphabet
With it the words that I think and declare
Mother, friend, brother, and illuminated light
The route to the soul of the one I love
Thank you to life, which has given me so much
It has given me the march of my tired feet
With which I walked cities and puddles
Beaches and deserts, mountains and plains
And your house, your street and your patio
Thank you to life, which has given me so much
It gave me the heart that shakes its frame
When I see the fruit of the human mind
When I look at the goodness so far from the bad
When I look into the depths of your clear eyes
Thank you to life, which has given me so much
It has given me laughter and it has given weeping
This way I distinguish joy from grief
The two materials that form my singing
And the singing of all of you that is my same singing
And the singing of everyone that is my own singing
New York-based pianist and composer Jason Yeager creates music that is deeply expressive and multi-faceted, defying
convention while reveling in the traditions of jazz, blues, 20th century classical music, and Latin American folk rhythms. As a bandleader and soloist he has performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall, the Blue Note, and Smalls Jazz Club. He is Assistant Professor of Piano at Berklee....more
