LOS ANGELES (By Randy Alexander/ Randex Communications) - Actress Michelle Greene, perhaps best known for her Emmy-nominated role as Abby Perkins on the groundbreaking hit legal drama "L.A. Law," deepens her impact as a bilingual 'triple threat' artist reclaiming her Latin roots and name (Michele Dominguez Greene) with the release of her sophomore CD, Luna Roja (Requinto Records), the long-awaited follow up to her critically acclaimed debut.
Luna Roja ('Red Moon') arrives just as Greene's first novel, the gritty teen mystery Chasing the Jaguar, is being published by Harper Collins.
The new album furthers Greene's desire to embark wholeheartedly on her music career after years of performing, songwriting and defining her musical style. The disc, in Spanish and English, is an artful mix that not only reflects Greene's multi-cultural upbringing, but communicates the basic human needs for love and freedom. She conveys those universal yearnings in a delicate but passionate acoustic fusion of the traditional and contemporary Latin sounds and North American folk influences she absorbed as the daughter of a Mexican/Nicaraguan mother and Oklahoma-born father.
"I grew up bilingual and very influenced by Latin culture and customs," Greene says. "We were always listening to the Mariachi Vargas or Toña La Negra singing Agustín Lara, and of course, Lola Beltrán. And my Dad, who died when I was a baby, loved the likes of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and Woody Guthrie."
Greene's sound is a hybrid built upon musical elements from both cultures. Renowned Peruvian producer and guitarist Ciro Hurtado again joins Greene in crafting a World Music fusion with a rich, fluid guitar-based sound that combines traditional and contemporary Latin sounds with North American folk influences. Greene wrote or co-wrote all the tracks except the album closer, a cover of Bruce Springsteen's 'Across the Border,' a perfect bookend to an album rich in songs which address the personal and geographical borders that create so much of life's turmoil, including the immigration issue currently making headlines. Whether it's the widening borders between cultures and countries or the gaps in expectations of social change, Greene assures listeners there can't be life without hope, and provides glimpses of a better future.
Acclaimed singer-songwriter John Gorka adds his deep baritone in a guest duet on 'Little John.' Various well-known Latin musicians such as award-winning drummer-percussionist Tiki Pasillas, bassist Guillermo Guzman, trumpeter Ramon Flores and percussionist Cindy Harding, whose sister Libby is a member of Los Tios, provide backing vocals
An admirer of her style, Grammy-winning producer Don Was says of Greene: "She is the musical missing link between the hippest bastions of American Folk and the fiery romanticism of Latin music. She treads where no one has gone before while remaining accessible to both cultures. She has the voice of an angel."
Greene is celebrating the release of Luna Roja with a yearlong U.S. tour whose first leg kicks off June 27 in Harrisburg, PA at the Whitaker Center for the Performing Arts and continues through the Northeast. She has a recurring role on David Mamet's hit CBS series The Unit and appears in the upcoming independent film, The Legend of Lucy Keyes. Greene also has written two award-winning short screenplays and contributed feature articles to several magazines.
Luna Roja is available at Amazon.com, CDBaby.com, and through Greene's website: www.michelegreene.com, and soon will be available at all major download sites.
MICHELE GREENE 'LUNA ROJA' TOUR:
Tues., June 27 Whitaker Center Harrisburg, PA
Wed., June 28 Iron Horse Northampton, MA
Thu., June 29 Makor New York, NY
Fri., June 30 Town Crier Pawling, NY
Sat.-Sun, July 1-2 SummerFest New Bedford, MA
