Milena Casado Releases Debut Album REFLECTION OF ANOTHER SELF

Today, Milena Casado, trumpeter, composer, and producer, released her introspective debut album Reflection Of Another Self on Candid Records. To celebrate, she's announcing a series of live dates in Spain in July, covering Barcelona, Valencia, Zaragoza and more.

Listen to "Reflection Of Another Self" HERE

Reflection Of Another Self is a stunning first statement – a deeply personal exploration of her identity, overcoming personal traumas including experiencing racism growing up in Spain and grappling with her dual heritage, among other profound topics. The record is a sonically adventurous and bold debut that features a slew of special guests including multi-instrumentalist Morgan Guerin, pianist Lex Korten, bassist Kanoa Mendenhall, and drummer Jongkuk Kim – each of which can be found on the focus track “Yet I Can See.” The juxtaposition of Casado’s dream-like vocals with the improvising musicians’ galvanizing performances for the song portrays the inner turmoil one experiences when struggling with imposter syndrome.

Listen to “Yet I Can See” HERE

Recently recognized by the LA Times as a can’t-miss newcomer who’s keeping the spirit of jazz moving and listed as a contemporary jazz artist you should know by WBGO, Casado has already generated incredible buzz through her work with Terri Lyne Carrington, Vijay Iyer, Aaron Parks, Kris Davis, and other guiding forces in the music world. Reviewing a set led by the pianist Zacchae’us Paul, The New York Times wrote, “Milena Casado, was a revelation.” She was also featured in The New York Times’ “5 Minutes That Will Make You Love Brazilian Jazz.”

To start, Reflection of Another Self is a deep dive into one woman’s personal traumas and her journey in processing them and understanding forgiveness. But those stories — of facing down prejudice, of a journey of self-discovery, and ambition — are also profoundly universal. To tell her story, Casado pursues a visionary concept. Reflection of Another Self is a layered and immersive blend of dreamlike, cinematic electronic textures with outstanding organic performances.

The opening track on her debut album is “THIS IS MY HAIR (!),” a swirling, kaleidoscopic overture featuring the sampled voices of Casado in conversation with one of her heroines, bassist esperanza spalding. “I have a lot of trauma with my hair,” says Casado, a Black woman born and raised in Spain. As if eavesdropping, the listener hears these two brilliant women talk about the temptation to straighten one’s natural Afro, kowtowing to standards of beauty that shouldn’t even be considered. Though it’s only 30 seconds long, there’s plenty to unpack in “THIS IS MY HAIR(!),” which acts as an extraordinary opening salvo to one of the most auspicious jazz debuts in recent memory.

Co-produced by Casado with “one of her biggest mentors and friends,” the drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, and the wizardly multi-instrumentalist Morgan Guerin, Reflection of Another Self boasts a dream team of special guests: harpist Brandee Younger, flutist Nicole Mitchell, pianist Kris Davis, sound artist and turntablist Val Jeanty and the MC KOKAYI. Meshell Ndegeocello stops by to lay down a bassline on “SELF LOVE,” the meditative closer of pure uplift. Alongside these artists is a core band including some of the finest improvising musicians in the game: pianist Lex Korten, bassist Kanoa Mendenhall, drummer Jongkuk Kim, and Morgan Guerin on EWI.

“Loving yourself is one of the hardest things to do,” admits Casado. “With “SELF LOVE,” I wanted to capture that journey, what it feels like to reach a place of acceptance and understanding. For me, self-love is still a work in progress, but maybe... this is how it sounds.”

Listen to “SELF LOVE” HERE

Other standout tracks include the previously released singles “O.C.T (Oda to the Crazy Times),” a meditation on our maddening, infuriating sociopolitical age featuring powerhouse bars by GRAMMY-nominated “rap hero” (Washington Post) KOKAYI; and “Resilience,” an adventurous, modern track that highlights Casado’s production prowess, with vocal loops, spoken word, and her wailing, lyrical trumpet.

Listen to “O.C.T (Oda to the Crazy Times)” HERE

Listen to “Resilience” HERE

Of course, Casado, a fluidly virtuosic player who attacks a groove with the graceful power of a champion boxer, could have crushed a more conventional acoustic jazz debut. “But that wasn’t what I wanted to do,” she says. “I was really trying to find these sounds that I had in my head, that I hadn’t really heard yet, and see how I could mix them with an acoustic sound, drawing inspiration from Miles' quintet with Wayne Shorter — especially the Miles Smiles LP.”

Reflection Of Another Self is the most important achievement yet in Casado’s career, but it’s also the beginning of a bold new aesthetic. “When I began this album, I had all these expectations: It’s my first album; It needs to express exactly who I am” she says. “But now I see that it’s really just the starting point of a long exploration.”