ONA
Release Date: March 27, 2020

63rd GRAMMY Award Nominee for Best Jazz Vocal Album & Improvised Jazz Solo (Regina Carter) - "Pachamama" 

Throughout ONA, which is the word for “she” in her family’s native Croatian language, Alexa explores through eight unique original compositions and two outstanding new arrangements, the complex theme of what it means to be a woman. The tracks are at once deeply personal, in part reflecting Alexa's Croatian-American roots, yet resonate with the many cultures of women who have come into her life and influenced her music. ONA ultimately embraces the experience of women everywhere.

Musically, ONA is a departure from Alexa's first album Ode to Heroes (Harmonia Mundi/Jazz Village) and catapults her into new and uncharted territory. While ONA, too, is rooted in jazz, it showcases Alexa's sonic pallet inspired by contemporary soul, world music and pop. Alexa's use of her voice as both a lyrical and experimental instrument, her use of atmospheric sounds, electronics, soundscapes and textures, all give way to a hybrid sound that is uniquely her own and defies classification.  

Alexa's stellar band consists of Grammy winning drummer and co-producer Antonio Sanchez, bassist Matt Brewer, pianist Carmen Staaf, and guitarist Jordan Peters. In celebrating the feminine throughout the album, Alexa also features an all-female line up of special guest artists of the highest caliber: Regina Carter, Becca Stevens, Claudia Acuña, Sofia Rei, Nicole Zuraitis, Sarah Charles, poet Staceyann Chin, and ROSA Vocal Group, including Aleksandra Denda, Astrid Kuljanic, Tiffany Wilson, Shilpa Ananth, Valentina Blu Lombardi and Eleni Arapoglou - who specialize in Balkan singing.

The idea for ONA evolved over the course of two years, but crystallized in early 2017 after Alexa attended the Women's March on Washington, D.C., the largest single day protest in American history. "I have never felt so motivated to express my right to resist, to protest, to be heard and to support a positive movement of change". Immediately following her return from the march she composed the showstopper "The Resistance", thematically punctuated by the spoken word of poet and activist, Staceyann Chin. “Cassandra”, Alexa’s salute to the #MeToo movement honors the unheard and unrecognized women of the world who have suffered abuse, assault and harassment. The culmination of the stories she began to build through her compositions would go on to inspire ONA, the song and the rest of the album.

Propelled to explore the battles and burdens of women in her own life through the lens of five elements: the mind, the soul, sexuality, the struggle to redefine gender ascribed roles in relationships, and a woman’s inner strength, ONA morphs into a universal story of women everywhere. In Alexa's own words, "ONA is the musical expression of what being a woman means to me. It is the discovery of the wild woman spirit within me and the experiences I've encountered in setting her free. It celebrates the inspirational women who have given me the confidence to realize my truth and express it freely."

The title track, "ONA" opens with the equivalent of a rallying cry and marks the first time Alexa has ever written lyrics in Croatian and introduced ethnic sounds in her original compositions. The Croatian lyrics are comprised of sayings and teachings she has learned from her grandmother (with whom she speaks Croatian) and the English lyrics are rooted in life experience with her mother (with whom she speaks English). Alexa says, “It is a beautiful combination of the two most prominent female voices in my life.”

MacArthur Genius grant and Doris Duke award recipient, Regina Carter, makes a special appearance on the standout track "Pachamama.” Named for the Incan goddess of Earth and fertility, the track is a haunting call to protect our threatened environment. Of Alexa's music Regina says, "Thana isn't afraid to take risks. Her vocal performances are powerful, vulnerable, joyful, spiritual and genuine. Her use of rhythm, textures and intricate harmonies is unique and at times, complex. Sometimes you think you know where she is going, then she surprises you."

In the darkly sensual “Animal Instinct”, which reveals the lover, Alexa expresses her unapologetic pride and comfort in her own sexuality in a world that often overlooks a woman’s needs and desires. Her arrangement of Massive Attack’s “Teardrop” further ignites the sensual imagination, showing how passion can be a tightrope walk between reality and fantasy. 

The aching and delicate piano/vocal duet “Set Free” presents Alexa, the sister, as she reflects on the untimely death of her brother and the powerful bond that siblings share. The relationship between father and daughter is explored in her soothing, acoustic original “You Taught Me”. 

The folky, Pan American influenced “He Said, She Said”, featuring Becca Stevens on voice, charango and ukulele, was written as a wedding present for Alexa’s best friend and her Peruvian husband. It charmingly portrays two people who throw themselves into love’s vulnerability, risking everything to be together because they believe in the power of their love. 

The album closer - a truly original rendition of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears - showcases Alexa’s affection for witty rhythmic intricacy mixed with modern harmonies. 

Alexa made her mark in 2015 with her well-received debut album, Ode to Heroes, which she toured in the United States and Europe. She was nominated for a PORIN - Croatia's Grammy equivalent - for Best Jazz Composition and also won the international Jazzon Alpe Adria Composition Competition. She has since been in the Downbeat Magazine Rising Star Female Vocalist Poll for four consecutive years (2016-2019). Most recently, in recognition of the uniqueness of ONA, Alexa recently received the first music production grant ever awarded in New York City by the Cafe Royal Cultural Foundation.  

Perhaps Alexa’s most important and ongoing collaboration has been with her husband, five-time Grammy® winner Antonio Sanchez. Together with his band Migration in which she is the vocalist and lyricist, they have recorded and toured three critically acclaimed albums, including the most recent CAM Jazz recording Lines in the Sand. She has also toured and recorded four albums with guitarist Gene Ess and appeared as a vocalist with bassist Michael Olatuja's Lagos Pepper Soup among others. 

ONA has spawned additional female-focused projects: Alexa, together with Grammy® nominated artist, Nicole Zuraitis and one of NYC’s most versatile and sought-after bassists, Julia Adamy formed SONICA, an exciting trio that fuses electronics, vocal loops, three-part harmonies, electric bass, keyboards and percussion into their unique original music and arrangements. Alexa also created the project Founding Mothers of Jazz in conjunction with MusicTalks Concerts to celebrate and honor the powerhouse women who helped build the jazz genre from the ground up, many of whom were not historically recognized for their contributions because of their gender. 

Alexa’s ONA is much more than an album. It is a call to action that has reshaped the artist’s identity. Alexa concludes, "ONA conveys what I have learned about the lives of women, starting with my own, our experiences, our emotions, our sexuality, our worth, and our ability to overcome injustice by fighting for what we believe in."

No woman or man will be untouched by ONA's universal message. 

MICAH HENDLER
FORBES

Meet the Grammy nominated Croatian American Jazz Vocalist Singing The Songs of Women Everywhere. Feature article/video premiere here

STEPHANIE JONES
DOWNBEAT
Read the feature cover story here.

WILL LAYMAN
POPMATTERS
"Every note here is fantastic." Read the full article here.

DAN OUELLETTE
NPR - FRANCIS DAVIS POLL
"Scoring two 2021 Grammy nominations, Alexa was 2020's most captivating vocalist — composer of poignant music, explorer of sonic variety and a social-political activist in song." Piece here

LANCE LIDDLE
BEBOP SPOKEN HERE

"This is a tremendous piece of work." Read this review here.

 

ALEXA PETERS
AUDIO FEMME

5 Powerful Protest Songs Released by Women in 2020. Read this article here.

 

DOUG COLLETTE
ALL ABOUT JAZZ
"Further confounding expectations and stifling preconceptions is this album's vigorous, uplifting conclusion, Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." Still, as much of a sharp curveball as this cover represents, it ultimately stands as a rousing microcosm of the daring ingenuity within Thana Alexa's ONA." Read the full review here.

LAURIE BURNETTE
JAZZ LONDON RADIO

Listen to this interview here.

 

RON SCHEPPER
TEXTURA
" This musically and thematically adventurous set is, all things considered, a remarkable accomplishment." Best of 2020. Read the full review here.

CAROL MARTIN
ALL JAZZ RADIO
"The control and tightness of musical output is impressive and nothing short of bold as Alexa uncovers the truth of life." Read the full review here.

SIMON RENTNER
THE CHECKOUT (WBGO)
"After we delve into the details of the festival, the second, longer portion of this program explores Alexa’s explosive new project ONA. It’s a release that embraces the #metoo movement, but it really marks Alexa’s rise as a powerful singer and composer." Listen to the full interview here.

CJ SHEARN
NEW YORK JAZZ WORKSHOP
"Her sophomore album celebrates not only the journey of herself as a woman, but women everywhere."  Listen to this podcast here.

SHAE FONTANA
BLEU BOP
"ONA is a testament to a woman’s soul, a biography of her spirit. The styles and textures utilized employ influences that span the globe. To call the album strictly straight-ahead jazz, however, would not be entirely accurate. Thana adds that the departure from strict straight-ahead jazz was not a conscious decision."Read the full review here.

 

SIMON RENTNER
JAZZ NIGHT IN AMERICA
"Before the quarantine, the couple was about to kick-off an ambitious tour in celebration of Alexa's latest recording, ONA -- a release discussed in-depth on WBGO's The Checkout podcast. Here, they perform the title track for [the] Alone Together Duets series." View the performance here.

JIM HYNES
GLIDE
Vocalist/Compose Thana Alexa Unleashes the Wild Woman on Tour-De-Force ONA. Read the full review here.

CHRIS SPECTOR
MIDWEST RECORD
"The sound of the struggle as coming up from the streets as opposed to fighting the glass ceiling, this musical call to arms is as subversive as it is wild." 
Full review here.

WULF MUELLER
WULF'S MUSIC + BLOG
 "Thana Alexa is a jazz singer for our times – masterful performer and writer, relevant in her messages and statements and this record is simply ESSENTIAL LISTENING!!!" Full review here.

 

RICHARD KAMINS
STEP TEMPEST
"ONA" is an ode to the power, to the creativity, to the necessity of speaking out, that Thana Alexa wants everyone to understand that this is also important for all women around the world." Read the full review here.

 

IMRAN MIRZA
UK VIBE
"Perhaps the single most inspirational quality to Thana Alexa is her understanding that one’s voice is not something to be wasted." 
Full review here.

 

GENO THACKARA
ALL ABOUT JAZZ
"Alexa sings about struggle and revolution in some spots, intimate personal experiences in others, and always with deep emotion and blunt honesty through them all."
Full review here.

SELWYN HARRIS
JAZZWISE
"Singer-songwriter Thena Alexa has recorded with hubby Antonio Sanchez’ Migration band and who drums on her quite intriguing, slightly leftfield neo-soul, jazz-pop and latin-influenced new CD, with special guests including Becca Stevens." See here

MICHAEL AMBROSINO
33 THIRD
"Rarely do musicians leap so far forward in the span of a single album.. Alexa presents her truth to power moments resolutely, enlightening listeners to be progressive change agents in a time when we need it most." Read this 'Best Albums of 2020' article here.

GEORGE HARRIS
JAZZ WEEKLY
"Alexa packs a solid punch here, both musically and socially..." Read the full review here

CJ SHEARN
JAZZ VIEWS
"With ONA, Thana Alexa has established herself as the pre eminent vocalist of her generation...It is very early in the year, but ONA is already staking claim to being one of the best albums of the year, and her future development is going to be very interesting." Review here

STEPHANIE JONES
HOT HOUSE
"Thana’s self-released sophomore album, ONA, invites listeners into an expansive, detailed soundscape—one she effectively recreates during live performances irrespective of instrumentation or personnel. Thana’s intimate understanding of her own expression allows her to connect honestly with audiences." Review here

DEE DEE MCNEIL
MUSICAL MEMOIRS
"Like the artist herself, you cannot put this music into a box. It’s as free and wild as the women she celebrates and sings about." Full review here

DAN OUELLETTE
JAZZ & BEYOND INTEL
"We continue our conversation by diving deep into ONA music. Below is a sampling plus a look into Thana’s present and future." Full feature here

DOUG COLLETTE
ALL ABOUT JAZZ
"Further confounding expectations and stifling preconceptions is this album's vigorous, uplifting conclusion, Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." Still, as much of a sharp curveball as this cover represents, it ultimately stands as a rousing microcosm of the daring ingenuity within Thana Alexa's ONA." 4.5 star review here

MIROSLAVA KATSAROVA
JAZZ FM BULGARIA
Read the review in Bulgarian here

TAKEHIKO TOKIWA
JAZZ LIFE
Japanese review here

TOM SCHNABEL
KCRW
"Croatian-American singer Thana Alexa has a lovely voice. Her powerful new album ONA(the Croatian word for “she”) is an exploration of female identity and “a dedication to women” according to Alexa. We hear her version of Massive Attack’s “Teardrop.” Check the playlist  here.

 

JIM HYNES
GLIDE MAGAZINE
Named one of the year's best 20 jazz albums. Read the full article here

MATT MICUCCI
JAZZIZ
Announcement in The Week in Jazz here

ALLEN SCOTT
ALL THAT'S JAZZ
"Surprising is a word that perhaps best describes Grammy nominated artist, Thana Alexa, an extraordinarily creative force in music. An awe-inspiring vocalist, composer, arranger and producer – for whom the voice is both a lyrical and experimental instrument – her music pushes the boundaries of the genre into new and unexplored territory.." Listen to the podcast episode here

TONY ZAMBITO
JAZZ BUFFALO
"Alexa invites you into the struggle and experiences of women. Doing so with the use of her vocals instrumentally and a decided fusion theme to the album." Read the 'Best Jazz Albums of 2020' article here. 

BEN SALMON
BEND BULLETIN
Read the concert announcement here.

STEVE KLAMKIN
WPRO
Listen to Thana's interview from the 2022 Newport Jazz Festival here.

STEPHANIE JONES
DOWNBEAT
"..the irrepressible artist would emerge stronger and more reflective. Ahead of her set at this year’s Newport Jazz Festival, Alexa shared the story of a tour deferred, the production of a new release titled SONICA that’s due out in September and the lessons ONA continues to teach her." Read Thana Alexa's full interview here.