Beth Custer
Doña Luz 30 Besos
City of Tribes
Custer’s resumeé is quite impressive. The San Francisco-based composer/vocalist/musician has a variety of contributions in several genres (including last year’s wonderfully tenebrous trip-hop outing Eighty Mile Beach), but in this particular instance takes a decidedly Latin approach. Accompanied by a trio of able hands, Custer’s voice provides a lustrous finish to these smoldering jazzy compositions. Of note is a rendition of Manu Chao’s “Lagrimas de Oro,” a wistful composition that is given deeper meaning by Custer’s dolorous vocals and mumbled trombone part.
City of Tribes, 3025 17th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110; http://www.cot.com
