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Daline Jones (named after Salvador Dali by her father, Beat poet, trumpeter and jazz surrealist Ted Joans) was a fixture on the Bay Area Jazz scene for many years. She has recorded several albums and CDs, including two vinyl LPs for the Palo Alto-based label TBA Records plus another featuring Gerald Albright on sax, Ron Eschete on guitar and pianist/co-producer Joe Massimino.



Daline headlined for 10 consecutive years at Harry Denton's Starlight Room, singing jazz and soul in her iconic white elbow-length gloves before packing it all in to move to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in April 2005. I caught up with Daline and her white gloves as she was singing just a few hours before El Dia de los Muertos, looking tanner, a decade younger and more gorgeous than ever…

How does the Jazz singer in Cabo day-to-day life compare to the Jazz singer in the Bay Area life?

Well, there are not many Jazz singers here in Cabo, and for me that is the main difference. Since there are so few of us, we can work a lot — there is not the competition for work like you find in the Bay Area. For example, I've done more festivals here in Mexico in four years than I did in the Bay Area in ten! Another difference is that you can be a Jazz singer in Mexico and afford a house on the beach!

When you think of music in Mexico, most people think of Mariachi bands. How is Jazz received?

Jazz is actually appreciated here in Mexico. I think the percentage of Mexicans who enjoy and appreciate Jazz is about the same percentage as the tourists coming from the US and Canada… but it might be higher here because it is not as prevalent. There have been at least two jazz festivals here in Cabo each year for the past 5 or 6 years. I've performed at the festivals here in Cabo, the San Miguel de Allende Festival as well as several large music events in Mexico City with a 17 piece Jazz Big Band…so I'd say jazz is definitely well-received.

I heard a club owner begged you for months to leave your contract at one place in order to play his venue. This reminds me of Harlem back in the 20's or 30's. What is the scene like?

Well, I felt flattered but again, it comes back to being one of the few Jazz singers here. Certain venues really want to offer jazz to their clientele, and I am fortunate to be the singer they contact.

They say that musicians in each city have their own particular vibe, i.e. New York's Herculean tempos, Chicago's blues, New Orleans' funky backline, San Francisco's melodic swing. What is the vibe in Cabo and how do the musicians compare?

Here in Cabo, we've got a very small community of Jazz players — some from Mexico, but also Brazil, Argentina, Cuba and the US. So, there's a blending of cultures that influences the music. Most of the serious players really studied and their education shows up in their playing. I don't think there is a "Cabo style," yet…. The whole Jazz scene here is still in its infancy. Most of the players are in their 20s and 30s, and Cabo itself is still young, too, so let's see what the next 10 years will bring!

Are there different songs that are more popular? Is there much Latin Jazz or fusion?

The same songs that are popular on a Jazz gig in the US are popular here too — standards, blues, swing — but I've added Mexican songs to my repertoire which I sing in Spanish of course — they are not Jazz but they work on the gigs. Some players will take a standard and turn it into a Tango or take a swing tune and make it Samba — they may not call it fusion or Latin Jazz… but it is influenced by their particular cultural background.

You have a new CD out. How does this differ from your previous work? Has Cabo influenced you?

Yes, I do have a new CD, "Listening to the Light." And being here in Cabo definitely had an influence on it because I collaborated with two composers: Mexican composer/pianist Diego Ramirez and Brazilian composer/percussionist Luciano Callado. Diego and I co-wrote most of the tunes — going into a Pop/Soul/Jazz direction that was totally unplanned! I also recorded a song of Luciano's, which I sang in Portuguese. Both of these guys are great musicians who have years of study backing up their chops, and they've been a tremendous influence on my style and my singing in general. My earlier CDs were mostly covers of standards. Now I am inspired to write more… our next project is going to be very different from this current one as well.

Can we buy your CD online? Where can we find you performing in Cabo?

Yes, thanks for asking! You can buy it online at CDBaby.com and at iTunes. And when you come to Cabo you can find me performing at The Office on Medano Beach, Amarone Ristorante at Plaza Paraiso on the San Lucas Marina and Cerritos Beach Club. We also play regularly at Zinco Jazz Club in Mexico City. My calendar is at www.dalinejones.com.