iLa Cantor, Highlights of the Grey (indie)
A Review
iLa Cantor first made her mark as a forward-thinking jazz guitarist/composer who could draw on a variety of styles—from bebop to acid rock to finger-picking folk—to create playful, sometimes thorny compositions that developed in delightfully unexpected ways. In 2011, after a sojourn in northern New Mexico, Cantor released a well-received trio
instrumental album, Creature (Najulda Records), but within a year, she had moved from Brooklyn to Hawaii and begun what
became a two-year hiatus from the music.
“When I came back to music it was with a clearer understanding, and a better sense of myself and what I want to do. I am beyond grateful to have let this process happen, it’s given me courage to let the music become a positive force, rather than an impossible one that I have to defeat and conquer,” she said in a recent email.
In metamorphosis, one life form spins a cocoon, then digests and reconstitutes itself in
another, more dazzling life form. Highlights of the Grey, Cantor’s new album, finds her
transformed into a singer/songwriter who brings potent messages from a deep well of spirit, carried on wavelengths of beauty and mystery.