Ester Andujar´s last concert, at IAJE (SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, -2006), introduced her last album, "Celebrating Cole Porter" and also some songs of her next album, based in her own compositions, where she sings in spanish and valencian and she reflects her musical backround wich includes brazilian and mediterranean music, jazz, soul, be-bop or funk. She has a demo of these songs avalaible.

Ester Andújar has been awarded this year being finalist at "Shure Montreux Voice Jazz Competition" and receiving the "Jury´s President Prize" (Jury hosted by Barbara Hendricks), and also at the "7th International Jazz Soloist Competition" in Monaco, where she received the second prize in a instrumental competition where she was the first singer of the competition´s history, being the other finalists piano (1rst prize) and guitar (3rd prize).

"Celebrating Cole Porter" (Omix Records), was recorded in NY with musicians like Helen Sung, Adam Cruz, Peter Bernstein, Rob Bargad, Ximo Tébar or Ben Street.

A voice for Cole Porter - La Voz de Asturias - Viernes 24 de Marzo de 2006
The quartet of jazz "Ester Andújar Group" did its presentation Wednesday in Oviedo within the programming of the cycle ' Music of the century XX'. From Valencia Spain, Ester Andújar, as leader of the group, is one of the most promising figures of the national and international jazz scene. In spite of her youth,she has enough confidence singing difficult songs that, while being a challenge for the majority, they sound simple when she sings them.

Ester arrived in Asturias for a concert to interpret the some new material of her CD 'Celebrating Cole Porter'. Besides the classic Brazilian and jazz standards the public hoped to hear, she added some of her beautiful originals. Really, a repertoire of great interpreterpritations with the soul of Ella Fitzgerald, the depth of Sarah Vaughan and the languid touch of Billie Holiday.

Also, Ester leaned towards the Nordic jazzists and puts forward the minimalist purity and forced exhibicionism through song. Classic academic for jazz for some without being adulterating for others. Somthing for everyone. Ester Andújar gratified the responsive public with a recital in which bebop, swing, soul and bossa were allied to make scats shine with agility - the night was prodigal in them; a clean phrasing; a perfect pronuntiation, direct without overstating or oversweet pose.

Ester showed her best in the pieces of Porter -'Night day', 'Easy To Love', 'My Heart Belongs to Daddy' and 'Just One of Those Things' - and in the Brazilian songs of Joao Bosco and Milton Nascimento - mainly in 'Cançao do Sal'. She drained herself in the important ballads "E Eu Preciso Aprender A ser Sò", written in Portuguese; "Unes Mans Com Les Teues", in Valencian, and "Páginas Preciosas", in Spanish. She was masterfully conservative in "Autumn Leaves", of Legrand, and 'Straight No Chaser', of Monk. With cleverness, she suggested with persuassion a perfect performance.
MARIAN PIDAL.

Voz: Ester Andújar.
Piano: Santi Navalón.
Bass: César Giner.
Drums: Narso Rodríguez.
Place: Sala Cultural Cajastur.

"Her greatest contribution is not reminding us of the good tunes this great composer wrote - for this matter we only need to choose some familiar taste from our record collection - but showing us new perspectives on an excellent songbook in a precise and seductive way (...).Ester sings with laid-back expression and her phrasing flows easily. It seems clear that she appropriately relies on the legato and the soft attack. Her singing style is light, in the sense that she avoids dramatic density unless she deems it absolutely necessary. She can be virtuosic, like in "From This Moment" which has the best scat of the recording, or intimate; but never does she overact nor try to show off her talents beyond the scope of the tune.(...) Ester sagaciously shows us that we can continue to sing Cole Porter without being retro"
Sergio A. Pujol. Writer and musical critic. He is author, among other books, of "Jazz al sur. La música negra en la Argentina" (Emecé-Planeta).

Ester Andujar doctor her jazz in New York.
"Ester Andujar begins the year as she finished: adding points in the international scene of the jazz. Her polished technique and her expressive capacity resist with a rigorous knowledge of the jazz language and a surprising dominion of the scene."
Pablo Sanz, El Mundo, January 14^th, 2006.

Tribute.
"Ester Andujar remembers in this work the best creations of the Cole Porter. With a great voice, jazzy and with some modern arrangements (that do not end with the original swing), (...) the singer interprets the songs with a sometimes tender voice, other seducer."
Interviú, January 28^th, 2006.

Ester Andujar comes from a Spanish tour in Spain where she´s been in festivals like "Getxo Jazz Festival", "Ibiza Jazz Festival", "Festival de Jazz de la provincia de Sevilla" (8 concerts), "Lugo Jazz Festival" and also at important jazz clubs like "Café España" in Valladolid or "El Junco" in Madrid, and also she introduced her new CD at the last IAJE convention in NY city, January 2006.