The Fourteenth Hour is the hour when you make your dreams come true no matter what!
2007 West Coast Blues Hall of Fame Best Jazz Group of the Year
Recipient of the Bay Area Blues Society Best Jazz Group of the Year award, Anna Maria Flechero has recorded and performed with numerous distinguished resident and international musicians, e.g., Nelson Braxton, Lewis Nash, David Williams, Billy Higgins as well as the late bebop jazz pianist and luminary, Cedar Walton. Her performances include many international and Bay Area venues—Yoshi’s, Angelicas, Fenix, Savanna Jazz as well as festivals including the San Francisco Filipino American Jazz Festival, Pacifica’s Fog Fest and the Streets of Brentwood.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Afro-Filipina Anna Maria Flechero wrote lyrics, composed music and accompanied her brothers’ bands in various local music competitions. In her early 20’s Ms. Flechero co-founded Blessed Soul, a 13-piece Latin jazz band that performed on the same concert bills with such heavyweights as Santana, Pete Escovedo, Malo, and Graham Central Station. Eventually, Ms. Flechero ventured out on her own as a solo artist and landed a gig in Fukuoka, Japan after being described by the San Francisco Chronicle as a “modern day blues singer.” In Fukuoka, Ms. Flechero performed at the internationally known Blackberrys and while there she met and sat in one night with jazz greats Cedar Walton, Billy Higgins and Tony Dumas.
2004 was a pivotal year for Ms. Flechero when she released her first CD, Journey Into The Fourteenth Hour, boldly redefining music on her own terms infusing bossa nova, Latin, R&B and gospel rhythms into a jazz equation. Jazz Review described Journey as an “articulate and serious expression of vocal jazz at its finest.” Journey features tracks: “Trouble On My Mind,” which is Ms. Flechero’s socially conscience take on the immorality of war, drugs, etc.; the inspirational “I Believe” and the universal cry of “I Betcha Never Thought” (renamed “My Dream Is Your Dream”). “Trust In Me” and “Quiet Time” remembers moments of love. Journey Into The Fourteenth Hour is a powerful statement about life and love.
Following up in 2008, Ms. Flechero released her second CD, Within The Fourteenth Hour, featuring jazz luminary Cedar Walton. Within The Fourteenth Hour is a 10-track CD of well known jazz and pop standards improvised plus one original, “Pretty Soon.” Jazz Police wrote, “Anna Maria’s incomparable voice creates a voyage from start to finish, each song having its own specialty and flavor to truly create a diverse passage from track to track, but it is in the final cut, ‘Pretty Soon,’ where we get a full view of Anna’s abilities as a lyricist and composer… Musically, Anna Maria has created a beautiful composition that is texturally stunning and harmonically rich.” Music reviewer Paul Freeman of the Palo Alto Daily News agrees: “San Francisco jazz singer Anna Maria Flechero delivers an outstanding set. The soul and sophistication of her voice brings new meaning to such standards as ‘Misty’ and ‘I Wish You Love.’ Richly realized arrangements and production enhance her performances. The bonus track, ‘Pretty Soon,’ is a Flechero original that holds its own in the company of classic tunes.”
Internationally, Lithuania received Ms. Flechero with standing room only concerts at the architecturally stunning 17th century Sv. Kotrynos Baznycia (St. Catherine’s Church) turned music venue in the capital city of Vilnius and then at Kauno Valstybine Filharmonija (Kaunas State Philharmonic) in Kaunas, Lithuania before returning the United States for concerts on the Big Island of Hawaii.
In 2015, Ms. Flechero journeyed to her father’s homeland performing at several concert venues in Manila. She returned in 2016 as a headliner at the West Philippine Sea Jazz and Blues Festival at the Birdland Beach Club resort in Bolinao, Philippines.
In 2009, Ms. Flechero signed with Arizona University Recordings affiliated with EMI, Sony BMG and others to distribute select songs internationally on several different jazz compilations including In Love With Jazz Vol. 3, The Ultimate Smooth Jazz Collectionand The Best Smooth Jazz…Ever! Vol. 4 released by EMI Music Poland, which features the works of—Nina Simone, Lizz Wright, Cassandra Wilson, Norah Jones and others.
In her latest work, Ms. Flechero crosses over from the jazz genre into the Urban/R&B genre with the single “Stand Up For Peace.” “Stand Up for Peace” is a nonviolent call to all to fight for democracy as well as other social issues, e.g., global warming, drug addiction, immigration, etc.