A Song in Need

Like a good neighbor, the slogan goes, State Farm is there. And so is Isis, the manager of a team of claims reps here in the insurance company's South Florida offices. But after hours, the Cuban-American chanteuse offers a different kind of consolation -- the kind that fills a smoky room with a little blues in the night. Three years ago the amateur torch singer was introduced to trumpeter extraordinaire Arturo Sandoval by her voice teacher. The Latin jazz legend accompanied her on a classic bolero on the grand piano in his living room, and from there the recording project New Directions was born. Along with fellow powerhouses Ed Calle on sax, Ernesto Simpson on drums, and Dennis Marks on bass, Sandoval backs Isis as she performs equal parts Cuban boleros and Ella Fitzgerald-style standards with a sultry swing. Look for much of this same gang behind her at Carnaval Miami's upscale street fest, Sun Day on the Mile.