Venissa Santi

Tue., May 19, 8 and 9:45 p.m., $15, Chris' Jazz Café, 1421 Sansom St., 215-568-3131, chrisjazzcafe.com.

by Shaun Brady

jazz/afro-cuban fusion

During the entire span of her studies at UArts, Ithaca, N.Y.-born singer Venissa Santi rarely strayed from the blocks surrounding the school. But after graduation, the first-generation Cuban-American found herself taking the bus to North Philly, teaching at the local Asociacion de Musicos Latino Americanos (AMLA) and suddenly being immersed in a culture that she only knew through stories told by her family. That experience eventually led her to visit Cuba, where she finally found the sound she'd been looking for. Her debut CD, Bienvenida (Sunnyside Records), is a crushed-velvet blend of jazz sultriness, gentle Afro-Cuban inflections and pop songwriting. With an ambitious eye for new experiences, Santi recently participated in John Hollenbeck's residency at the Painted Bride, unveiling possibilities for impressionistic approaches to her more mainstream stylings. Santi's originals will catch the same ears entranced by Norah Jones a few years back, but listen deeper for her clever fusing of "Tender Shepard" and "Little Girl Blue" or her unexpectedly bluesy take on "Como Fue."

Tue., May 19, 8 and 9:45 p.m., $15, Chris' Jazz Café, 1421 Sansom St., 215-568-3131, chrisjazzcafe.com.