“Jessie Montgomery’s Loisaida, for soprano/cello duet and chorus is a vibrant love song for Loisaida, a neighborhood in New York’s Lower East Side. Montgomery set the “Loisaida” text, written by poet, educator and activist John Bimbo Rivas, with soprano moments that played out like recitative – including a stern verbal whacking to the neighborhood for not caring for itself – followed by the choir in loving proclamations “Loisaida, te amo” – shades of a 1940’s love ballad. Soloist Joseph sang the difficult role beautifully and with the drama it deserves. Right along with her was Ives on cello, strong and energetic, doing her own dance, interacting with Joseph as they strode the streets together. The diversity of Loisaida, presented at the 2017 premiere of “The Five Boroughs Songbook II”, is its strength.”