By Victoria Collins
October 16, 2008 – Looking forward to the American Society of Young Musicians Music Benefit Concert & Award Ceremony, Jazz vocalist and pianist Diane Schuur reflects on her most recent release Some Other Time which marks a return to her jazz roots.
The album is a tribute to the music of her parent’s generation, a solid return to Schuur’s jazz roots. It is also a celebration of her mother’s life; its release made to coincide with the 40th anniversary of her mother’s passing.
The two-time Grammy-award winning singer performs a number of instantly recognizable selections on the album, including tunes by Gershwin, Berlin, and Hammerstein. Through her stunning voice style and compelling interpretation, one is reminded at once of both the timelessness and immediacy of jazz.
Some Other Time features a 1964 recording of the then 10-year-old Schuur singing “September in the Rain” at the Holiday Inn in Tacoma, WA. This is followed by an intimate exchange between Schuur and her mother, who asks her daughter if she knows “Danny Boy.” A young Schuur answers that she will record the song just for her one day. What follows next is one of the most beautiful and emotive arrangements of the Irish classic.
On Monday, Schuur will be awarded the “All That Jazz Award” in recognition of her contributions to the world of jazz and music.
VC: This is a real pleasure to speak with you, thank you for taking the time to talk with me today.
DS: You’re very welcome.
VC: I just wanted to say congrats on the album. I’ve been listening to it and it’s quite extraordinary.
DS: Oh cool.
VC: How would you describe the album?
DS: Well, it’s an album of some of my favorite songs. It’s a tribute to a generation; and of course you know, it’s dedicated to mamma. It’s an album that I really treasure a lot.
VC: Have you wanted to do something like this for a while? Has this idea been in the back of your mind for some time?
DS: Yeah I have, I’ve been meaning to do it for a long time.
VC: And so on the 40th anniversary of your mother’s passing, it finally came around; 2008 has been a big year for you.
DS: Yeah it has, it’s been a big year.
VC: Definitely, who are some of your musical influences in your life and on the album?
DS: Dinah Washington is the biggest; Nancy Wilson, she’s a dear friend of mine; Sarah Vaughan, those are the three. And of course, when I really started getting into jazz I listened a lot to Ella Fitzgerald.
VC: In regards to the songs themselves; how did you choose these particular tunes?
DS: I was very selective about the songs as I wanted to have a coherent theme. So, with the help of my manager Marc Silag we kept going over things, went through lots and lots of different material and this is what we came up with.
VC: When you approach these jazz standards how do you make them your own?
DS: Through interpretation.
VC: I was blown away by your interpretation of “Blue Skies.”
DS: Oh yes, thank you. You know Randy Porter arranged almost all of the songs, with a little help from me. But “Blue Skies”, nobody else has done that kind of arrangement, in the time signature that it is done in either. It’s in 3|4 time; in that regard alone it’s different and gives the song a kind of a lilting feel to it.
VC: It’s a favorite of mine that’s for sure. Do you have any favorite songs on the album?
DS: I think Danny Boy is one of my favorites.
VC: And that was recorded as a tribute to your mother?
DS: My mom, yeah. I mean I was emotional on a lot of them, but I think Danny Boy was the one that I really sang out towards my mom.
VC: What was it like to finally record that?
DS: Pretty emotional. It was really quite a moment, it was like a part of me was actually transported out of the studio, like I left all that behind and just went for it.
VC: Were there any surprises along the way while making the album?
DS: Just the progression of the tunes and the way that they evolved in three days of work and it was done. I did two or three takes of each one and that was basically it.
VC: Well congratulations on such a wonderful album, and also congrats on the upcoming recognition at the American Society of Young Musicians Benefit Concert & Awards ceremony in Las Vegas.
DS: Oh, thank you, it’s quite an honor. It came out of left field really, and luckily I’ve got a little bit of time off so it worked out just perfectly.
VC: Is there anything in particular that you are looking forward to when you go to Las Vegas?
DS: Oh, you know, I’m really looking forward to seeing B.B. King again; I haven’t seen him in a few years. We worked on an album called “Heart to Heart.” And Justin Timberlake, Wayne Newton, and WAR – it would be great to meet them too.
VC: No doubt, that’s quite a line up, with you included. In regards to that, what does the All That Jazz Award mean to you?
DS: Well, it’s the fact that I’ve been pounding the pavement for so many years in the jazz genre and it’s nice to be recognized once again by my peers. It’s a real highlight of my life.
VC: How were you introduced to jazz?
DS: My mom picked up a lot of albums when I was a kid: George Shearing, Lionel Hampton, and a lot of other jazz greats and through exposure to listening to all of this great music, it’s how I got motivated into the field and I’ve never regretted it. I kept pursuing it. I wouldn’t want to do anything else.
VC: What will you perform at the Benefit Concert?
DS: I’m going to perform one tune. I’ll check out the mood of the crowd and see how it goes. I’ll know, I’ll know when it comes time.
VC: What’s next for you in your immediate future? I see you’ve still got some tour dates ahead.
DS: That’s the thing that I’m really focused on- the touring. I’ll be gone from November 6th - it starts in Seattle on the 7th. I’ll be going to Brazil and Argentina, and then going on and doing a number of gigs in Europe. I won’t be back until the 7th of December, that’s three days before my birthday.
VC: That’s an amazing schedule.
DS: Yes, I love to do what I’m doing.
VC: The Benefic Concert and Awards are sponsored by the American Society of Young Musicians, so what advice would you give to musicians looking to follow you in your footsteps as a successful artist?
DS: I would say to keep focused and to try to have a sense of humor, as there are many facets to the road that aren’t always glamorous- delayed flights and all sorts of different things.
VC: What’s it like traveling so often?
DS: I drink a lot of water and go through a lot of different time zones [laughs] sleep when I can.
VC: You have a couple days off now and then you’re off to Las Vegas.
DS: Yeah, I go to Las Vegas on Monday and then I am going to New York to do a gig the 31st through 2nd of November with the Lionel Hampton Celebration Band at the Iridium Theater.
VC: That’s a great live jazz venue in New York City. What is your most favorite or memorable live performance?
DS: Oh, that’s like comparing apples to oranges, but one of the most memorable was when I performed with Ray Charles in 1998...then there’s Carnegie Hall, The White House, and those times on The Johnny Carson Show.
VC: Performing at the White House must have been an amazing experience for you.
DS: When I performed at the White House 1982 it was an All-Star Jazz Concert and at the very end of the performance Nancy Reagan gave me a hug. It was really neat... I am really going to push to bring jazz back to the White House.
VC: It is truly a beautiful expression of American music. Well it’s been a real pleasure speaking with you today. Congratulations on your continued success and have a great time at the ASYM Benefit Concert & Awards Ceremony.
DS: Thanks, I feel really honored to be performing at the concert on Monday night, and don’t worry- I’ll definitely give them heaven that’s for sure.
