Review: Vanessa Rubin | The Dream Is You
Bebop is not widely known for its romantics, so many fans and aficionados of the era fell silent to the greatest romanticist of the time: Tadd Dameron. Though he was a part of the bebop scene, his warm, rich harmonies and romantic melodies were more akin to the world of big band, to which he was born, and to modern jazz. It takes a gentle soul to understand the ups and downs of life and love and Dameron was one such soul. This is the realm of music from which this vocalist of equal romantic acumen has selected charts. But be clear, this is just a peek into the extensive vault of compositions left by Mr. Dameron.
To plagiarize a line from the visionary 1966 television show Star Trek, Vanessa Rubin has boldly gone where no woman has gone before, exploring and giving new life to the tapped and untapped compositions of Dameron. So, to merely call this woman a singer does her a great injustice because Ms. Rubin just doesn’t sing a song, she embodies empathy and emotes the lyric. This is an attribute that only a vocalist of her stature can gift an audience. There are no vocal gymnastics to showcase her ego, just an honest and humble purveyance enabling the audience to reminisce personal memories.
Rubin kicks off this swinging set with the Stanley Cornfield lyrics to the sixteen bar Lady Bird, one of the most performed in modern jazz. The first line “we fit together like two birds of a feather” foretells just how deep in the groove Dameron and Rubin are, as well as what the arrangers have done for the lyricist and vocalist, thus giving one an idea of where this small compendium of music is going to take us.
The equally swinging Kitchenette Across The Hall characterizes a chance encounter of those two birds that leads to romance which culminates in marriage and the eventual combining of homes. If You Could See Me Now drops down to ballad tempo and Rubin delivers an honest baring of her own soul in the attempt to recapture lost love. Written in 1946 especially for Sarah Vaughan, with lyrics penned by Carl Sigman, it became one of Vaughan’s signature songs.
We’ve all had those fabulous escapes or little departures from life’s routine and Weekend exalts the memories of a snowy fun-filled Maine getaway. Not prolonged with verbose lyrics but exacting the unabashed pleasures two people spent. The Georgie Fame lyrics swing lightly once again On A Misty Night extolling the beauty and bliss of fleeting love in the night. The easy going Never Been In Love is a mid-tempo lament that every stalwart individual has felt at one time or another in their life, and then, love happens and completely changes the view.
With Next Time Around (Soultrane) she speaks to the end of a love affair, questioning how to move on living with the consequences of yesterday’s choices and hoping to find the answers the next time love happens along. If you’re tempting fate, then there is only one simple piece of advice offered, use Good Bait to catch the object of your desire. Reveries Do Come True (The Dream Is You) is an homage to a woman who has taken hold of his heart. Whatever Possessed Me is another Dameron ballad that confirms the magic of love and all the things that become evident in its unfolding.
You’re A Joy is a simple easy going statement sans flair in which Vanessa expounds the pleasure of being in love. The flute solo is lyrical and inviting the listener into the relationship. I Think I’ll Go Away reminisces the mixed emotions of a lover who realizes the joyful torment her heart undergoes.
I would be remiss if I did not give tribute to Dameron’s contemporaries enlisted by Ms. Rubin who majestically arranged ten of the twelve compositions. They were a part of the bebop era, Frank Foster, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, and Willie Smith all knew the man and his sensibilities. And though Bobby Watson came along after Tadd passed away, he comes with an arrangement that clearly understands the sentiment of the man. As usual, in her inimitable style, we are once again graced to witness Vanessa’s lyrical chops as she pens the words to Reveries Do Come True, a topic she knows all too well.
For those of us who are familiar with Ms. Rubin’s catalogue of work there is no surprise in her innate ability to turn a lyric into an emotional surprise. She never ceases to impress me with her facility with each tune, singing with mastery, melody and always with her audience in mind. This is suggestive of the shifting moods and tempos of the composer’s music, thus, there is never a dull moment. While other singers venture into realms and genres of music to stretch themselves, just like the robin the harbinger of springtime, Ms. Rubin stays true to her craft by discovering for the enthusiast unheard gems of jazz. She brings a fresh approach to Mr. Dameron by her choices of his songs to cover, creating a dreamworld for the listener. She weaves a tapestry of love with its many facets of pleasure and suffering, The Dream Is You is less a tribute to Tadd Dameron and more a testament to a loving relationship between vocalist and composer.
carl anthony | notorious jazz | march 26, 2019
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Hollywood To 52nd Street
I Want To Be Happy and Tea For Two are two compositions that received a third set of bows when they appeared in the 1940 Hollywood musical comedy remake of No, No, Nanette. The music was composed by Vincent Youmans, with lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach. The film was based first on Frank Mandel’s 1919 Broadway play My Lady Friends, which would become the 1924 Chicago hit play No, No, Nanette before landing on Broadway in 1925. Then in 1930 the play became a film, with its most successful remake in the 1940 film.
The Story: Perky young Nanette attempts to save the marriage of her uncle and aunt by untangling Uncle Jimmy from several innocent but ensnaring flirtations. Attempting one such undoing, Nanette enlists the help of theatrical producer Bill Trainor, who promptly falls in love with her. The same thing happens when artist Tom Gillespie is called upon for help. But soon Uncle Jimmy’s flirtations become too numerous, and Nanette’s romances with Tom and Bill run afoul. Will Uncle Jimmy’s marriage survive, and who will Nanette find happiness with?
The 1940 film starred Anna Neagle, Richard Carlson, Victor Mature, Roland Young, Helen Broderick, ZaSu Pitts, Eve Arden and Billy Gilbert. Supporting cast included Tamara, Stuart Robertson, Dorothea Kent, Aubrey Mather, Mary Gordon and Russell Hicks.
Three Wishes
Nica approached Babs Gonzales and inquired what his three would be if he could wish anything in the world and his reply was:- “A million beans.”
- “TA villa in Gothenburg.”
- “A twenty-piece band composed of my friends.”
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Review: Lenora Zenzalai Helm | For The Love Of Big Band
For those of you who aspire to greatness, who challenge your status quo, and who dare to create something majestic, one must dig deep inside for the temerity. Whether you question the audacity of the idea, it takes confidence to even dare the monumental task of bringing nearly four dozen men and women together, producing a unique and innovative big band sound.
Under the auspicious name of The Tribe Jazz Orchestra, vocalist and bandleader Lenora Zenzalai Helm joins the ranks of Lil Hardin Armstrong, Kit McClure, Blanche Calloway, Valaida Smith, Lovie Austin, Sherrie Maracle, and In Ray Hutton among others.
Helm’s debut orchestra project, For The Love Of Big Band, was recorded live in concert over a two day period on March 26~27, 2019 and released on her own label, Zenzalai Music. This album brings new arrangements showcasing legendary composers and big band leaders ~ Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln, Mal Waldron, Victor Young, John Coltrane, George & Ira Gershwin, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Clifford Brown, and Duke Ellington to name a few.
This twelve composition compendium of classics illuminates the musical genius of those who charted the big band course, laid the foundation and set the standard for this talented vocalist and bandleader to follow in their footsteps. Choosing Blues For Mama, Bebop, Chega de Saudade/No More Blues, It Could Happen To You, Soul Eyes, Everything But You, I Didn’t Know About You, Sandu, But Not For Me, A Conversation With God (Dear Lord), Mississippi Goddam, and Stella By Starlight, she spans several decades, from the Thirties to the Sixties. The music is a mix of jazz standards, brought swingingly to life at the live concert. Helm guided the band through the new arrangements by Stanley Cowell, Cecil Bridgewater, Maurice Myers and Brian Horton
Lenora’s Tribe Jazz Orchestra is composed of twenty-four musicians that include her voice, piano, guitar, bass,drums, reeds, trumpets,trombones and saxophone and orchestra conductor. Her Tribe Jazz Orchestra Septet, pulls three from the orchestra, adds conductor to her voice, along with cello, tenor saxophone, acoustic bass and the NCCU Vocal Jazz Ensemble as guest artists. Other special guests are pianist Joey Calderazzo, Acoustic bassist Ameen Saleem, and Maurice Myers ~ Vocal Soloist on A Conversation With God.
This is a well thought out and produced program of music that will introduce the novice to big band jazz and delight the aficionado who is seeking to expand his/her horizons and include one more big bandleader to their arsenal, who just so happens to be a vocalist, conductor, bandleader, and educator and all woman. I charge you to engage and listen carefully to the maturity of expression that Lenora Zenzalai Helm has put into and extracted from herself and the talented musicians under her purview. This is a wonderful and soulful performance by all accounts and something you will enjoy for years to come.
carl anthony | notorious jazz | february 15, 2020
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Hollywood On 52nd Street
Guess Who I Saw Today is a popular jazz song composed by Murray Grand with lyrics by Elisse Boyd. The song was originally composed for Leonard Sillman’s Broadway musical revue New Faces of 1952 in which it was sung by June Carroll.
The revue opened on Broadway at the Royale Theatre on May 16, 1952 and ran for 365 performances. It was produced by Leonard Sillman, directed by John Murray Anderson and John Beal with choreography by Richard Barstow. The sketches were written by Ronny Graham and Brooks. The songs were composed by, among others, Harnick, Graham, Murray Grand and Arthur Siegel.
The cast featured Graham, Kitt, Clary, Virginia Bosler, June Carroll, Virginia De Luce, Alice Ghostley, Patricia Hammerlee, Carol Lawrence, Paul Lynde and Bill Milliken. De Luce and Graham won the 1952 Theatre World Award. The revue marked Kitt’s Broadway debut, singing a sultry rendition of “Monotonous”, about how boring a life of luxury was.
Two years later, the name was abridged to New Faces and was adapted into a motion picture filmed in Cinemascope and Eastmancolor and was released by 20th Century Fox on March 6, 1954. It helped jumpstart the Hollywood careers of several young performers including Paul Lynde, Alice Ghostley, Eartha Kitt, Robert Clary, Carol Lawrence, Ronny Graham, performer/writer Mel Brooks (as Melvin Brooks), and lyricist Sheldon Harnick.