September 12, 2011
Sunny with a Chance of Rain
Posted by Lauren Kinhan
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the summer wrap party newsletter. And what a party it was! It harkened back to the old days of New York Voices being on the road for six weeks, living out of two huge suitcases and traveling with all our outboard gear and upright bass … only nowadays you can only travel with one 50 pound valise, no outboard gear, no upright bass and just one regular musician in your band with the rest great pick up players in the towns you pull in to. Yah, times have changed, but the one sure thing about jazz musicians is we adapt. And in many cases, it enhances the experience, personalizes it and makes a more permanent imprint on my failing memory.
This year I got to pick up my daughter from her last day of school before leaving for the airport. And after all these years of working and juggling family, I put together a summer strategy for us to enjoy together while I worked with the Voices and did my own solo concerts.
I left on June 28, with too many suitcases due to an NYV photo shoot in Cologne, and began the adventure. It all started in a beautiful Italian beach town, Lignano Sabbiadoro,where this first time jazz festival set up their stage right on the sand not far from the surf.We pulled together the beach party set, resurrecting some ofNYV’s old pop faves, Way of the World, Traffic Jam and Open Invitation and got the people on their feet. Three quarters of the way through the show, the sky started sprinkling and umbrellas promptly opened. 
We finished the show with nearly all the audience hanging in there, signed a few CDs and then had to run for the tents, because the sky lashed out a thunderous storm that lasted a solid and very wet half hour. Thank goodness there was Prosecco, the Italians think of everything. You'll see now that this was a harbinger of things to come this summer. Read on.
After Italy we flew to Lugano, Switzerland to join up with our partners in the Vocalese program, The Manhattan Transfer. 
It’s a beautiful festival set in the town square near Lake Lugano. What a magnificent lake and lovely city. The show was a blast and went off without a hitch (i.e. no rain). We really had too much fun.
The next day we all attended the great Caterina Valente’s 80th Birthday party up in the hills overlooking the lake and dressing up in costumes as requested by our hostess.
I was sorry I couldn't pack my gorilla costume, alas oversize luggage is a no no, so I made do with what I had. Caterina is one of the greats from a time when live TV and multi talented people had an outlet to showcase their chops. She was a singer, dancer, actor, comedienne, and musician once upon a time. You must Google her, you will be amazed.
Next the Voices traveled on to Cologne, Germany where we finished mixing our live recording with the great WDR Big Band under the direction of Michael Abene (NYV’s producer of their debut CD). It’s a nice retrospective of our years together with some nice new surprises. I’ll let you know when that will be on the market. We then did a photo shoot, running around the city of Cologne with a talented photographer, Peter Blum, followed by an intimate show in the round at a club we enjoy playing when we’re in town.
I shipped one whole suitcase home and leaned down for the second part of my adventure in Russia, Italy and Paris. Ah, Paris. But more on that in a minute. We arrived in Moscow to unscheduled TV cameras and interviews. Then they wined and dined us to our tummy’s content. We performed with the George Garanian Big Band (George is no longer alive, but his wife carries on his legacy) which was really quite good. The Jazz Festival was on the grounds of Catherine the Great’s country house that is now open to the public. It’s really quite spectacular. 
We managed to do our show with the rain only threatening, then the great Benny Golson took the stage.The rain came during his program, but no one left!Umbrellas popped open,it rained through the sunshine,and then gave up. What a thrill to meet him and his lovely wife.
Back to Paris….and this is where the family gets sprinkled in. We stayed in a lovely flat in Montparnasse and proceeded to walk that city until we had no soles. I hooked up with a local trio, Le Trio Invite, and did a concert at my friend’s showroom, demonstrating the state of the art amplifier he designed.The company is called Devialet and my friend is Mathias Moronvalle. It’s a fantastic sounding devise for your stereo set up,but it worked equally as well routing my voice through during the show. We had a great audience and then after the red wine was opened, there was another impromptu jam. I had a great time getting to know these fine musicians who later became a huge part of our remaining days in Paris, showing me and my family the local haunts and opening their homes to us when our tired feet could travel no further. My daughter’s favorite site was of course,the Eiffel Tower, and mine was the baguette and cheese!
All good things must come to an end, but not for me. My family flew home, but I had one more European date to rejoin my NYV colleagues in the lovely seaside city of Trieste. I got there a day early and walked this old Roman town, visiting the ruins of it’s Coliseum and then up to the old castle build in the late 1400’s. Pretty amazing. And this was also the site of the jazz festival we were to perform in the following night. 
I dined in the old square on the water and afterward I had the most delectable chocolate gelato. This gelateria only made versions of chocolate, so you can imagine my dilemma on deciding which kind of chocolate gelato I would take, so I took two.
We all enjoyed the city the next day; it was sunny and hot. The promoter pushed the show later, so the audience would be more comfortable, but while we were eating dinner on one of the many lookout points of the castle, those dark clouds started rolling in and fast. We quickly finished dinner and started getting ready, but the audience was told a later time, so we waited. We took the stage as soon as there were enough people, opened with On a Clear Day (how ironic), and that cued the first raindrop to fall. We squeezed in two more songs before the rain really started to come and the lightening got too close for comfort. We ran for cover, they dropped the stage cover, wrapped the piano and then cleared the deck for an incredible thunder and lightening storm. This is the first time in our 23 years of touring that we have been actually rained out. For those people lucky enough to have run to the room with us and the ancient cannons, we serenaded them with two more songs.
We all flew home the next day, but for me, I only touched down long enough to pick up my daughter and head for Cannon Beach, Oregon. She hung out with her grandmother,aunt, uncles and cousin, and I did Yoga at my sister’s new studio, Cannon Beach Yoga Arts! Restoration is a must, especially when you have no ankles from all the flying and red wine.
I also had two gigs booked with a great local band, the Pete Petersen Septet. He arranged and adapted songs from my original songbook to feature four horns and it really came out great! It’s my goal to develop this program to encompass more of my original music and give it a full tour. We featured songs from Avalon that already had horns, Move Over Sunshine and Screaming Savoir Faire and adapted the string arrangement on Here After to this setting. We adapted the horn parts from Abelene Rose, from my first CD HardlyBlinking, and that was a big hit. And he wrote fresh arrangements for some of the new music that is in development for my next CD. Getting a chance to draw from the wellspring of talent in Portland is an additional pleasure for me as this is where I grew up and where all my passion for singing took root. We did two shows, one in Cannon Beachat my favorite place to play, the Coaster Theater, and one at Tony’s Starlight in Portland.The shows went very well and I’m sure we will do it again.
After Oregon, I headed to Ohio for the third annualNew York Voices Vocal Jazz Camp in collaboration with Bowling Green State University. We had another tremendous turn out of very talented people from allover the world and from all walks of life. I debuted another original arrangement of mine, which is temporarily titled, Turn the Bass Around, that I taught in my class where the students learn the chart through oral dictation. It went very well and I will be publishing it soon. 
And this year we all attended and sang the AllCamp piece aptly titled The Long Path, at a wedding ceremony that occurred at the University’s Church for two people that met at last year’s camp. Wow! Music is one of our great connectors.
Phew, I’m tired just recounting this. Finally, I pulled into my sleepy seaside town on August 8th, wiped away the cobwebs in my house and rolled out the welcome mat to friends and family. I went to cooking school, thanks to my husband’s thoughtful birthday present, and happily retired to the kitchen for the remainder of the summer. But not before one more water related event hit our doorstep. Luckily Hurricane Irene only knocked out the power and littered our yard with branches and debris, it could have beenso much worse. The storm surge impacted many of my neighbors (but not too seriously),but thankfully, we are situated high and avoided the flooding. Water, the rain, the river, the sea ... wins, it always does.
This should bring us up to date for another quarter of a year. I look forward to reporting back on the fall’s exploits.
Until we read again,
Lauren
April 12, 2011
May Day!
Posted by Lauren Kinhan
Hello Fine People,
Is it Spring Yet?
Here’s a little shout out to all my winter, housebound, compatriots across the world. I don’t mean to exclude those of you who are already enjoying warm weather, it’s just that, we’ve really had a winter this year. January came along and snowed out one of my Manhattan shows, leaving me no choice but to board the Hampton Jitney and beat the storm before it laid it’s bed. It proved the right decision, even though I disappointed a handful of intrepid New Yorkers ready to brave the onslaught of what Mother Nature had in store.
It has been a productive winter though, in fact, I got out quite a bit. I made use of the snow days to sled down hills with my daughter and found time to jot down words for new songs. I did a handful of solo shows in NY and on Long Island and used the time wisely to break in new repertoire and keep the creative juices flowing. Check out my recent YouTube clip of “The Deep Within;” a spiritual beckoning of spring and a renewal of love and faith in good things to come.
The new music that is springing forth is feeling really good. There is a nice variety of songs tipping their hat to the standards while not squelching my appetite for a hearty blues or a new twist on a Brazilian muse. You can count on me to offer that mixed bouquet and let the words and voice provide the glue.
New York Voices traveled hither and yon, hitting some old favorite spots and traveling to new countries far far away.
Before we traveled far, we had the pleasure of driving an hour and a half to the Mohonk Mountain Lodge in NY. It’s from the turn of the century where winter snow shoeing, ice skating, and snow tubing are on the daily list of things to do, intermixed with the jazz festival and three hearty meals a day. We always leave so full in every way.
In March, NYV went to the Java Jazz Festival in Indonesia, the Mosaic Festival in Singapore and we were supposed to go on to Japan until the earthquake changed everything. I brought my daughter and husband on this tour as we had a handful of days at each stop, so it seemed like a great adventure for my nine year old. In Jakarta, she went from seeing the Modern Jazz Quartet to Santana and everything in between. This substantial music exposure helped balance out the Justin Bieber and Miranda Cosgrove shows we attended over the winter months. Someday she’ll appreciate meeting George Benson, but until then, I’ll just keep it on simmer and let her forge her own musical story.
Going to Bali for the first time was an added bonus to the trip. We stayed in a traditional hotel, plantations style, that was beyond beautiful. The concert was a delight intermixed with local bands, a set by Roberta Gamberini and then finally having her sit in with us. What a mega talent she is.
We had another great concert with our pals in The Manhattan Transfer. We each did our own sets, but we have also developed songs to do together. It’s been amazing getting to know them all and it looks as though this program is getting more bookings. After our concert, we were supposed to pack our bags and leave for Japan. This was, however, the day of the earthquake and tsunami. By the next morning, we were in stages of postponing our trip and by 24 hours later, we cancelled the trip entirely and rerouted home. It was and still is so devastating to see the pain and loss experienced by the people of Japan. Many of us in the jazz community feel very connected to our friends there and are involved in the benefits that have sprung up all over the world to raise money for them. In fact, on April 18 Janis Siegel and I participated in a benefit promoted by the Blue Note and Charles Carlini. Paquito joined me in my set and then stayed to play “The Man I Love” with Janis and I. The roster of jazz artists that came out was first class and we all felt good about the sold out room and over $30,000 that was raised.
JaLaLa is getting ready for another NYC date at Birdland on May 16 and a big concert at Kennedy Center’s Women in Jazz Festival on May 19. We’ve added some great new arrangements of Dave Bruebeck’s “Unsquare Dance,” a Boswell Sister’s tune “It’s You,” and an arrangement by me of “Come to Baby Do” inspired by a Doris Day recording. Come to see us do!
Also in May, NYV is heading to California for some fun in the sun, one would hope! We’re playing the Bakersfield Jazz Festival, Yoshi’s in SF, and Kuumbwa in Santa Cruz. Then we’re coming right back to NY to play four nights at the Jazz Standard! There are just plenty of chances to come visit me!
Wishing you all a festive spring.
Yours Truly,
Lauren
DECEMBER 24, 2010
That’s a Wrap!
Posted by Lauren Kinhan
Hello Fine People,
If you’re anything like me, you’re still doing last minute shopping, you’ve forgotten what you’ve bought and you’re now buying a second gift for that person because you can’t remember what you bought or you think it’s not suitable ENOUGH. It’s never enough!! Oh the same voices roll through my head this time of year and the same cloud of doubt comes blazing through about gift giving and exchanging. I sit squarely in the group that doesn’t get their shopping done well in advance, obviously. Why it was only a week after Thanksgiving, I was passing through the airport on my way from here to there that the sales clerk asked me if she could help me with some gift buying ideas — in the news and tchotchka gift shop no less. “Gee, no, but thank you,” I say, and she quickly says she’s done with all her Christmas shopping already. I give the appropriate swoon of admiration and she wallops me with a blow that is just plain brutal, “and they’re wrapped, too.” WHAT! And as I’ve never done before, I bought a copy of O and went through security so I could put a dollar in the massage chair and lick my wounds. I don’t do anything in advance. As you can see, I don’t even get my Christmas message up on my website until it’s Christmas Eve. But now that the clock has won and what’s not bought is not bought, I find a quiet moment to write a thank you note to you.
2010 was a doozy. Launching Avalon was an 8 year process and the joy I feel from having thrown open the windows and booted it out of it’s interior room is extraordinarily satisfying. Accomplishing things is what keeps me ticking. I think we all share this in common. Avalon did respectable in an insane market place where we’re all trying to find our footing. The press gave it some nice notes and the shows were very well received. What’s more, I had soooo much fun. I’ve been in the business for over 25 years, but the feeling never gets old when it feels all lined up. That connection with the audience and my band is what keeps me coming back for more. That I was able to share a moment on stage with my daughter was a particular thrill and made me wonder who was the 8 year old, me or her?
I want to thank everyone who came to a show, bought a CD or somehow supported my art. Without an audience, we play for our moms and pet turtles. And without gigs and deadlines, we can tend to keep it to ourselves, so thank you. I am sufficiently, yet humbly encouraged to warrior on and put the next batch of tunes through their paces. I have learned a lot and I am enjoying the dance more than ever before.
So now I must return to my holiday baking, and putting the final touches on another warm and cozy Christmas and New Year’s celebration.
Wherever you may be, I wish you the very happiest of holidays and may 2011 take you where you want to go.
Peace and Love,
Lauren
OCTOBER 20, 2010
Moss is Growing in Europe this Fall, November 4-10
Posted by Lauren Kinhan
Making our debut to the European community, Kate McGarry, Theo Bleckmann, Peter Eldridge and myself make the jump across the big pond to share our music with new audiences. The Berlin Jazz Festival was the first to raise their hand earlier this year and it really made it possible for us to seriously consider taking this group international. With a lot of help from Theo’s agent, we soon had a substantial mini tour booked and bags that now need packing. We’ll be bringing over two fine musicians from the States to help us present the music, Keith Ganz on guitar — who also played on the CD — and Kermit Driscoll on bass. We’re meeting up with John Hollenbeck in Germany where he now lives. We’ll be doing music from our eponymous CD and adding new repertoire in the works.
Just to be clear, Luciana Souza will not be joining us on this tour. We have spent a few years shaping the group to work as a quartet, always leaving room for Lu to drop in whenever she can, but also very much wanting to preserve the initial goal of the collective - to play, write and share music and ideas with one another and push ourselves out of safe places.
So again we are pushing ourselves, only now to distant shores. We hope you can meet us at one of our many stops along the way. Please visit our website, Mossproduced.org or our Facebook page to learn more about us. I’ve posted our tour itinerary on my website, but it’s also available on the Moss site.
With Great Appreciation,
Lauren
OCTOBER 17, 2010
Avalon featured in Fall 2010 Jazziz Sampler
Posted by Lauren Kinhan
Hey People,
Jazziz is featuring “Here After” from Avalon in their Fall 2010 issue. It’s a very cool thing to have my music sit along side Miles Davis, Danilo Perez, Billy Childs, Randy Brecker and many more. They selected one of my art songs, if you will, that features a wonderful string arrangement by Rob Mounsey, Peter Eldridge on Piano (the co-writer), Jody Redhage on Cello and the incomparable Jonatha Brooke on the duet. It’s a song I wrote after paying a shiva call and noticed among all the well wishers an awareness still of my friend’s mother’s presence in the room, her living room, her kitchen, her home. For those of you who don’t know, this is a custom in the jewish tradition where you pay your respects to the family and loved ones of the person they lost by going to their home immediately upon their passing, or within days. By doing so, you enter a home, in this case the homemakers, and much of what she was doing before she passed was still there, as if she still might return to finish the book, to fold the laundry, to do the dishes, etc. I got lost in these thoughts and very quickly the words began to come. Luckily, Peter and I had recently written a new song that was awaiting it’s story. It was the perfect tone for the images I wanted to paint and honestly, it all came together very quickly after that.
I think it shows panache on the part of Michael Fagien, the publisher, as the song is not a traditional jazz piece, but a merging of my sensibilities as a long time jazz artist and a composer who likes to meander and merge different palettes in an attempt to keep the definition of jazz a robust and broad minded fellowship.
Pick up your copy today and you get a free 2 CD collection to whet your appetite to check out more music you might like to explore further.
Happy Fall!!
Lauren
OCTOBER 1, 2010
Better Late Than Never
Posted by Lauren Kinhan
Last August I met up with Better TV to talk about Avalon and play a few tunes with some of my band mates, Peter Eldridge and Joel Frahm. Take a look and a listen. We had a great time.
JULY 3, 2010
And the the Melody Still Lingers On....
Posted by Lauren Kinhan
We had such a great time at Scullers in Boston and Joe’s Pub in NYC celebrating the release of Avalon. The band rocked it, without question. Ben Witman, my co-producer and drummer was up to his usual brilliance. He is the singer-songwriter whisperer. Avalon came to be through his persistence and cajoling, at times, and I am eternally grateful. Peter Eldridge on Piano was wonderful with his deep elegance and twinkle in his eye. He even did the duet with me on ““Here After”— Jonatha Brooke joined me in Manhattan, but more on that later. Reuniting with my dear old friend from my Berklee days, Carl Carter, on bass was a personal thrill. He and I share a special bond and rediscovering that it’s still intact 20 years later was sweet. That he plays as bad-ass as he did back then is not so much surprising, but more reason to book gigs to hear his deep groove in the future. And if hearing his solid musicianship weren’t enough, anyone who sees him in action has to take in the joy and love he gives on the bandstand, smiling and loving it up all the time—that’s what it’s all about. Rounding out the quartet was the masterful Joel Frahm. I was lucky to have him play on the CD and equally so on the gigs. He really knows how to wrap his horn around what’s happening in the moment and then tear into a solo that rocks everyone back in their seats. Ya gotta love that ability to be both the team player and the leader of the sound.
The Boston audience was it’s usual raucous self. I love playing Bean Town. It being the town of my Alma Mater makes it special. My dear voice teacher Maggie Scott came as well as some old friends from my Berklee years. Also having my mom in attendance made it extra special.
At Joe’s Pub Jonatha Brooke sat in on “Here After.” She has been a great inspiration to me over the years. Counting her as a friend and a part of the energy of my shows from time to time, is really bliss. Anyone who’s a fan of The Story—Jonatha’s first group with Jennifer Kimbal—knows that the merging and mingling of two female voices has been refined to high gloss with those two at the mic. She has gone on to solo pastures, but we both love to tug on those heartstrings every once in a while.
We played all the songs on the CD except “Writing on the Wall.” And we launched a handful of new songs, too. All this release business has got me running to the piano.
And what may be the sweetest moment for me at both shows was having my daughter Ella join me on our song, “Here is my Avalon.” What started out a few years ago as Ella sitting in and singing on the chorus has become a legitimate musical moment. Not only does she nail it, she completes the circle. The song was written for her while I was away on the road. That this song brings us together now is the ultimate answer to the call.
Thank you one and all who ventured out to the shows and helped me celebrate this momentous occasion. As many of you know, this songbook has been in the works for a long time, but a heavy dose of life and lack of free time were the reasons it took so long to come to fruition. Now that it’s out there, I feel a question has been answered. The fates have much more to do now with what happens next. That and well, a lot of elbow grease!
I look forward to many more years of music and merry making!
Yours, Lauren
JULY 3, 2010
The Lauren Kinhan Band Hits the Road!
Posted by Lauren Kinhan
July 21: Stephen Talkhouse — Amagansett, NY
July 23: The Soiled Dove Underground — Denver, CO
July 30: Wilfs — Portland, OR
Aug 1: Night Town — Cleveland, OH
It’s just like the old days—touring on a dime, pick up bands in every port, and cheap hotel rooms by the side of the road. Well, not really, but definitely two out of three. As I continue to introduce myself to many new markets, I am attempting to blend in with the locals, so to speak. My faithful friend Peter Eldridge and I are joining forces with some wonderful players in each of these towns and presenting the music from my new release Avalon. The reviews have been great, it’s playing on radio and the buzz is building. I am so excited to get to new parts and introduce myself to new audiences.
With a cool New York vocal vibe ... she keeps you interested and in the pocket because she has the chops and she remembers what it is to entertain. In case you ever wondered just where the line is that divides art and artsy, this set will show you how to plant a flag firmly on the art side. Well done. Chris Spector, Midwest Record
Lauren Kinhan’s voice pulls you into her intimate circle of friends while at the same time she has a universal presence. Lauren’s original songs change the mood of the moment. Whether it is a jazz tune, or a saucy mambo or samba, the listener will feel inspired and drawn into the world of Lauren Kinhan’s songs ... of her silky smooth and vibrant voice. She is an exceptional performer not to be missed. Margarita Cullimore, KMUN’s Sonidos Latinos host
Please sign up for my email list to get personal updates on touring and the latest news.
Help me spread the word and hopefully I’ll see you there!!!
Best, Lauren
JULY 2, 2010
JaLaLa — Three for the Road!
Posted by Lauren Kinhan
On the heals of my CD release shows came the JaLaLa NY debut. I was a bit looney trying to shift gears so quickly and prepare for not one, but two programs where NY venues were the highlight, but somehow I did it and in fact, we did it!
With all of our crazy schedules we found time to get the group out there, finally settling on The Egg in Albany and Birdland this last June. We didn’t have nearly the rehearsal time we wanted, but being the gung ho pros we are, we marched out on that stage and made some music. Where nerves and foibles occurred, humor and musicianship righted the way. The audiences were game and we really had a lot of fun.
Our trio, made up of the incomparable Yaron Gershovsky on piano, Steve LaSpina on bass and Deric Dickens on drums were really swinging. We did much of our Mercer repertoire and added quite a bit of JaLaLa’s other music we had been developing over the years. Some charts were so new, we were still reading lyrics the night of the gigs. Nothing like setting some high goals. One of the tunes in fact was “It’s Sand, Man”—an adaptation of the Lambert, Hendricks and Ross arrangement. Good thing we did it because unbeknownst to us, Jon Hendricks showed up to our sold out Birdland set. Janis and I spotted him as he arrived during the opening number and we shared an inquisitive eye about whether we should ask him to join us on the tune without having discussed it with him prior. While this question hung in the air, we were happy to have our special guest Lew Soloff sit in on two tunes—“Riding on the Moon” and “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby.” He was so fantastic and really got the room buzzing. Our debut of the Queen tune “Killer Queen” in 3/4 time came off well and our medley “The Honeymoon Suite” was a real crowd pleaser. Janis made the room crazy with her versions of “Jeepers Creepers” and “Midnight Sun” and Laurel made us swoon with “Moon River” and her a capella Bach piece.
We closed our set with “It’s Sand, Man” and decided we’d see if Jon wanted to join us and did he ever! He sang the head and all the bits in between. He took a ridiculous solo and then the three of us chicks took some, too. No pressure. But when the energy is that kinetic, it’s all good. He was utterly charming, the room went crazy and we got to really celebrate one of our great jazz heroes.
All in all, it was a wonderful two nights of music and has really encouraged us to start booking the next JaLaLa run. Thanks to all of you who came out!!
You can keep yourself in tune with us by visiting our websites or sign up for my email list to receive updates.
Cheers, Lauren
MAY 18, 2010
Lauren Kinhan releases Avalon on May 18
Posted by Lauren Kinhan
Lauren Kinhan has been — and is — many things in her life: vocalist, songwriter, producer, musician, mother and wife. For most of her career, she’s been best known as a member of the highly acclaimed jazz vocal group, The New York Voices. As if to solidify her reputation as a group singer, in the past few years she’s also been performing regularly with two additional vocal ensembles, the more experimental Moss and the more traditional JaLaLa. But it’s high time that Ms. Kinhan got around to making a “solo” album — one where the focus is on her own singing and writing and interpretation.
Now in 2010, E1 Music is releasing Avalon, which spotlights Lauren Kinhan as both singer and composer — from beginning to end. Her previous solo project is Hardly Blinking, produced by the legendary prince of pop Phil Ramone in 2000, but which was never fully released, for reasons that would take too much time to delineate here.
“I’ve been okay with putting my solo career aside and waiting for the right time.” But now, she feels, that time has come. This one, Avalon, she acknowledges, is for her.
Kinhan grew up in Portland, Oregon, but spent most of her adult career based in New York. “I moved to the city in 1989, mainly to pursue my music on a larger scale.” She says, “A few years later, I was introduced to Peter Eldridge. We met at my East Village apartment and spent a glorious afternoon writing and talking about music. At the end of the day, he said ‘I don’t know if you’re interested, but we’re holding auditions for the second soprano in the New York Voices.’ The rest is history. I auditioned and 18 years later, we’re still together.”
She notes that for the first decade or so, “The Voices took practically all of our time and energy.” But she gladly adds that, “lately there’s more time for all of us to do other projects.” Ms. Kinhan hesitates to describe Avalon as a “solo” album since so many collaborators were involved, yet that might be the most accurate way to characterize the eleven original songs that comprise the album, which run the gamut of styles and genres from jazz to standards to country, folk, Latin, Brazilian, and contemporary pop, and cover a wide range of subjects from romantic love to parenthood to spirituality.
Asked what songs have a special meaning to her on Avalon, Ms. Kinhan responds that the song that got the ball rolling was “Dory and a Single Oar.” “For years, I hadn’t been thinking about writing or recording, but when I began to feel the need to do that again, this was the first song to spring forth. In a sense, this ‘oar’ got me in the boat again! I loved it because it felt kind of ribald and raw — it’s a bluesy tune, but the form is unusual. It really came together when I asked [tenor saxophonist] Donny McCaslin to play on it, with his extraordinary capabilities.
I thought, ‘Okay I like this direction.’ I like the image of being up a creek with just one oar — it is better than not having any at all. Now at least there is a song, and I really enjoyed the combination of this language and this narrative and this musical freedom.” She notes, “That seemed like a good track to follow, even if in the end the genres aren’t always the same in terms of musical approach,” meaning that the album actually took a wide variety of roads to diverse destinations, with no two tracks sounding the same, ranging from the gentle samba of “Here Is My Avalon” to the brassy funk of “Move Over Sunshine.”
Kinhan explains that “Avalon” is probably the only name in the English language that’s equally evocative of King Arthur and Al Jolson. What do the mythical English monarch and the legendary American entertainer have in common? “Avalon” refers to the fabled island where Arthur was laid to rest and, in more modern times, an island community off the coast of California that gave its name to a classic pop song co-written by Jolson in 1920. “I love all that imagery — the Lady of the Lake. I’m a hopeless romantic about that kind of literature. Truth be told, it’s the way this word feels when you sing it, ‘Avalon’ just sings beautifully.”
Ms. Kinhan describes “Here Is My Avalon” (which references the classic 1920 song) as “a love song from a mother to a daughter.” She wrote most of it in a single night during an interval when she happened to be several thousand miles away from her family. “The New York Voices were playing in Uruguay with Paquito D’Rivera. I was a fairly new mom at the time, and after the concert, I was having the best night on the town that I had in a long time! But still I was thinking, ‘I really miss the kid! I really miss my husband! Wouldn’t it be great if they were here?’ So, in thinking about them, ‘Here is my Avalon’ just kind of wrote itself then and there. I came up with the melody and lyrics in my hotel room, sang it into my little recorder, and it was just done. The point of inspiration is specific to me, but I think the lyric is loose enough to allow the listener to infer their own meaning.”
Avalon concludes with “There Alone Go I,” which was previously recorded in a very different interpretation by Ms. Kinhan with the Moss vocal collective. “It’s a poem about letting go, the reverence of nature, and the belief in oneself. It means a lot to me personally; While Peter Eldridge and I wrote the music together, I wrote the lyrics in Gloucester, Massachusetts after reading an old poem on the wall of the maritime museum. It set off all these big images and themes in my head which fit perfectly with the ache and sweep of the music.”
Last summer I debuted the song with various student choirs with an average age of 16. Many of them came to me, and said, “I love this song — I don’t know why, I’m not sure what it means, but for some reason it makes me cry.’ Somehow it touched a chord with them. This is an affirmation to how smart young people are. When you present them with something thought provoking, they get it. It seems this song has a journey all its own.”
She adds, in conclusion, that the album has been such a highly personal project to her for so long — the process of composing and recording the 11 tracks took years from beginning to end — “I am so curious about what the reactions will be. You know, it never gets old, that excitement of sharing your music with people. It’s an opportunity that I really appreciate.”
Check out Lauren’s forthcoming performances:
Wednesday, May 26: Scullers — Boston, MA
Thursday, May 27: Joe’s Pub — New York, NY
MAY 18, 2010
Bobby McFerrin Rocks the World with his VOCAbuLarieS
Posted by Lauren Kinhan
The press has been glowing. I’m not surprised. The sound is enormous, layered so tightly you can’t slip a feather between the parts. The rhythms are earthy, joyful, raucous, and the voices, well, the voices are so many, yet, you can still hear some singular voices you’ve come to know in and among the chorus of one.
I can tell you first hand, this project was quite a journey. I was part of some of the earlier concepts and watched it grow to be the gorgeous masterpiece it is today. So many of us from the singer’s community were part of this story, this idea that began in Linda Goldstein’s brain, slowly finding the perfect interpreter, interpolator, and ingest-or in Roger Treece of Bobby’s music and gospel and building it layer by layer, note by note. Bobby is a high aspiration for any vocalist/musician to reach for, and Roger is equally as challenging with his ear so finely tuned to precision, detail, nuance and inflection, like that of McFerrin. No phrase was left without a task and no singer left his session without feeling like they had to go into some deep trance in order to give the notes, and Roger, what they wanted.
I often tracked my alto parts with Janis Siegel. This is where I came to know and love her and I’m happy to say, JaLaLa is a wonderful outgrowth of this project.
Art waits for no one. However, art does require benefactors in order to be seen and heard on a larger scale. Ideas are many, but being able to follow through so thoroughly on a concept speaks to the devotion and dedication of the production and creative staff, as well as the many singers that came to this project so willingly before promises could even be kept. And thank goodness artists understand that art must happen, otherwise, we wouldn’t have this great work for the world to enjoy today.
Thank you Bobby! Thank you Linda! Thank you Roger! Your craft is divine. And thank you to all the vocalists that gave their hearts and sounds to this music. The circle is complete.
Run to the store or your computer and buy this CD. Let’s have more high art where this came from, shall we? www.bobbymcferrin.com
Lauren
MARCH 28, 2010
JaLaLa takes That Old Mercer Magic on the Road
Posted by Lauren Kinhan
JaLaLa has hit the road. After much scheduling and rescheduling, the ladies of JaLaLa finally managed to find some windows and fill them with their music. NYC seemed the logical place to play, but they felt it best to “warm up” the show in fields just outside city limits. After their debut in February at Walter Veasley’s Jazz Bass in Reading, PA, it seemed likely that the show was going to work. They went on that weekend to play a charming winery on the North Fork of Long Island, the Raphael Vineyard, and a great ole music house in Pawling, The Town Crier. The response was great, the music settled and they are now preparing for their upcoming appearances at The Egg in Albany, NY on June 5th and Birdland in NYC on June 7th.
The show is made up of music from their debut release paying tribute to Johnny Mercer, That Old Mercer Magic and a variety of arrangements they have been developing over the years. Mixing standards of old with covers and originals, the ladies have found a way to make it all work. Adding solo moments showcases their individuality while the audience gets regaled with personal anecdotes and off the cuff charm that comes from years of just doing their thing.
Don’t miss this chance to catch them live. Who knows next when the stars will align.
MARCH 28, 2010
Moss named in DownBeat’s Best CDs of the 2000s
Posted by Lauren Kinhan
With a new decade dawning, DownBeat looked back at the top recordings and pervasive music-industry trends of the last 10 years. Their retrospective study includes a complete listing of all the 5-star and 4.5-star reviews published in these pages since the turn of the century. As Fred Bouchard wrote in that notable review, “Innovative vocal ensembles are a rare bread, and Moss is sui generis.... The stately pace of this debut is as daring as the venture itself. Seldom rising above poised whispers and medium tempo, Moss magically informs each song with dreamy textures that speak with astounding self assurance.... A little more airplay oomph, and I’d have gone the full five stars for this hushed masterpiece.”
Shawn Brady said in September 2008’s DownBeat feature article, “...Moss has mined a new vein in the vocal jazz tradition.” The beauty of the group is that there is no particular intention other than to please themselves. Maybe that’s why it works.
In recent months, there have been some meetings, developing new music and looking at calendars. The hope is to have another batch of tunes to share and a show or two to prepare. For the latest information on Moss and their whereabouts, visit Mossproduced.org.
