Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

“Take Five” on allaboutjazz.com

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

For the past month I have been promoting my new CD, I’m in Heaven Tonight,
on allaboutjazz.com.  As part of this promotion, I completed their
“Take Five” questionnaire.  (Sorry to those of you who thought this
post was about the Brubeck tune!)  If you are interested in reading it,
I have pasted it below.  You can also follow this link – http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=32845 – to read it on their site.

I
have an update to the “What is in the near future?” question below.  I
will be performing twice before my August due date.  Once again weather
permitting, I will be at the Brandeis High School Garden for Make Music
New York Day
on Sunday, June 21st at 4pm.  I will also be doing a set
at the Metropolitan Room in July, date to be determined.

Take Five With Sarah DeLeo

Sarah DeLeo Published: May 16, 2009

Meet Sarah DeLeo:

Jazz vocalist Sarah DeLeo takes the best from the masters and combines
it with her own signature style to produce a sound that is both
timeless and fresh.

One hears her singing and is swept away to
another time, and yet her powerful presence as a musical storyteller is
thoroughly in the here and now: No matter the song, she delivers each
lyric in such a personal way that the listener feels as if they are
hearing their own stories. Her tireless exploration of many different
styles of music yields fascinating results when it comes to song
choices and arrangements, and her inventive melodic improvisation makes
every restatement of a tune’s melody thoroughly engaging–nothing’s ever
the same twice.

In October 2005 Sarah released her debut CD, The Nearness of You,
which garnered critical acclaim and introduced Sarah’s work to both
national and international audiences. Her follow up to that release is
2009’s I’m In Heaven Tonight, another inspired collection of songs that combines the old and the new.

Instrument(s):
Voice.

Your sound and approach to music:
I view my work as a reconciliation between the rock, R&B, and pop
genres, which have been mainstream music during my lifetime, and a
calling to sing standards and a propensity towards jazz. The singers
who influenced me the most when I was younger were pretty high energy–Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin–but my singing tends to be mellow, because that’s how I am.

I approach every tune the same way, regardless of its originating
genre. I break down each song harmonically and rhythmically. I also
speak the lyrics. I once read an interview of Cassandra Wilson,
in which she described her approach to music as a “jazz approach.” I
thought that term was an apt way to describe what I do as well.

Road story: Your best or worst experience:
Last year, I got a call to do an event on Make Music New York day for
NYC Councilmember, Gale Brewer. I accepted, but I really had no idea
how this event would go. It was going to be held at an outdoor garden,
and there was no alternate location in case of bad weather. For most of
the week prior, the forecast called for rain. I was assured that there
would be an electrical outlet for our equipment, but I wasn’t
necessarily convinced.

We showed up at the gig and what ended
up surprising me the most was the audience. I generally sing for people
in their mid-20s to mid-60s, usually trending younger–40s and under. As
a result, when I’m singing, I’m not only entertaining people, but also
educating them, since most people my age are not too familiar with
standards or jazz. By contrast, the median age at this Make Music New
York gig was about 65 with a number of people in wheelchairs. If I had
known what kind of audience they expected, I probably would have put
together a set of more traditional standards. However, I didn’t, so I
just did the set I had prepared–the kind of set I would normally do. I
did the White Stripes tune, the somewhat non-traditional arrangements
of standards that I do, and some standards and blues, which I consider
more obscure.

It got a great response. People were singing
along, not to the White Stripes tune obviously, but definitely to the
standards and even the songs I thought were more obscure. (The
guitarist on the gig, Chris Bergson, was throwing in all these rock
licks; I was giggling to myself throughout).

One lady came up
to me after the gig and told me how much I reminded her of Lee Wiley. I
was so flattered. It has always been important for me to sing to people
my own age for a number of reasons, but I never realized how much
harder it was on me until then. Singing to an older audience familiar
with the material was so much easier. I didn’t have to educate anyone;
I could just entertain. It was a very enjoyable experience, which was
both relaxing and energizing at the same time! I had no idea how this
gig was going to turn out, but in the end it was a lot of fun!

Also, the weather turned out beautiful and thankfully there was electricity and an adequate PA setup. What a relief!

The first Jazz album I bought was:

I bought these on the same trip to the mall:

Janis Siegel, At Home;
Modern Jazz Quartet, Blues on Bach.

What do you think is the most important thing you are contributing musically?

During the first ten years in which I sang standards and listened to
jazz, I knew no one who shared my interests. As such, my formative
years as a singer were spent isolated artistically, which at times was
lonely, but which in retrospect freed me to follow my own creative
path. I was like a tabula rasa in some ways. I do bear the imprint of
the Top 40 music that I listened to as a child and the very melodic
stuff I remember my parents listening to when I was a kid–Barry Manilow, ’70s Babs, Neil Diamond.
Yet, when it comes to standards and jazz, I didn’t grow up with any
preconceived notions about what the music should or should not be, what
was good or bad, what was the right or wrong way, etc. As a result, I
was able to develop my own style and sound, and bring my generational
perspective to this genre.

Did you know…
I studied the flute for eight years. I enjoyed playing the flute, and
was a decent flute player (At the end of my studies I was working on
Hindemith.), but I was always a much better singer. It actually caused
some tension with my flute teacher, because I would sometimes refer to
the pieces I was working on as songs. He didn’t necessarily appreciate
that my mind was more on singing than on the flute.

CDs you are listening to now:
e.s.t, Seven Days of Falling (215 Records);
Greyboy Allstars, What Happened to Television? (SCI Fidelity Records);
Paul Simon, Still Crazy After All These Years (Rhino Records).

What are some of the essential requirements to keep jazz alive and growing?
More younger people need to be involved on the business side in every
capacity–booking managers and club owners, radio DJs and program
managers, editors and reviewers, event organizers, personal managers,
publicists, etc. There are certainly enough younger people making
music, but there are not enough people our age on the business side to
support us. This will become more critical as today’s 60- and
70-year-olds, who in my experience form the core of the business side,
start to age out.

What is in the near future?
I plan on fitting in one more gig before I give birth in August. I have
a number of administrative and creative projects in mind for my
maternity leave, and then next year, once my new baby situation is more
settled, I plan on gigging more, specifically in promotion of my new
CD.

By Day:
I am at home with my two-year-old son. I am expecting my second child in August!

“You’re Getting to be a Habit with Me” – Featured Download of the Day at AAJ

Friday, May 15th, 2009

“You’re Getting to be a Habit with Me” is the featured download of the day on allaboutjazz.com

Please follow this link to the site: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/

Updated Photo Gallery on This Web Site

Sunday, May 10th, 2009

If you have not done so already, I encourage you to check out the updated gallery page on this web site!!  It includes pictures from last month’s gig in Connecticut, the I’m in Heaven Tonight recording session, and a few other pictures from the recent and the less recent past.

Barbara Cook

Sunday, May 3rd, 2009
Years ago someone told me that I would love Barbara Cook.  It took
me until last year to see her for the first time.  The great
limiting factor to be upfront was the cost.  It’s about $100 minimum to
see her.  That’s a lot of money.  Also, she performs in nice clubs, and
as I generally go out alone, it’s somewhat intimidating to go into a
really nice club by yourself.  It’s easy to sneak into a dive bar/music
club on your own, but much more awkward to do that somewhere like the
Carlyle, where I saw her for the first time last year.

In the
intervening years I had also had a change of heart about seeing older
performers.  In the past I had not gone to see a lot of older singers,
because guys (meaning musicians) told me that they weren’t as good as
they used to be.  Being a woman, I took someone else’s not-so-good
advice seriously, instead of making my own decision.  In 2006, the year
before my son was born, I was like eff it.  Even if these people aren’t
exactly how they used to be, I still should go see them.  As a result,
I’ve seen Mark Murphy, Ernestine Anderson, Annie Ross, and Jimmy Scott
a number of times.  Unfortunately, I missed Blossom Dearie, Barbara
Lea, and Freddie Hubbard, but hopefully I won’t miss anyone else.  I
saw Barbara Cook for the first time last year at the Carlyle.  It was a
magical experience.  When it was over, I was sad that I had to leave the club.  I wanted to stay in that wonderful bubble
following her performance for as long as possible, rather than go out
into the real world. 

Despite
having loved her performance at the Carlyle last year, I still arrived
at Feinstein’s Tuesday night thinking, “Shit, this is a lot of money to
spend.”  It’s not easy to tell your husband that you are going to be
spending over $100 to see a singer, whatever the state of the economy
is, and no matter how wonderful the singer is.  I also had lots of
other things on my mind.  I hadn’t seen my husband all week, because he
had been away on business.  I’ve been really busy working on the
promotion of my new CD, in particular getting in some gigs before I
have my 2nd child in August.  As to be expected, I was among a handful
of people in the audience under the age of 50, which I always find
depressing.  I got there a few minutes before it started and was afraid
I wouldn’t be able to see well from where they sat me.  I thought to
myself, “What the heck am I doing here?” 

Then,
the show started.  Through the first few songs, I still had that “What
the heck am I doing here?” feeling, coupled with a fear that this
year’s experience would not compare to last year’s.  After a few songs,
all of my anxiety dissipated.  Barbara Cook is truly a wonderful
singer.  I could hear her sing “Where or When” 1000x.  She also sings
Sondheim so well.  There are some people who are crazy about Sondheim,
but I am not one of them.  I think that hearing a very skilled,
experienced performer like Barbara Cook sing these tunes outside of the
context of the show, for which they were written, made me appreciate
them a lot more.  I also find it quite amusing how she calls him
“Steve” or “Stephen”.

Not
only is she a fantastic interpreter with a lovely voice, but she also
sets up the tunes so beautifully with her patter.  At the show I saw
this year she spoke a lot more in between songs than she did in the
show I saw last year.  She told a very amusing story about her
obsession with an opera singer.  She told a very funny story about
staying up late watching You Tube.  She spoke about how she never
performed Cole Porter songs, probably because she didn’t really
identify with them.  Throughout I had this laugh of recognition,
because I could relate to everything that she said. 

I
remember in last year’s show to set up a ballad she made a comment
about how when you are in a relationship, you want the other person to
tell you what you want to hear, but how that sometimes doesn’t happen. 
Well, I’m paraphrasing her, because she said it more succinctly, but
that was her point.  At the time I was rehearsing my new CD, I’m in
Heaven Tonight
, and what she said really resonated with me, in
particular in reference to one song on the album.  Even now when I
think about her comment and how true it is, it makes me somewhat
emotional.

During the show I thought about the patter and the
songs she chose and I couldn’t help the feeling that as I watched her,
I was looking at myself – the good side and the dark side – 40 plus
years on, minus the Broadway shows.  I’ve always known that I am a
singer for a reason, but sometimes I can be sort of inward looking and
forgetful that there are others who are singers for a reason as well. 
Then again, she does what a singer should do – allow the audience to
see their own experience in the material.  I only know my own life, but still in Barbara Cook I see a set of experiences and a
way of thinking that are very familiar to me, a little too familiar.

 

Having seen her perform now a couple of times and having read a
few interviews of her, she comes across to me as someone who is
painfully honest with herself and someone who also has the ability to
laugh at herself.  These qualities I believe are what make her a such a
good singer.  I can be brutally honest with myself at times as well,
but I don’t think I’m really at the point in my life where I can
process things so readily or laugh at myself so easily.  Maybe that
will come with time.  In the meantime, unfortunately for my husband,
I’ll be shelling out another $100 next year and in every other year
that she is still performing.

Free Download Available on All About Jazz.com

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

“You’re Getting to be a Habit with Me,” a track off of my new CD I’m in Heaven Tonight, is currently available as a free download on All About Jazz.com

Please follow this link to the site to download the song:

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=18317

I’m in Heaven Tonight Featured on WAER-Syracuse

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

On March 24, 2009 Eric Cohen featured I’m in Heaven Tonight on his afternoon radio program on WAER-Syracuse.  He played “I Feel Pretty”, “Rockin’ Robin”, and “Sometimes I’m Happy”.  Thanks Eric!!

Web Site Redesign – www.sarahdeleo.com

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

I would like to extend an official welcome to my newly redesigned web
site.  This redesign went live a few weeks ago, but I’ve been so busy
at home and with the promotion of my new CD that I didn’t get an opportunity to post a
message about it.  I think I was also just relieved to have something
off my list!!

Over the years, we received many compliments about
the old version of this site, and even received some while we were in
the redesigning process!!  We carried over the successful
elements of the old design – clean appearance and user-friendly format
– while incorporating a new, more contemporary color scheme and adding
increased “functionality,” as web designers call it.  This is a web
site I will be able to grow into going forward.  We’re happy with it,
and hope you like it, too!!

April 2009 Issue of Jazz Improv

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

I have been featured in the April 2009 “Vocal Lovers’ Celebration” Issue of Jazz Improv (PDF).  My profile appears on page 36 (of 98) in the .pdf file.

See text below:

Sarah DeLeo
By Gary Heimbauer

On balance and fulfillment in life 

Early on, I learned that if I put all of my eggs in one basket, that basket being singing, I would drive myself insane. I found that to sustain myself through the ups and downs of being an artist I needed consistency in other areas of my life. My husband and I have been together for a long time, and I am very lucky to be in a long term relationship with a partner who supports my career, although I’m sure he really didn’t know what he was getting himself into when we started dating!! This personal stability provides me a lot of emotional and financial security. I never had to worry about dating or where I was going to live. I could just focus on singing. Prior to having a child, I always worked a day job. I know that many people didn’t understand my choice, but working in an office provided me invaluable financial and emotional security. There were disadvantages, but to me the advantages outweighed the disadvantages. Given the expense associated with being a self-producing artist, it was always important for me to have money. While working during the day, I was never short of money and funded both my CD projects from savings from my day job. Now that I am a full-time caregiver, the tables have turned somewhat and music now provides the balance in my life. Nowadays when I am practicing, or gigging, or at someone else’s gig, it’s “me” time. I am very excited about the release of my second CD, I’m in Heaven Tonight. It is a wonderful feeling to realize all the ideas in my head, to work with great people, and to see the project through to completion. When I started singing standards as a child, I had a feeling deep in my gut that this was who I was. You just know it. The only other time I had this feeling in my life was when I went out on my first date with my husband. Being a singer is who I am and what I do, and luckily I was blessed with God-given talent. 

4/2 Gig at SoNo Caffeine in South Norwalk, CT

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

It was such a pleasure to sing at SoNo Caffeine in South Norwalk, CT last night.  First, I had heard from the booking manager that the coffeehouse had new owners, but I did not expect to find such a positive change in the venue.  The new owners took out a lot of clutter – the various antiques and other pieces of furniture and art – and keep it much cleaner.  They also painted.  I felt like I had walked into a reveal on one of those home design shows.  It was so much more pleasant to be there than it had been previously.  It’s just amazing how much an improvement in the physical environment positively effects your experience.

I had a great time at the gig.  Thanks to everyone who attended.  I was honored that both Phil Bowler and Larry Stoler were there following the radio interview last week.  Jim Nichols took some fantastic pictures, and I look forward to having them up on this site soon.  This was my first gig of the year, and I had been itching to start performing again.  I was pleased with how I sang.  The gig provided the perfect kickoff to this portion of the new CD promotion, some nice momentum.  David Cook was wonderful on the keys as always.  We’ve done a few duo gigs over the past few years, and on these occasions when its just the two of us, I have more an opportunity to listen to him play, which I enjoy very much.

Getting back to the renovated SoNo Caffeine, if you live in Fairfied County, I would recommend stopping by.  It’s a nice place to hang out.  They have great desserts and drinks.  It’s a good, local alternative to the Seattle national coffee chain.  I would also recommend this venue to musicians in the area.  I live in Manhattan and gig there based on the relationship I have with the booking manager, but its not necessarily the most convenient location for me.  if you live close by though, its a great option for a small, nontraditional venue.

 

Radio Interview on WPKN (Wednesday, March 25th)

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

I had a great time chatting with Phil Bowler and Larry Stoler on their
afternoon jazz radio program on WPKN this past Wednesday.  The
interview segment began with a call from Giacomo Gates – what a
wonderful suprise!!  Phil and Larry are very knowledgeable and
enthusiastic about this genre.  They really grilled me!!  I look
forward to speaking with them again soon.