Laurel Massé

Ready, set...

Just a couple of days to go now before the JaLaLa dates, and I am marveling at how many lyrics there are to these songs! and how few of them seem to be sticking in my head at the moment. Not surprising. It's very hot and humid in the city, and I have not had a chance to install air conditioning yet. Bob the Cat and I are luxuriating in the heat. That's the right word to describe Bob's state, at least. For mine, not so right, really. Poaching is more apt. I keep checking the sky. There are supposed to be thunderstorms any minute, and when they start crashing, I will be enjoying the only up-side I have found to not having my lovely dogs with me anymore. They were both afraid of thunder. In fact, Shekinah the Brave, who was afraid of nothing but thunder, was so frightened by it that she would shake until her teeth literally clattered. It made the storms impossible to enjoy (though I should say that she was less afraid outdoors, where she would bark right back at the sky's roaring). In contrast, Bob is rather phlegmatic about storms. "Good for sleeping through" seems to be his attitude.

Tomorrow I have the great privilege of taking a lesson with my wonderful voice teacher, Marge Rivingston, author of Do You Hear What I Hear? She lives in California, but is in the city for a visit, and will be at the Birdland show, and that has me looking forward to that show even more than I was before, as she has not heard us live before. I have been working with Marge since 1980; for me, she has been the teacher.

Here's a little preview of what we're going to be doing, from a CD release celebration last August. It was hot that day, too, as I recall it, and there was a huge storm. That must just be our kind of atmospheric disturbance. A signature of sorts. Get an umbrella, and come to the show!

via www.youtube.com

JaLaLa sings!

Here we go!

JaLaLa is having her first in-public performance (and cd signing!) in New York City. Come join us to celebrate the release of our first recording, That Old Mercer Magic when we sing at Borders at 10 Columbus Circle at 7 PM on Tuesday, August 18th. For information, call Borders at 212.823.9775.

Dream team

Enrique just sent me this link. It takes you to the Amazon.com page of That Ol' Mercer Magic, the debut CD of the trio, JaLaLa. You can listen to samples (!!!!), which I just did. That listening has blown my illusion of keeping cool, and I started dancing around my apartment, a sophisticated and elegant dance, of course, even though it did include some jumping up and down, bubbly little jumps with giggling, like coffee percolating.

Or like champagne.

Apparently you're never to old to become suddenly unblasé. I have been looking forward to this release, but my excitement is taking me by surprise. I have been in the business for 37 years, for heaven's sake!  JaLaLa is the fruition of the idea Janis Siegel and I first dreamed with Cheryl Bentyne, when we sang together as Moxie. When Cheryl bowed out because of time commitments, we called Lauren Kinhan of New York Voices, who said yes, and JaLaLa stepped out of the dream and into the kitchen (thereby obeying the three Rules of Rehearsal: 1: there must be food, 2: the food has to be as good as the music, and 3: save the wine for the end of rehearsal).

My dears, tonight is wine to me. So raise a glass, and cheers!

 

That night at Birdland

If my head was not attached to my neck.... I meant to post this right after the gig a month ago, and realized (with some bemusement and embarrassment) that I never said anything about how the Birdland show went, at least not in the Land o' Blog. So here is the set list, with my apologies for the delay.

1. Something’s Coming  Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim

2. On the Street Where You Live  Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe

3. Seven Years in Four Minutes  Medley arr. by Tex Arnold and Laurel Massé

4. Think About Your Troubles   Harry Nillsson

5. Dublin in the Rain  Hubert “Tex” Arnold / Carol Hall

6. Can’t Teach My Old Heart New Tricks  Richard Whiting/Johnny Mercer

7. Minuet and Gigue  Johann Sebastian Bach

8. My Blue Heaven  Walter Donaldson / George Whiting

9. It’s Only a Paper Moon  Harold Arlen / E.Y. Harburg & Billy Rose

10. Dividing Day  Adam Guettal

11. Crazy  Willie Nelson

12. It’s Only a Broken Heart  Carol Hall

13. Old Devil Moon  Burton Lane / E.Y. Harburg

14.  Obsession Medley: Losing My Mind   Stephen Sondheim
                                      With Every Breath I Take  Cy Coleman / David Zippel
                                      Breathing  Michele Brourman / Amanda McBroom

15. Fascinating Rhythm  George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin

16. Finding Beauty  Ann Hampton Callaway

(Encore: Doodlin’  Horace Silver / Jon Hendricks)


Seven Years in Four Minutes is my Manhattan Transfer medley, by the way.

In all this I was ably assisted and inspired by Tex Arnold on piano, Richard de Rosa on drums, and Steve LaSpina on bass. Everything went very very well, and I was specially pleased that the new pieces were as I had heard them in my imagination. What a great rhythm section!

The audience was wonderful, too. Folks were there from many different parts of my life: Transfer, jazz musicians, Cathedral choir folk and clergy and volunteers, classical musicians, Ashokan friends, blog readers, media, fellow artists, students, Yale Cabaret folks. Very fine indeed.

My secret wish,though, is this: one day, having just sung the last notes of the Bach piece, I will see my cello teacher from Paris, Alain Meunier, in the house, smiling and applauding. That will really be a dream-come-true.

Songbird at Birdland

My cold is almost gone now, or my allergies have calmed down a bit - can't tell what it was - and the city is ablaze with spring. Everything that can bloom is blooming. What was just a change of light in February, and an occasional scent on the breeze in March is now a fully-arrived Spring, a rich and riotous play of scent and color. A neighbor has hyacinths in a windowbox; walking by them is almost swoon-inducing. The community garden is a kaleidoscope of tulips, and the Cathedral garden is...well, ...divine!

This coming Monday night I am singing at Birdland again. Rehearsal's today with the rhythm section, and then more personal practicing over the next few days until, by Monday morning, it becomes counter-productive to practice any more. Back by popular demand: Seven Years in Four Minutes (the Manhattan Transfer medley), and the Bach cello suite. There will be a few new tunes as well, representing songwriters Carol Hall, Harry Nillsson, and Adam Guettal. I am blessed to have Tex Arnold at the piano, Rich de Rosa on drums, and Steve la Spina on bass.

It will be a grand night for singing. April 27, 7 PM. Where? Down at Birdland!

Oh, and... I am receiving the 2008 Backstage Bistro award for Best Jazz Vocalist the next night. Hey nonny nonny!