Tag: Jazz

The Joy of Music

I was feeling a little down this past week. First, it was raining, make that pouring, in the beginning of the week, I would not make it in the Pacific NW, I really DO need to see the sun! Not only is pouring/pelting rain a pain in the butt, crummy for dog walking, it also stinks for driving! Second, when the rain was over the 9/11 news, reminders, events all came into full swing, and that too was depressing. Important but depressing. Third, I knew I had a weekend of basement cleaning ahead of me. Not fun. Overall, I was just in a grumpy mood all week. The carrot at the end of the stick was on Saturday night we were going out to eat and hear some music from Debra Mann. She is turning into a friend as well as a favorite female jazz singer and pianist. I was just reading her website and found out…”The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences placed Debra Mann on the Official Ballot for the 2010 Grammy Awards in the following categories: Record of the Year (‘Autumn’), Album of the Year (‘Home’), Song of the Year (‘Heart of Love’), Best Pop Vocal Album (‘Home’), and Best Improvised Jazz Solo (‘Autumn’).” Wow! Congratulations Debra!

Last night at Chan’s in R.I she sang/performed many of her own original songs. I asked Debra about how she felt about last night and she said “I just loved the intimacy of the smallish crowd, and how the sound was so great. We were able to play with a wide dynamic range because of the conditions. The band sounded so great, too. I feel so blessed.” One of the motifs Debra played with last night was humor and songs by Dave Frishburg.  I had never heard of him so I “goggled.” The first part of his Bio reads-” It’s difficult to find a category for Dave Frishberg’s songs.  The New York Times described him as “the Stephen Sondheim of jazz songwriting”, and The London Daily Telegraph called him “a Woody Allen of song”. In his song “My Attorney Bernie” the first line is 
“I’m impressed with my attorney Bernie…. and further into the song …
I admire my attorney Bernie
I. I admire any guy who knows his stuff”
 Well, I have to say – “I’m impressed with my musical friend Debra – I admire my jazz friend Debra.. I admire any gal who knows her stuff!” …  I walked in grumpy and left happy! The power and joy of music, with The Debra Mann Quartet, who made it all happen… Thanks!

‘A voice that wraps itself around a microphone like a soft feather boa’ – Rebecca Parris, Eight-time Boston Globe winner, ‘Outstanding Jazz Vocalist’

Have I enticed you? I hope so!
 Want to hear Debra Mann play for yourself? I hope so. Here is her upcoming schedule.

Saturday, September 17, 2011 
Greenvale Vineyards 
582 Wapping Rd.
Portsmouth, RI
1-4 PM
(401) 521-3333
 Debra/keys and vocals
 Joe Esposito/sax
Dave Zinno/bass

The Debra Mann Trio interprets the music of
 Joni Mitchell: A Retrospective Concert
 Sunday, October 2, 2011, 2 PM :
Barrington Public Library Theatre
 Sunday, November 6, 2011, 2 PM :
Warwick Public Library Theatre.

If you go to the Library shows, I hope to be there too! Unfortunately we will miss the vineyard one next weekend, but, we went in the beginning of the season and it was a lovely afternoon. Highly recommend it if you can make it. Wine, scenery, and great music-hard to go wrong!

Debra Mann Website : http://www.debramann.com

Tilly + Deb Jazzing on a Piano
Tilly + Deb Jazzing on a Piano (image from a May blog post -http://botanicalbeautiesbeasties.com/2011/05/19/grove-and-kicks-the-art-of-music-with-debra-mann/ )

Groves and Kicks – The Art of Music with Debra Mann

debra mann – home – click for sound bites and to download Debras Album called home.

The Art and soul of Music – part 1

Tilly & Debra each at their Pianos

Tilly Loves Music, especially Jazz! On this past Tuesday Tilly had pleasure of interviewing Debra Mann who is a lovely Jazz Musician. She is a singer and pianist who began classical piano studies at age six. She went on to study at Miami Dade Jr. College, and graduated cum laude from Boston’s Berklee College of Music. Ms. Mann has also had training in voice (both classical and jazz studies), advanced jazz improvisation, and composition (both with the renowned Charlie Banacos). She has been described as: “‘A voice that wraps itself around a microphone like a soft feather boa'”  – Rebecca Parris, Eight-time Boston Globe winner, ‘Outstanding Jazz Vocalist’  … “A wonderful gift for communicating emotionally when she sings. Her songwriting – an obvious melodic gift, and such a gift is rare.”  – Michael Scott, professional composer, Warner Bros. Music

We are honored to share a bit of the interview with you here today.  We did take some liberties in paraphrasing for we spoke for about an hour!

Tilly: We have been thinking, and chatting, about Public Art for the past few weeks here in the Land of Botaniumus. Do you think of Music as Public Art?

Debra: Yes- it can be. Music is available in so many different mediums/venues, i.e. on the street, on a public P.A., so many places are possible. In a city you often can’t walk down a block without hearing a musician playing. Warm weather brings out the public and the musicians with organized Concerts in Parks. In today’s world there are no more Boom Boxes, they have been surpassed with personal headphones, it seems like we have enclosed the music. (We both are a bit sadden by this.)

Tilly: Do you “transform” into your music when you are performing?

Debra: Yes-it’s a process. It begins even before I even leave the house. As I am getting ready to go, putting on my make-up, loading the car, driving to the site, while I drive I am doing vocal warm ups, and finger exercises on my knees. It is all part of it! (Tilly and I  feel a sense of excitement and joy in her voice, that I am guessing she feels as she prepares.) When I get to the place, I am mentally prepped. Then the music starts! I am given over to a greater power, tapping in to be a vessel for inspiration – ego must get out of the way – it’s a place that is  just about the feeling of the music. I am transformed (and hopefully) the listener is as well.

Tilly: You said to me that Jazz means to you that one lets go, you see/feel what happens, and all that affects the music.  Your music is fluid and free-flowing – rigid rehearsals are not part of your Jazz.  It is more improv. We love that and wonder how does that work in a performance setting?

Debra: As we play everything effects where we go with the music. It’s alive and we go where we feel the music and audience takes us. The immediate response, the moving and shifting based on EVERYONE, the musicians and the audience. That is the beauty of a live performance!

Tilly: Do you write your own music?

Debra: I am writing more and more –lyrics and instrumentals.

I have made it a part of my day. I write everyday. I am so prolific I almost have to put the brakes on! I typically write a set of chords first. Lyrics can take over and drive. I am writing more and more instrumentals, and I may or may not embed lyrics into them later. When I perform, I sing and play jazz standards, primarily, as well as some originals.  I hope to perform more originals as I continue with this outpouring of writing…I am loving all this writing and hoping to perform and record more.

Tilly: Where can we hear you play? (The Interview was performed over Skype but Debra lives in RI, Tilly is hanging out in RI for a bit, these listing are for the local New Englanders!)

~ Friday, May 27, 2011
  Debra Mann Piano and Vocal with Bass player Frankie Rizzuto at 
The Lobster Pot
119 Hope Street / 
Bristol, RI  / 02809-2047  
8-11 PM
   401-253-9100

~ Sat, May 27, 2011  
Debra Mann Trio at
 Greenvale Vineyards
Live Jazz at the Vineyard  Bring your friends and a picnic, it’s the perfect way to spend an afternoon in the summer!
582 Wapping Road, Portsmouth, RI 02871 /  1-4 pm
401) 847-3777   http://www.greenvale.com

~ Sun, May 29, 2011  
Debra Mann Trio at
 Ocean Cliff Hotel & Resort
In the Safari Restaurant
65 Ridge Rd, Newport, RI, 02840, (401) 841-8868

Tilly: Debra – it has been a pleasure- thanks so much! 

Stay tuned for part 2 ! Watch in the near future for more, for we had a fascinating conversation about Art that you hear, verses Art that you see.  


Debra Mann Website : http://www.debramann.com