I had so much fun making this video (once I wrestled iMovie to the ground and made it scream “Uncle!”) about my recent excursion to New York City to be at the MAC Awards (Manhattan Association of Cabaret and Clubs). My friends Shaynee Rainbolt and Terese Genecco were both nominated for awards, so I HAD to be there. Mario Cantone and Leslie Uggams and The Bobs also make an appearance in this video.

So… watch it! I made it just for you!

New gigs on the horizon, including a monthly gig at Savona’s Trattoria in Kingston, AND… I’ll be at the Rrazz Room in San Francisco on Monday, June 14! Yep, I’m flying on back to California to share the stage with Linda Kosut in “When the Natives Get Restless” – our name for this jazz cabaret about …. well, you’ll have to come and find out!

I’ve never liked Spring. It always means the end of Winter, and I’ve been a lover of winter all my life. But Spring in the Hudson Valley is slower, easier, less affrontive than Spring in Sonoma County, CA. It’s more mysterious. It unfolds gracefully.

As I write this, there is warm, blustery wind blowing through my window. The bare tree outside is starting to show tiny green curls of baby leaves. There are pink and scarlet blossoms on the trees down the street, and I am about two hours behind in my daily schedule because this gorgeous Spring day has entranced me with its beauty and warmth.

Easy beauty. Effortless expression. Moving slowly, with awareness. These are the lessons of Spring.

This was part of the lesson I learned when I went to hear my friend Rebecca Martin sing at a new Kingston restaurant, Mint. She performed with her husband, bassist Larry Grenadier. While I’ve heard Rebecca on her recordings, and her reputation as a jazz singer and songwriter is legend here in New York, I hadn’t seen her sing live. Her short set consisted mostly of Rebecca’s original tunes, but she slipped in some standards, like “Willow Weep for Me” (WITH the verse! I love that verse) and “No Moon at All,” which I recorded and have for you below.

What I learned by watching Rebecca sing was Ease. She sings with such ease. Her body, her voice, her  presence… they all serve this sense of ease, comfort and grace. She knows who she is as a singer and songwriter. She knows her voice, which has a unique, identifible timbre and tone, and she seems to simply become present and let the voice come sweetly, softly, effortlessly. Listening to her, I learned this: take it easy. Let the voice come easy; don’t muscle it so much.

I tend to do everything hard. I type, hard. I wash dishes, hard. Really. I find myself holding the dish hard, tight, as if it’s going to disappear or slip into the sink if I don’t grasp it with all I’ve got.

So, watching Rebecca was liberating. Ah, maybe I don’t have to sing so hard! Maybe, I can let it be easy.

Here’s a clip. Please excuse my hushed mutterings at the beginning.

I’ve been back home for over a week now. What a wildly wicked and wonderful trip! It changed my life and then changed it back again. It lifted me up, twirled me around and then threw me to the curb… and I’m just now finding my center again.

And while I can’t tell you everything about my trip, mostly because so much of it was intensely personal, I can share with you the musical highlights and insights I experienced.

I fell in love with a great little jazz and supper club on the edge of Harlem called Smoke. I went there with my

Judy Barnett @ Smoke

talented friend Shaynee Rainbolt, who lives in New York and was kind enough to let me stay with her during my trip, to hear Judy Barnett and her great jazz band. They were tight!

And who should we meet there but songwriter/entertainer/funny man Mr. Ray Jessel. Now, I’ve heard so much about Ray but had never had the pleasure of meeting him. He’s so much fun and extraordinarily charming. He, Shaynee and I all had dinner together while listening to Judy and her band swing it hard.

Shaynee & Ray

Oh, how I wish there was a jazz club like this in San Francisco!

One of the other highlights for me was getting to go to Birdland, one of the most famous and historic jazz clubs in New York. Some if not all of the greatest jazz legends in the world played there when it was located on 52nd & Broadway. Artists like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bud Powell, Stan Getz, Lester Young, Erroll Garner, and many, many others. Today, it’s located in midtown Manhatten and continues to be the home of “some of the best jazz on the planet.”

On Monday night, I was there for Cast Party, which is like an open mic for some of the greatest cabaret and musical theater stars in the world. See, Mondays are Broadway’s dark night, meaning there aren’t any performances. So, a lot of Broadway stars who just can’t stand taking a night off, show up at Cast Party to sing and promote there show, etc.

As we walked into Birdland, the legendary Marilyn Maye was singing! Oh my god, this woman is amazing. At 80 years old, she sings with more passion and fire (and greater skill) than most singers in their prime. Ah, it did my heart good to hear her. I only wish I had been able to stay in New York longer to see her show.

I was also blown away by Ted Firth, the jazz pianist who accompanies all these singers during Cast Party. He plays so beautifully, with a restrained elegance and style, that I only wish he had taken more solos.

Then, guitarist Terrence Brewer took the stage to join Ted and the bass player (who’s name I can’t remember – shame on me!) in order to accompany yet another singer. I must confess, I don’t remember the singer or the song because I was so captivated by Terrence’s playing.

Lucky for me, I got to meet Terrence the following night! I was at the Metropolitan Room (one of the greatest

Terrence Brewer & Me

cabaret rooms in New York; I love hearing music there) to see my friend Terese Genecco’s show at 7:00 and then Russ Lorenson’s show at 9:45 pm. As I took my seat for Terese’s show, there was Terrence, sitting at the table right next to mine. I introduced myself and told him how much I enjoyed his playing the night before, and well, the conversation just took off from there.

To my delight, I discovered that he’s from Northern California! He was in New York to play multiple gigs, including Russ’s show that night. Well, well, well. Just my good luck. I’ve been looking for a jazz guitarist to collaborate with and it seems I had to go to New York to find one in my own back yard! Man, I love New York!

Wait a moment. Let me mention that before I went to Birdland on Monday, I was at the Metropolitan Room (can’t get enough of that place!) to hear my two dearest friends, Shaynee Rainbolt and Terese Genecco, sing for the “Friends With Benefits” performance, a benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Here is the video of that night.

I SO wish I had a video of Terese Genecco’s show on Tuesday night at the Metropolitan Room. Frankly, this woman makes me sick! Just when you think there is no stinking way she can get any better, she takes the stage with her little big band and blows your mind with her talent, her voice, her showmanship and mastery of this thing called entertainment.

Now, I’ve seen Terese’s show so many times I’ve lost count. And I lap it up every time. But this night, she did a version of “Anywhere I Hang My Hat Is Home” that killed! It rocked! It was jaw-dropping amazing! Damn her!

I snuck out to make a phone call before Russ Lorenson’s new show, Standard Time, which featured songs written after 1960 that Russ believes need to be included in what we call the Great American Songbook.

What I loved about Russ’s show, other than his incredibly beguiling voice, was that I hardly knew any of the songs in this show! Just a handful. It was such a joy to be introduced to songs written by by songwriters who are still alive and writing great stuff. Including my buddy, Kelly Park, who was not only the musical director for this show but one of the songwriters Russ featured in this show. Hey, Kelly! Who knew?

As Joe Regan, Jr., from Cabaret Scenes wrote: “Russ Lorenson, who possesses one of the great male voices in cabaret, begins his new show, ‘Standard Time’ with a question: ‘Who says the Great American Songbook stopped in 1959?’ The selections are a treasure trove of obscure beauties and make Lorenson’s show a must-see…”

On Thursday, Oct. 30, I flew home. It felt like the longest flight ever. So much of me wanted to stay in New York. I can’t wait to go back!

Photo by Mark Marshall

This is a Big Deal for me because I’m not a big fan of travel. Especially travel that involves airplanes. Only desire and crazy love could make me book such a trip. A love larger than my dread of being packed in tin and propelled through the air for 5 to 6 hours.

But I’m beginning to realize my real reasons for this trip are still unknown to me. This has become my Magical Mystery trip, and I am so damned excited! I wish I was leaving today!

You can bet I’ll be visiting my my talented friend, Shaynee Rainbolt. Then, I’m taking a bus, renting a car and checking out territories north where I’m hoping to take in some gorgeous, deep Fall foliage. (Oh, yes, PLEASE!) Plus, a trip to the new Woodstock Museum at Bethel Woods, which is supposed to be as mind-blowingly fabulous and experiential as the original event.

Then, as of today, it looks like I’ll be heading back to New York City during the week of the Cabaret Convention because I’ve been offered the chance to apartment-sit a truly fab apartment for a friend of a friend. I can’t believe my good luck! This means I’ll get to see my friend Terese Genecco’s show as well as Russ Lorenson’s show at the Metropolitan Room on Tuesday, Oct. 28. And go crazy with a whole slew of singer friends who are coming to town for the Convention. Like the adorable Shawn Ryan.

Then, who knows? Well, YOU will, because I’m taking you with me. I’m bringing my laptop, camera, and Flip video camera so I can let you in on the Mystery. Well, maybe not the WHOLE mystery. Just the stuff you might find mildly interesting.

I’m leaving on Oct. 21 and will return home sometime before the election. See you on the road!

I had no idea how it would work. Or if it would work at all.

But singing with "Mad Max" the Trombonist and my amazing piano man John Simon was a total blast!

I mean, how often do you hear a piano/trombone/vocal ensemble? Uh…never?

But I knew I wanted my friend and jazz trombone man Max Perkoff to join John and me for one of our monthly gigs at Upper Fourth. See, for the last three months or so, we’ve been featuring a different guest musician. March was Tony Malfatti, a great sax player. April was Rich Armstrong, one of the most talented trumpet players I’ve ever met or heard. And May was Max! And it was great!

First of all, Max is a ham. He loves entertaining the crowd, talking with them, and being highly expressive in his movements and his playing. But he’s also an incredible musician who is creative and daring in his improvisations. He knows when to create space, to hang back, and when to dive in with his whole heart. I loved listening to him as much as I loved performing with him.

His creativity inspired my own. I found myself vamping and playing with phrases in new, surprising ways. Which, for me, is a big deal. I’m not one to take improvisational risks. That’s not my strength. But when I’m with musicians who are creating a certain sound and energy, it’s easy for me to meet that energy and play off of it.

It was incredible fun and I can’t wait to play with Max again.

I have all the windows and doors open because it’s a warm day. But Shane’s perfume still
permeates. I wish it would go away. The smell makes me sad.

Yes, Shane came to visit for 5 days and now she’s gone. My hopes were so high for this time with her. I had hoped to talk and talk and talk endlessly about God, about love, about life. I thought we would laugh and eat and explore. And while we did some of that, we also got snarled up in misunderstanding. And I ended up with my heart broken.

I’m still trying to understand where I went wrong. How did I attract this mess? Why would I attract a friend who would judge and insult me so? I don’t know, except that there must be that vibe in me. I must have the same kind of judgment and harshness for myself. And perhaps for others as well. Is that true? Is that what this is all about?

She didn’t even accept the gifts I gave her. She left them here. The ultimate insult.

This I know. I must take full responsibility for my broken heart, for this hurt I feel. Somehow, I attracted this. And yes, I learned so much about myself. My willingness to let people insult me, poke jibes at me, without saying anything because I don’t want to make them feel uncomfortable! AND my willingness to also participate in this kind of insulting humor, where you poke fun at someone as a way to connect with them. As a form of play. That sarcastic kind of humor that’s not all that funny.

As I feel how painful it was for me to be on the receiving AND the giving end of such thoughtless repartee, I am determined not to participate in this kind of communication. Especially with my friends. With those I love.

I want my words AND my thoughts about others to be kind, uplifting, inspiring and appreciative. Truly. To find what’s beautiful and alive in each person, to respect and honor their path, their way… even if I don’t understand it. To love them as they are. To meet them where they are. And hold them in love always.

Including those who break my heart.

Shane lives in North Carolina via Tennessee via California via Chicago via Georgia. I think that’s the order. She’s lived a lot of places, that girl. Her dreams take her all over the place. But now, she’s a North Carolina girl. She lives there with her amazingly sweet husband Alex and their dog…who’s name I can’t remember right now. Forgive me, puppy.

Shane is partially responsible for getting me out and singing throughout Northern California. Many years ago, she started something called “Song of the Month Club” at Martuni’s in San Francisco. It was a singer’s open mic where a slew of singers would come and sign up to sing 2 tunes accompanied by a piano player who could play almost anything. Tucked in the dark back room of this piano bar we would all sing for each other.

That’s where I met Shane. And a lot of other singers with whom I am now friends. Like Lua Hadar and Linda Kosut. Shaynee Rainbolt. Barry Lloyd. This fun, once a month open mic was my gateway into the San Francisco Cabaret community.

Shane doesn’t sing anymore. Not professionally. She sings in church and maybe in the car. I think she got her heart broken by music. It happens. I’ve been there. You give your heart and life energy to music, to singing, and you have these dreams, these expectations, and when they don’t manifest… you feel betrayed. Or maybe she just felt complete after creating her truly magnificent CD.

Instead of singing, she’s cooking! She’s a crazy whole foods chef, the original Whole Foods Snob! She loves cooking and teaching others about how to eat well.

Okay, gotta run. Delta Airlines is running on time and I got to be there when Shane touches down!

Last night, at Jazz at Pearl’s in San Francisco, I heard Linda’s new show “As Long As You’re Living: A Tribute to the music, life, legacy & spirit of jazz legend, Oscar Brown Jr.” I was mesmerized by the drama and dark power of this material. Songs like “Bid ‘Em Up” were almost too brutal to bear. But then there were the playful and delightful tunes like the one he wrote mimicking his son’s wonderment at the obvious and imaginary.

Oscar Brown, Jr. put a lot of his politics in his songs, but he also put a lot of poetry in them as well. Some of the lyrics were exquisite, like “Column of Birds,” Others were pretty preachy, but Oscar believed in entertainment that had meaning and message.

A special treat last night was Linda’s guest artist, Maggie Brown, Oscar’s daughter. She sang a few tunes in the middle of the show, and you could sense the talent and dramatic flare her father must have had as well. We in the audience felt as if we were being treated to something rare, rich and wonderful by getting to hear Maggie sing within a tribute show to her father.

So, who IS Oscar Brown, Jr.? Well, even after this tribute show, I’m not sure I really can fully answer that question. Let me use the copy posted on All About Jazz:

Oscar Brown, Jr. was a “singer, songwriter, poet, activist, actor, director, playwright, Afro-centrist, politician and social critic who left a prolific catalogue of music and poetry. He was a jazzer; cabaret, nightclub and stage performer; some have called him “the Father of Rap” – a renaissance man.

In the early 60s, he performed on the Ed Sullivan show, hosted the Steve Allen Jazz Scene USA series; and Dave Garroway of The Today Show, presented a 2-hour special with OBJ.

For more information, check out my favorite encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

I hope Linda will perform this show again soon so all of you can go see it and get your own hit of who this man was.

Before I sign off, I must say that a lot of the power and beauty of the music last night came from Linda’s band, the Max Perkoff quartet, which included Randy Vincent on guitar, Dave Rokeach on drums, my buddy Tom Shader on bass, and Max Perkoff on piano and trombone. Max also arranged most of the tunes performed in the show.

Wanda, a legendary jazz singer who has a regular Thursday night gig at the Panama Hotel, was celebrating her birthday by packing the house with friends and some incredible singers, most of whom sat in and sang with her jazz trio, Si Perkoff on piano, Max Perkoff on trombone, a drummer who’s name I didn’t get, and a flutist who’s name I didn’t get either. They were all amazing.

I was there with my ultra-talented, fireball-of-a-singer friend, Terese Genecco, who blew the roof
off that place when she got up to sing "Unchain My Heart" which she features in  her show, "Drunk With Love — A Tribute to Francis Faye." By the way, if you haven’t seen that show, you must. It’s coming to Jazz at Pearls on November 3,4, & 5, and you simply cannot miss this show.

Wanda looked great and sang wonderfully. She is a master jazz singer who sings with such ease, style and sass that it’s always such a pleasure to hear her.

When I wasn’t running around taking photos, I was chatting with my friends Linda Kosut and Pam Edelstein, or eating. The food at the Panama Hotel was quite fine, but man, I never want to spend $12.50 on a glass of wine again.

I was probably the only singer there that didn’t sit in with the band. Why? Well, to be honest, I didn’t have a tune that matched the high-flying spirits of the room that was also charted in a way that the band could read. I mean, I could have sung "The Nearness of You" but no on was in the mood for a ballad.

But this only inspired me to write about this issue of having 2-3 songs ready to go when sitting in on my Wild Voice blog, yet another blog that has been sorely neglected but is about to spring back to life.

By the way, both Terese Genecco and Pam Edelstein will be sitting in with me on November 11 at my Soho gig in Petaluma. I’m also in the process of begging Max Perkoff to join us so I can sing along to that fat, rich sound he gets from that trombone. Wish me luck.