Saturday, July 25, 2009
Times Colonist article - "A Brave Heart with Soul" by Adrian Chamberlain
A brave heart with soul
Singer Emily Braden survived the tough crowds of Harlem with her self-esteem intact
By Adrian Chamberlain, Times ColonistJuly 25, 2009
Last May, one of Victoria's best singers was booed off the stage at Apollo Amateur Night.
We're talking about Emily Braden, who at 27 has emerged as a powerhouse soul-jazz singer. She has just recorded an excellent album, Soul Walk, in which she sounds like the illegitimate love-child of Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald . . . if such a thing were possible.
Don't believe me? Check out Braden at Hermann's Jazz Club on Monday and Tuesday night, where she'll be joined by a combo with pianist Misha Piatigorsky.
But let's return to Apollo Amateur Night, happening every Wednesday night in New York's Harlem district. The Apollo is one of America's legendary venues. The list of folk who've performed there is daunting: James Brown, Billie Holiday, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder.
For an up-and-coming performer, the Apollo's amateur night is the scariest place in the world. If the audience doesn't like you, they will enthusiastically boo you off. And it's no level playing field. Competitors bring in their own cliques, who cheer for their pals and boo everyone else. If you're looking for the performing arts equivalent of a cock fight, it's the Apollo Amateur Night.
Enter Braden, who moved to Victoria eight years ago by way of Boise, Idaho. She was in New York to record her album and rustle up some club gigs. Most Apollo amateur-night vocalists sing Beyoncé-style R&B. Braden -- who auditioned for the privilege -- bravely decided to stick to her jazz roots by singing Bye Bye Blackbird, a standard from the 1920s.
"I should have sung Tell Me Something Good or something," she said, laughing.
Braden was nervous, but the crowd seemed to dig it. Then, halfway though the song, it started. She heard that ominous sound every performer loathes and fears.
"I thought to myself, 'Oh, that's not booing. That's not booing.' "
It was. Braden was escorted off stage. She asked to join her family (some of whom travelled from Boise) and friends (some of whom travelled from Victoria) in the audience. Nope. The security guard said she needed a ticket. So Braden found herself standing on 126th Street, commiserating with a "less than awesome" comedian who had also received the bum's rush.
Undaunted, Braden scored a ticket from someone who was leaving the theatre. She joined her friends. And she cheerfully chalked the whole thing up to experience. Besides, Braden notes the list of performers who have been booed at Apollo Amateur Night includes Prince and James Brown. So there.
How many jazz singers hold a master's degree in Latin American studies? Braden received hers from the University of Victoria last year. For her thesis, she analyzed contemporary lyrics in blues, soul and salsa. "My thesis was about representations of voluptuous women in music," said the singer, who wasn't joking.
Since graduating, Braden has been focusing on music full time. In Victoria, she's well known from gigs at Hermann's, the Superior and Pagliacci's. Her soulful timbre and hip phrasing make her stand out.
"She sounds like a black woman," says Piatigorsky, a New York City jazz pianist and Braden's friend. "When I play the recording for people, I tell them it's a white girl from Boise, Idaho, who's about 27. And they go, 'What?' "
It was Piatigorsky who insisted she record her first album, Soul Walk, which he volunteered to produce. A solid collection of originals and covers, the music spans straight-ahead jazz, percolating funk, Joni Mitchell-style pop and Latin.
The independently produced disc includes Evil Gal Blues. Braden sang that tune at a club during her first night in New York, about 18 months ago. She dropped into Showman's Bar on 125th Street, in Harlem. An organ trio was playing. Braden asked to sit in, but was refused.
After a time, the band relented. Her Evil Gal Blues went over well -- an impressive achievement for a white girl from Boise.
"It was killin'. It was pretty entertaining and hilarious. People were shocked; they didn't expect it to come from me," Braden said.
It was Louise Rose, the Victoria singer and pianist, who persuaded her to come here. They met at Mount Hood Community College in Portland, where Braden was studying music. Rose, giving a master class, was impressed by the young singer. She invited Braden to study with her -- and become a mentor.
Here's a final Emily Braden story. She once sang at the Treehouse Restaurant on Saltspring Island, where she noticed Raffi, the children's entertainer, in the audience.
Braden introduced herself, and revealed her dream of travelling to New York and recording an album. They exchanged addresses.
Raffi subsequently sent her a hefty cheque toward the recording of Soul Walk. "I was surprised. I was touched," she said.
Her grandmother also made a financial contribution, albeit on the understanding her granddaughter do the same for another young artist in the future.
Said Braden: "I love that idea."
achamberlain@tc.canwest.com
Singer Emily Braden survived the tough crowds of Harlem with her self-esteem intact
By Adrian Chamberlain, Times ColonistJuly 25, 2009
Last May, one of Victoria's best singers was booed off the stage at Apollo Amateur Night.
We're talking about Emily Braden, who at 27 has emerged as a powerhouse soul-jazz singer. She has just recorded an excellent album, Soul Walk, in which she sounds like the illegitimate love-child of Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald . . . if such a thing were possible.
Don't believe me? Check out Braden at Hermann's Jazz Club on Monday and Tuesday night, where she'll be joined by a combo with pianist Misha Piatigorsky.
But let's return to Apollo Amateur Night, happening every Wednesday night in New York's Harlem district. The Apollo is one of America's legendary venues. The list of folk who've performed there is daunting: James Brown, Billie Holiday, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder.
For an up-and-coming performer, the Apollo's amateur night is the scariest place in the world. If the audience doesn't like you, they will enthusiastically boo you off. And it's no level playing field. Competitors bring in their own cliques, who cheer for their pals and boo everyone else. If you're looking for the performing arts equivalent of a cock fight, it's the Apollo Amateur Night.
Enter Braden, who moved to Victoria eight years ago by way of Boise, Idaho. She was in New York to record her album and rustle up some club gigs. Most Apollo amateur-night vocalists sing Beyoncé-style R&B. Braden -- who auditioned for the privilege -- bravely decided to stick to her jazz roots by singing Bye Bye Blackbird, a standard from the 1920s.
"I should have sung Tell Me Something Good or something," she said, laughing.
Braden was nervous, but the crowd seemed to dig it. Then, halfway though the song, it started. She heard that ominous sound every performer loathes and fears.
"I thought to myself, 'Oh, that's not booing. That's not booing.' "
It was. Braden was escorted off stage. She asked to join her family (some of whom travelled from Boise) and friends (some of whom travelled from Victoria) in the audience. Nope. The security guard said she needed a ticket. So Braden found herself standing on 126th Street, commiserating with a "less than awesome" comedian who had also received the bum's rush.
Undaunted, Braden scored a ticket from someone who was leaving the theatre. She joined her friends. And she cheerfully chalked the whole thing up to experience. Besides, Braden notes the list of performers who have been booed at Apollo Amateur Night includes Prince and James Brown. So there.
How many jazz singers hold a master's degree in Latin American studies? Braden received hers from the University of Victoria last year. For her thesis, she analyzed contemporary lyrics in blues, soul and salsa. "My thesis was about representations of voluptuous women in music," said the singer, who wasn't joking.
Since graduating, Braden has been focusing on music full time. In Victoria, she's well known from gigs at Hermann's, the Superior and Pagliacci's. Her soulful timbre and hip phrasing make her stand out.
"She sounds like a black woman," says Piatigorsky, a New York City jazz pianist and Braden's friend. "When I play the recording for people, I tell them it's a white girl from Boise, Idaho, who's about 27. And they go, 'What?' "
It was Piatigorsky who insisted she record her first album, Soul Walk, which he volunteered to produce. A solid collection of originals and covers, the music spans straight-ahead jazz, percolating funk, Joni Mitchell-style pop and Latin.
The independently produced disc includes Evil Gal Blues. Braden sang that tune at a club during her first night in New York, about 18 months ago. She dropped into Showman's Bar on 125th Street, in Harlem. An organ trio was playing. Braden asked to sit in, but was refused.
After a time, the band relented. Her Evil Gal Blues went over well -- an impressive achievement for a white girl from Boise.
"It was killin'. It was pretty entertaining and hilarious. People were shocked; they didn't expect it to come from me," Braden said.
It was Louise Rose, the Victoria singer and pianist, who persuaded her to come here. They met at Mount Hood Community College in Portland, where Braden was studying music. Rose, giving a master class, was impressed by the young singer. She invited Braden to study with her -- and become a mentor.
Here's a final Emily Braden story. She once sang at the Treehouse Restaurant on Saltspring Island, where she noticed Raffi, the children's entertainer, in the audience.
Braden introduced herself, and revealed her dream of travelling to New York and recording an album. They exchanged addresses.
Raffi subsequently sent her a hefty cheque toward the recording of Soul Walk. "I was surprised. I was touched," she said.
Her grandmother also made a financial contribution, albeit on the understanding her granddaughter do the same for another young artist in the future.
Said Braden: "I love that idea."
achamberlain@tc.canwest.com
Monday, July 13, 2009
GEORGIA O KEEFE.....From emily's notes....written may 31 2009
I've been proofreading the CD insert and decided to post the lyrics to one of the songs I wrote that will be on the new album. Quite honestly, I am in love with the way this particular song sounds -- it has string quartet and everything. I love also what it says about love and self-love, vulnerability and resilency.
The images, the characters, the poem, the melody and the music for this one came quick. It alludes to four female artists that have had a huge influence on me. In my mind, they all have a very similar feminist, erotic, piercing yet sensitive quality about them. I am also attracted to what I see as a dangerous kind of strength. They are - Georgia O'Keefe and Virginia Woolf, and also two 20th century South American poets (who coincidently had a friendship)- Juana de Ibarbourou, and Alfonsina Storni. These women came together quite easily for the song, maybe because they had been sharing space in my head for so long...
A few years ago I was at the Boise Art Museum to see a Georgia O'Keefe exhibit. In the back, they were showing an incredibly documentary/interview in black white that someone had done with Georgia. It's set in her home in the New Mexican desert. I was completely enchanted. If you can find it, watch it and you'll understand.
I did my first major literary analysis on Viriginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway." I hated it at first. After studying about the author and the book itself, I absolutely fell in love.
Woolf and Alfonsina Storni both commited suicide by drowning themselves, which is where the first part of the second verse comes from.
The rest of the second verse references Juana de Ibarbourou's poem "Rebelde" or "Rebel." I analyzed this poem my first year of University and have never forgotten it. I love the way she describes herself on the River Styx with Caronte/Charon, who in Greek mythology collects souls from the river bank and carries them in his ship to the after-life, or the other side.
It begins, "Caronte: I will be be a scandal in your ship" - while the others pray, moan and cry, she paints herself as a lark, singing as they float along the river.
05 GEORGIA O’KEEFE 6:03
/// EMILY BRADEN/MISHA PIATIGORSKY
Misha Piatigorsky–piano
Rudy Royston–drums
Boris Koslov–acoustic bass
Carmel Raz String Quartet
you, you’re gonna miss me
once i’m gone
once i find my way around
your broke down charm
you, you’re gonna wish you’d
held on tighter
once i find myself in someone
else’s arms
like georgia o’keefe painting flowers in the backseat
under the new mexican sun
you can imagine me that way
here it’s dry but this desert is mine
i see blue skies through the hole
of a sun-bleached pelvic bone
you, you’re gonna miss me
once i’m gone
once i find my way around
your broke down charm
you, you’re gonna wish you’d
held on tighter
once i find myself in someone
else’s arms
like hundreds of lovers
with bricks in their pockets
headed straight for the ocean floor
i will not go down that way
but if some strange face lures me from the shore
i’ll be the lark that sings
around the bend
a rebel on the river in
the ship of charon
you, you’re gonna miss me
once i’m gone
once i find my way around
your broke down charm
you, you’re gonna wish you’d
held on tighter
once i find myself in someone
else’s arms
like georgia o’keefe painting flowers in the backseat
under the new mexican sun
you can imagine me that way
here it’s dry but this desert is mine
i see blue skies through the hole
of a sun-bleached pelvic bone
emily braden
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Emily Braden's Soul Walk a major success
July 7, 2009
You read it here first.Vocalist Emily Braden’s debut studio album, Soul Walk, co-written, arranged, and produced by New York pianist/composer/producer Misha Piatigorsky, is such a resounding artistic success that it has the potential to launch Braden into the first rank of contemporary jazz vocalists.
Recorded last year in New York and full of that city’s musical energy, Soul Walk announces Braden as one of the most exciting female jazz vocalists to emerge in years. That’s no surprise to Victoria audiences, of course, where the 27 year-old, originally from Boise, Idaho, has lived, studied and performed for the last eight years, but it will be news to those jazz fans who will be hearing her for the first time once this album gets the exposure it deserves.
It also confirms yet again that Piatigorsky, who spends his summers in Victoria (his wife is from here) performing and teaching jazz at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, is a truly gifted composer, arranger and producer (besides being an in-demand New York pianist). His evocative, shape-shifting arrangements and inspired use of instrumentation augment and strengthen the pure excitement and energy Braden generates with her soulful, versatile voice on the six original tunes and six covers that comprise this landmark recording.
It’s hard to pick an all-out winner here, since all the tunes, from the high-energy, get-up-and-move Testify that kicks things off to the sweet and tender rendering of the Herb Ellis ballad Detour Ahead that completes the album, are beautifully realized, each contributing to a dazzling palate of sonic colour that showcases the versatility of Braden’s voice and Piatigorsky’s unbounded musical imagination. But two original tunes, Wallflower’s Fantasy and Georgia O’Keefe, are particular standouts for their lyric and sonic artistry. Think of the best of Joni Mitchell (at her jazziest) and Herbie Hancock (at his most innovative) and you have a sense of the quality we’re talking about here.
If this album isn’t picked up by a major record label in the US and Canada, I’ll eat my hat – no, make that my entire record collection.
You can hear two tunes from the album at Braden’s MySpace page here:
http://www.myspace.com/emilybraden
– Rick Gibbs
Stay tuned for more on Emily Braden. I’ll soon be running an interview with her as I preview her upcoming gigs in Victoria and on Hornby Island. This week she’s off to Boise for a CD launch in her hometown. The album, by the way, will soon be available on line through iTunes.
© 2009 Rick Gibbs and Island Jazz. Please see the copyright info in the sidebar for permitted uses.
You read it here first.Vocalist Emily Braden’s debut studio album, Soul Walk, co-written, arranged, and produced by New York pianist/composer/producer Misha Piatigorsky, is such a resounding artistic success that it has the potential to launch Braden into the first rank of contemporary jazz vocalists.
Recorded last year in New York and full of that city’s musical energy, Soul Walk announces Braden as one of the most exciting female jazz vocalists to emerge in years. That’s no surprise to Victoria audiences, of course, where the 27 year-old, originally from Boise, Idaho, has lived, studied and performed for the last eight years, but it will be news to those jazz fans who will be hearing her for the first time once this album gets the exposure it deserves.
It also confirms yet again that Piatigorsky, who spends his summers in Victoria (his wife is from here) performing and teaching jazz at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, is a truly gifted composer, arranger and producer (besides being an in-demand New York pianist). His evocative, shape-shifting arrangements and inspired use of instrumentation augment and strengthen the pure excitement and energy Braden generates with her soulful, versatile voice on the six original tunes and six covers that comprise this landmark recording.
It’s hard to pick an all-out winner here, since all the tunes, from the high-energy, get-up-and-move Testify that kicks things off to the sweet and tender rendering of the Herb Ellis ballad Detour Ahead that completes the album, are beautifully realized, each contributing to a dazzling palate of sonic colour that showcases the versatility of Braden’s voice and Piatigorsky’s unbounded musical imagination. But two original tunes, Wallflower’s Fantasy and Georgia O’Keefe, are particular standouts for their lyric and sonic artistry. Think of the best of Joni Mitchell (at her jazziest) and Herbie Hancock (at his most innovative) and you have a sense of the quality we’re talking about here.
If this album isn’t picked up by a major record label in the US and Canada, I’ll eat my hat – no, make that my entire record collection.
You can hear two tunes from the album at Braden’s MySpace page here:
http://www.myspace.com/emi
– Rick Gibbs
Stay tuned for more on Emily Braden. I’ll soon be running an interview with her as I preview her upcoming gigs in Victoria and on Hornby Island. This week she’s off to Boise for a CD launch in her hometown. The album, by the way, will soon be available on line through iTunes.
© 2009 Rick Gibbs and Island Jazz. Please see the copyright info in the sidebar for permitted uses.
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