It was the yellow brick road that lead me to my crush on mid-century jazz standards. At age 7, while watching The Wizard of Oz and understanding the message of “somewhere over the rainbow,” I felt the the sky and my dreams open. I owe my a lot of my optimism to composer Harold Arlen. 

 

That same year I remember staying up past my bed time and sneaking in a viewing of the Billie Holiday bio pic Lady Sings The Blues.  When Abel Meeropol’s“ Strange Fruit” scratched my ears it ushered my soul to a depth that no seven year old should dive into.  In one year I fell in love with the brightest and darkest songs I’ve heard even to this day and a style, genre and period of music that most effortlessly connects to core of  who I am. I started taking voice lessons the following year and my favorite songs were those of Gershwin, Porter, Ellington, Strayhorne and the like. My favorite voices were Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Sara Vaughn, Mel Torme, Dinah Washington and the singing of famous trumpeter, Chet Baker. The themes, melodies, chords, timelessness and sheer coolness of those early american songbook tunes were unparalleled. 

 

When a trombone fell from the heavens, into my hands and upon my lips it cherried my adoration for jazz and mid-century music.  I started penning my own valentine’s to songbook that formed me. I challenge myself everyday to create pieces that will pepper our somewhat cold zeitgeist with kiss of old fashioned fine romance.