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Barbara Dennerlein Adventures

_{Many
years ago, Barbara Dennerlein, performed in concert in Vancouver,
Canada, but like ships passing in the night, we missed each other by
just a few days, as this writer was moving. We did however arrange an
interview, remotely over the phone. The superlative Blues and Jazz
organist who has toured the world, left audiences in awe of her talent
and equally so of her immense skills as a composer and innovator, has
become a beloved and cherished friend over the years. Barbara has been a
guest at Riveting Riffs Magazine, many times over the past decade and
one-half and recently she sat down with me from her home in Germany. We
have dubbed this The Newsletter Interviews, because her
newsletters are full of information about her current concerts, past
events, sometimes going back many years and quite frankly, because of
the insight they provide about this amazing musician who plays the
Hammond organ and also pipe organs and yes she still plays Jazz and
Blues on them, as well as her own creations.
Have a good glass
of wine, or a soda or cup of tea and settle in as we explore once again
the life of Barbara Dennerlein.
Our conversation
began with her concert in the Church of St Martin in Dundelange in May,
when she played the pipe organ. It was a collaboration with saxophonist
Laurent Pierre.}

She says, “Besides the Hammond organ I play a lot of pipe organ. Read More

Ada Rovatti & Randy Brecker

There is something about sitting down for an interview with two people whom you have known for many years, although most of that from a distance, that has more of the feel of friends getting together for a visit, a comfortable conversation if you like. Ada Rovatti and Randy Brecker’s new album, Brecker Plays Rovatti: Sacred Bond creates that same mood when you listen to the collection of songs composed and arranged by Ada Rovatti. The musicians who play on the album were drawn together by Randy Brecker and the album was masterfully recorded at Bunker Studios by Aaron Nevezie, while Cynthia Daniels put her magical touch on the mixing and mastering of the album. Just a word about Cynthia Daniels, we could not possibly do justice to her career, the many artists with whom she has worked, or the Broadway productions, films and television shows that have her fingerprints on them, so we encourage you to visit her website.

In proper journalism practice first names alone are seldom used when referring to the one being interviewed however, in this situation when conversing with the husband and wife team of Randy Brecker and Ada Rovatti and our familiarity with them it somehow would not feel right to refer to them by their last names, so we are going to cast protocol aside. Their daughter Stella also appears on this album, but her demands for a significant appearance fee could not be met by Riveting Riffs Magazine and before anyone takes us seriously, we are joking folks, but we did want to give Stella a nod for her singing performance on the opening track "Sacred Bond," as well as making a debut on her mom and dad’s album. Read More

Gretchen Parlato & Flor

Ten years had gone by since Jazz singer, composer and lyricist Gretchen Parlato and I last sat down to have a chat. A lot had changed both in the world and in Gretchen Parlato’s life during that time. She moved from New York City back to Los Angeles to be closer to her family, she got married and she now has a seven-year-old son. She received a Grammy Award nomination, Best Jazz Vocal Album, in 2015 for her album, Live in New York City. Her sense of humor, which was so evident a decade ago is still evident and as we talked over the phone she was just as insightful, introspective and still comfortable in her own skin.

Ten years ago, she told this writer, “The goal of art is to reflect who you are and to reflect your life. It has been a process for me to get to that place and to realize that it is okay to not try to sound like anyone else or to try to be like anyone else. It is just being completely honest and open and vulnerable. I want to be versatile, but I also want to sound like me.”

Did she still feel the same and does her new album Flor (her quartet has the same name), reflect that same sentiment?

She enlightened us, “I am pleased with my thirty-five year old self for saying that (she laughs lightly). I would agree, that was my path then and it was my self-realization then. It is definitely a continued path now. Our art is a reflection of our life, so my life now and for the past seven years of motherhood is very different than when I was thirty-five, single, independent, and Read More

Diane Marino at Her Best!

In what may be her best album to date, Soul Serenade the Gloria Lynne Project, Nashville based pianist and Jazz singer Diane Marino brings to life the songs of Gloria Lynne whose career spanned a phenomenal six decades.

Marino talks about her decision to delve into Lynne’s catalogue, “I wasn’t too familiar with her, but I heard the name years ago. While I was doing a gig up in New York my drummer was Vince Ector and he was Gloria’s drummer for the last fifteen years of her life. He knew all of the material very well. We were doing a tune called “I Am Glad There Is You,” which I recorded on another album many years (earlier) and I didn’t realize it was one of her signature songs. When we played it on the gig Vince told me that. Then he said her big song was “I Wish You Love,” and that I know and I sing it too.

It got the wheels turning and I investigated her catalogue of music. I thought these are really cool tunes. I had not heard a lot of them. She also recorded a lot of standards, but the songs that we picked out for this CD I had never heard before.”

As for why this particular selection of songs she says, “It is a combination of the song and how she sang them. It is great stuff. How do you put your finger on how it struck you Read More

Celia Berk - Manhattan Serenade

There is something about listening to a singer who knows how to infuse each and every phrase of a song with authenticity and when she is accompanied by superbly orchestrated musicians playing exquisite arrangements that puts you right in the middle of the scenes that she has vividly brought to life. Celia Berk’s interpretation of the songs on her current album Manhattan Serenade accomplishes all of that. The collection of thirteen songs by composers and lyricists such as David Heneker, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers / Lorenz Hart, Cy Coleman and David Zippel and others is Ms. Berk’s love letter to the city she has lived in and around her entire life. This is home for Celia Berk and in the midst of the hustle and bustle and masses of people she finds beauty and peace. That is really what this album Manhattan Serenade is all about.

It is about a woman who was born in Manhattan and grew up on Long Island, before eventually moving back to New York City, as an adult. As a young girl her mother would take her to the Opera on Saturdays and Celia Berk’s father inspired within her a love for the Great American Songbook.

“My mother took me to the Opera and she started out when she first came to the city and they had a subscription at the Metropolitan Opera. Read More

Lisa Hilton Lucky All Along

“If you listen to the entire album it takes you through your life. I hope that gets communicated to people when they listen to it,” says pianist and composer Lisa Hilton about her current album, Lucky All Along. A friend of Riveting Riffs Magazine for almost all of the twenty-one years that we have been publishing the affable, internationally, critically acclaimed artist, composed, played and produced one of the most beautiful musical gems you will hear this year or any other year.

Lisa Hilton set aside an hour of her time and spoke to us from her Malibu home, from which she can watch the dolphins play and where she composed this, her 30 th album. It has both a missive about finding our way, even through dark times, through struggles and emerging on the other side intact and still pursuing our dreams. It also pays homage to women in music, to those who perform, to those who compose and in some instances to those who do both.

Not just with this album, but with previous ones, Lisa Hilton has nodded in the direction of Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, Ann Ronell and Lana Del Rey. For Lucky All Along, she arranged “Snow On the Beach,” written by Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and Jack Antonoff.

“It is a gross Read More

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