[Dixielandjazz] SO THAT'S WHAT ALL THE FUSS WAS ABOUT

Fri Aug 6 22:37:48 PDT 2010

Dear All,

I'm continually surprised by who has or has not heard of whom out here in the jazz world.  For instance, I've been "out here" doing my thing--professionally--for about thirty-five years now. Been all over the world. Been in movies, TV, etc. Lots of recordings, both as a sideman and leader. Big deal! At just about every festival at which I play, I still get, "So, what do you do for a living?" I used to tell people that I repaired aquariums for rare tropical fish.  Now I say "I return hubcaps to their original shape after auto accidents." I then await their questions.

"Yes," I answer,"with all the imports out there, it's become a specialized field.  You need special tooling, blah, blah..."

I suppose that world is now so large and diffused that a fan of post-bop can't be expected to know all the trad players extant, and vice versa. Still, for a subscriber to the DJML--as is Mr. Callaghan--not to have ever heard of Rebecca Kilgore came as a genuine surprise.  I guess I'd figured all of the DJML subscribers would know her name (and her marvelous singing) by now. She's certainly had enough exposure, well before those nice recent reviews in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

Please don't get the impression I'm picking on Mr. Callaghan. There are certainly great singers and players all over the world of whom I haven't heard!  Nonetheless, Rebecca has been "on the scene" for a number of years now; ever since she took over the vocal (and rhythm guitar) chair with Chris Tyle's little swing group, Wholly Cats. Hal Smith was the drummer in that Portland-based band. Hal and Becky formed a friendship that has lasted to this day; hence the Rhythmakers disc that Mr. Callahan recently discovered. (Becky is also featured on several other great recordings with Hal, including those with Hal's group the Road Runners, and other more ad hoc combinations). 

Now, the '30s-swing-styled Wholly Cats might not have been a group that ardent mouldy fygges  (I like that spelling) would have normally sought out. However, with regard to her "trad" experience, Becky's been a frequent guest with Jim Cullum's Jazz Band, featured on several (or many) of their Riverwalk broadcasts on NPR. Speaking of NPR, Rebecca has also been one of Terry Gross's favorite guests (usually with Becky's Portland pal, composer/pianist/vocalist Dave Frishberg) on Ms. Gross's NPR show, Fresh Air.

The trad world in Great Britain knows about Rebecca.  We both had the honor of sitting in with the late Humphrey Lyttleton on one our many trips to England, and Becky has been a featured performer at the Blackpool, Norwich and Upton-Upon-Severn Festivals in England; and the Nairn and Edinburgh Festivals in Scotland. She's sung in Canada; Holland; Germany; Australia, and I don't know where else!

Back in the States, Rebecca has brought her beautiful voice and musical sensibility to the Atlanta Jazz Party (where the focus is on more traditional jazz; www.atlantajazzparty.com), and the Chautauqua Jazz Party (which has a similar trad bias; she'll be there again this September).

Other events where you might have seen and heard Rebecca include: the San Diego Jazz Party (www.sdjp.org) ; the West Texas "Collaboration" Jazz Party (www.wtjp.org); the Roswell Jazz Festival (she returns this October; www.roswelljazzfestival.com); and the Sweet and Hot Festival in Los Angeles, over Labor Day Weekend (www.sweethot.org).

Becky has several CDs available on Arbors Records (a label that first recorded the late Bechet-inspired soprano saxophonist/vocalist Rick Fay); Jump Records; Blue Swing Fine Recordings; and several other labels that feature trad-to-swing-styled jazz.

She has sung everywhere, from Fritzel's fun, little joint on Bourbon Street to Carnegie Hall.  She's been a guest on a number of jazz cruises (including cruises that feature mostly traditional players, and bands like the High Sierra Jazz Band). Becky knows her way around many styles of jazz, but her genuine love of trad jazz is reflected in her repertoire, which includes many "trad-oriented" tunes like Hard Hearted Hannah and Jelly Roll Morton's Sweet Substitute. (As a personal aside, I must admit that Becky's recording of that Morton classic is only my second-favorite. However, I don't think Becky minds that Morton's own version remains my favorite).

There's an old joke that most jazz musicians have heard. It's the riddle, "How do you know there's a girl singer at your door?" the answer is, "she forgot her key, and she doesn't know when to come in." Well, that joke is sadly based in truth. I've worked with far too many singers (men and women, actually) who've had to spend several long minutes with the pianist--on stage, in front of God and everybody--going through keys. You've heard their bit many times: "No, that's too low.. try it a little higher...no, now it's too high," and all that amateur stuff that makes you (and other audience members) want to go out and hear a rock band that knows what it's doing. That kind of display doesn't "help our cause." Come on, you singers! Learn what key you sing Summer Time in. And then, please don't sing it, unless you happen to be cast in Porgy and Bess. We've all heard enough of you sing Summer Time to last us 'til the next millennium. There are other seasons you can attack, you know: Spring is Here; Santa Claus Blues;  September in the Rain. Lay off poor Summer Time for a while, won't you? (You too, all you Bechet imitators). (Off-point: the black and white film footage of the great opera singer Marian Anderson performing Summer Time is worth finding and seeing/hearing. Maybe it's on YouTube(?))

Back to La Kilgore. She not only knows each and every key of each and every song she sings, but she even prepares her own lead sheets! (A "lead sheet"--as in, lead the band--is the abbreviated sheet music that shows the melody and chord changes for a particular song). For the serious artist, this involves procuring the original sheet music (always the definitive source); transposing the song into her key; and extracting it (the technical term for notating music onto paper; either by hand or using a computer program) for her accompanists to read.

Rebecca is a fine guitarist, and this knowledge of chords and music theory allows her to prepare accurate lead sheets. (Over the years, I've even heard her--gently and without anger or malice--call out the chord changes of a song to particularly weak pianists she's been saddled with for this or that gig: "Em-brace me--(whispered: C diminished)--my sweet--(D minor seventh)--em-brace-a-ble you (uhh...E half-diminished, A7, then D minor)--Embrace me--(B flat ninth)--you ir-re-PLACE-a-ble you!..." 

Your average singer just can't do this, and this is why so many great musicians who know her often say "she's a great MUSICIAN" before they say "she's a great SINGER." Naturally, they think she's a great singer, but the title of "musician" trumps "singer," kind of like "scissors cut paper."

Well, I've gone on a bit about this remarkable musician and person, only because it bothers me that the world at large knows who Lady Gaga is, but many don't yet know about Rebecca Kilgore. I know if this writing spurs you to invest in a CD (as did Mr. Callaghan), then once you hear her, you too will want to rectify this situation.

I'm lucky enough to have recorded with her on a number of occasions (under her name; under John Sheridan's name; under my name; and for others as well), and I continue to perform with her in the Rebecca Kilgore Quartet (www.rebeccakilgore.com); the larger band, Blue Swing; and in "pick-up" groups at various jazz festivals and parties. Lucky me!

I'm always proud to be on stage with her, and every time I hear her I realize I'm working with--arguably--the best singer in the business today. There's no arguing she's my favorite, though, and that's pretty much been the case since I first heard her, a decade-and-a-half ago.

So, please check her out...but only if you dig tasteful, swinging vocalists who sing perfectly in tune with intelligent, musical phrasing; a lovely sound; and their hearts on their sleeves. Otherwise, you might just want to pass.

Dan Barrett;
Proud member of the
Rebecca Kilgore Quartet, and--
like Mr. Callaghan--a Becky Kilgore fan.

> Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2010 13:49:14 -0500
> From: meetmrcallaghan at gmail.com
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] SO THAT'S WHAT ALL THE FUSS WAS ABOUT
> CC: tradjazz at list.okom.com; nvickers1 at cox.net; dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> To: danpbarrett at hotmail.com
> 
> I am speaking of the recent write-ups I've seen about Rebecca Kilgore.
> 
> Not being familiar with her vocal talents, I managed to locate an
> inexpensive CD by her online and it just arrived this morning.
> 
> It is 'Countin' on Fats" (Jazzology JCD-299) on which she does 18 Fats
> Waller compositions backed by Hal Smith's Rhythmakers, a 7-piece ensemble,
> (8 counting Becky on guitar). It was recorded in San Diego in 1998 and the
> band is equally adept at playing soft and mellow, swinging out, or anything
> in between depending on what the number calls for.
> 
> I can honestly say that I was so impressed with her vocalizing, that I can
> even forgive her being a blonde, which for me is really "biting the bullet".
> 
> Tides
> HC
> 
> -- 
> Some men see things as they are and say why....I dream things that never
> were and say why not -
> -George Bernard Shaw
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