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Nov. 30, 2012
Music with varied inspiration
Nancy Newman’s two new jazz CDs are now for sale.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY
Last month, at the Cultch Historic Theatre, Nancy Newman performed a sold-out concert showcasing music from her two newly released CDs: Palace of the Moon, a collection of originals, and You Never Know, a collection of jazz and pop standards, including Newman’s versions of “Love Potion No. 9” and the Leonard Cohen-Jennifer Warnes ballad “Song of Bernadette.”
Both CDs feature pianist/producer Michael Creber, Rene Worst (bass), Buff Allen (drums) and Robbie Steininger (guitar), with Tom Keenlyside (sax/flute) joining on Palace of the Moon.
“Vancouver has a great community of outstanding jazz musicians,” said Newman about knowing Creber, who she approached for help with her original song arrangements and then to produce Palace of the Moon and co-produce You Never Know. She described the experience of working with him and the other musicians as “amazing,” adding that the “studio time was punctuated with lots of laughter.”
She attributed the quality of the end result to “the band’s skill and experience. In my opinion, two factors which contribute to creating a cohesive musical unit are the suspension of ego and the ability to listen. In the studio, with attention focused on delivering the music, the outside world seemed to disappear and then the magic happened.”
This idea of music as an escape also came up when Newman shared some of her musical background with the Independent; in particular, the inspiration for the name of the Palace of the Moon CD, which relates to a now-defunct dancehall in Ontario.
“My grandparents on both sides were musically accomplished – composers, classical pianists, and even vaudeville performers,” she shared. “Growing up at home, my mom sang and my dad could play any instrument he picked up. My father was an engineer and a man of few, but well-chosen, words who expressed his depth through music. He would sit at the piano and play standards and I would wander over and sing.
“As a young man, my dad worked weekends as a professional musician, playing sax, clarinet and trumpet. After he had passed away, I learned from my twin aunts about his playing at the Palace of the Moon. The story chilled me with goosebumps and set me on fire with inspiration. The image of a moonlit dancehall surrounded by beaches and magnificent sand dunes captivated me. I set out to recount its magical spirit and its role as a sanctuary in my dad’s life. According to my Aunt Phyllis, when times got rough at home with their alcoholic father, my teenaged dad bundled his younger sisters into the rumble seat of his car and took them to the Palace of the Moon, where he played sax through the night with the band.
“While I didn’t face the same challenges as my father,” she acknowledged, “as a child, I did experience singing as a refuge and place I could express myself freely. So, for me, the Palace of the Moon has become a metaphor for that refuge and for the timeless and otherworldly place where music transports us. Whatever else is happening in my life, music helps me feel connected, a part of something larger than myself, and tuned into my inner truth.”
Further inspiration for her original compositions came from her other professional experience. Newman completed her master of science in rehabilitation counseling at San Diego State University in 1982. When she moved to Vancouver, she worked as a counselor at Capilano College and as a senior consultant with Rehabilitation Services of Canada, leaving these positions to devote more time to her family.
“As a counselor,” she explained, “I saw clients face tragedy and hard times. I was impressed with how people developed resilience and how I might assist. I’ve also felt a need to explore my own dark nights and try to understand the processes. So, perhaps I have something to share. I say this humbly because I think we all do, but human understanding has been a focus for me.”
Newman gave the Independent a few examples of how her work as a counselor has informed her songwriting.
“Many songs in the Palace of the Moon collection were born out of either watching others experience hardship or experiencing it myself, yet they speak to its hidden gifts,” she said.
“‘Nothing Stays the Same’ was inspired by the loss of a close friend and the sense of renewed strength that came from passing through the grief process.
“The song ‘You Never Know’ is about ‘letting go’ of expectations and arriving beyond one’s imagination. When I listened to a beautiful untitled composition by James Huumo, I started writing lyrics for it, but had no idea where it was going till it completed itself and surprised me with its resonance. So, the whole experience was a process of letting go and discovery. I dedicated the You Never Know album to my three sons, Josh, Joel and Seth, who are more special than I could have ever dreamed.”
She added, “‘Silent Tears’ is about moving past superficial conversations and tuning into what people are really going through. It was written as I watched my niece and nephews deal with the loss of their mother and as another friend wrestled with a loss of motivation in life.
“Following the death of my mother-in-law, Susan Bluman, a Holocaust survivor and loving matriarch of our family, I wrote ‘Sheltered in Your Wings.’ Creating it helped me deal with the pain of loss, and it also helped me get in touch with a sense that there is more: ‘There’s another world we’re part of, apart from all the pain. Where angel wings enfold us, loved ones’ love remains.’
“So, I think that it’s my fascination with human emotion that deeply informs my songwriting. When I’m writing and feel that emotional tug, then I know it’s a path worth following.... By tuning into the thread of the song that is most personally relevant and emotionally honest, hopefully I may connect with others. Perhaps now it is through my music that I both give and receive counsel.”
This give and take seems integral in Newman’s creative development, as well as to that of Palace of the Moon. She explained, “We recorded all 16 bed tracks for the two albums ... with studio manager Paul Silviera, and all songs were edited/mixed by Rob Stefanson ... and mastered by Chris Potter.... Having recorded several vocal improvisational endings, instead of choosing just one to pair with the saxophone solo, I suggested combining and layering several vocal tracks. Misha [Rajaratnam] ran with the idea brilliantly and we ended up applying four separate vocal improv tracks with Tom Keenlyside’s sax improvisation. This created an ending for the song which seems very liberating and fits my sense of finally arriving at the Palace.”
Newman is quick to give credit where credit is due, and to recognize the people who have mentored her and, therefore, contributed to her success. To name a few, she has worked with local coaches such as Jennifer Scott and Kate Hammett-Vaughan, and participated in workshops with jazz musicians like Sheila Jordan, Mark Murphy and Nancy King. “The value of meeting, observing and being coached by accomplished musicians who have been steeped in jazz for decades is powerful,” said Newman. “What impresses me most about all these mentors is their ability to deliver music with skill and emotional authenticity.
“My family,” she added, “and especially my husband Bob, has also helped mentor my music in a way I truly appreciate, by offering honest critique and support as I’ve struggled with writing or performing challenges.”
Newman, now the mother of three sons – all of whom attended Hebrew school and had their bar mitzvahs at Or Shalom, which the family joined in 1988 – wrote her first song when she was but a child. “Honestly, in grade school, I composed ‘The Flight of the Dodo Bird’ for the recorder and performed in class, and I took it very seriously!” she said.
Skipping ahead a few years, she added, “In 2000, I collaborated with classical composer Rudy Rozanski and co-wrote a song called ‘I Hold a Light,’ which we premièred at the Shiron Singers Chai Anniversary Concert and then again as part of our Chutzpah! 2003 program. Having approached Rudy to write the song for me, he encouraged me to co-write. The result was eye-opening! I quickly started writing other lyrics and melodies. My collection of originals on the Palace of the Moon CD tend to be dreamy and philosophical. Lately, I’ve been writing again, and a different and fun style is emerging. I’m excited to see what happens next.”
And it’s anybody’s guess as to what that will be, given Newman’s eclectic taste and varied experience.
“Many styles of music speak to my soul, including pop, rock, classical, Broadway, folk, Jewish folk and liturgy, gospel, blues and jazz,” said the singer who has performed within the Greater Vancouver Jewish community for many years, including as soloist for various events, in Chutzpah! 2003 with Rozanski and Chutzpah! 2007 with the Kol Halev Dance Ensemble.
“About to have my third son, in 1992, I joined the Shiron Singers, under the direction of Elizabeth Wolak, and fell in love with the repertoire of Yiddish folk songs, Hebrew and liturgical music,” explained Newman. “I sang as a soloist with the choir for over a decade and organized the recording of the Shiron Singers in Concert CD.
“Over the years, I’ve performed numerous solo concerts and events within the community. Later, singing with the Universal Gospel Choir under the direction of Brian Tate, I introduced the prayer Hashivenu to the group and we recorded it on the UGC Joyful Noise album.
“As I began to develop more and more as a solo artist, I started studying jazz and performing jazz at various venues, including Rossini’s and Cottage Bistro,” she continued. “Jazz appeals to the composer in me, allowing me the freedom to improvise and take risks. The jazz jamming settings around town have been great opportunities for experimenting together with other musicians. Whether falling off the edge or having a dazzling night, it’s good to take the leap.
“With its familiar repertoire of standards, jazz creates an inviting playing field,” she concluded. “Musicians who may never have met before can communicate and play together by following the form, yet remain free to express themselves creatively. I recently sang in clubs in Barcelona and Paris and felt totally at home. Step into a jazz club and you could be anywhere in the world.”
For more information, visit nancynmusic.com, downloads are available via cdbaby.com and CDs can be purchased by e-mailing [email protected]. To win a set of Nancy Newman CDs, be the first person to call the Independent at 604-689-1520 on Friday, Nov. 30, at noon.
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