BWW Q&A: Janis Siegel on New Album THE ART OF VOCALESE

Janis Siegel, nine-time multi Grammy-winning vocalist, arranger, and founding member of The Manhattan Transfer, presents The Art of Vocalese, her first solo project since the legendary group's farewell. Produced by Siegel, the album celebrates the vocalese tradition championed by her longtime mentor Jon Hendricks, setting his lyrics, some previously unrecorded, to classic instrumental recordings by Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Claus Ogerman, Erroll Garner, and Average White Band. The project features pianist and arranger John Di Martino, bassist Lonnie Plaxico, guitarists Frank Vignola and Ed Cherry, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, percussionist Bobby Sanabria, vocalist Raul Midón, Lea DeLaria, and Siegel's vocal trio JaLaLa with Laurel Massé and Lauren Kinhan. Drawing on decades of arranging and lead singing with The Manhattan Transfer, Siegel brings her signature harmonic sensibility to a genre defined by translating instrumental solos into lyrics and story. The Art of Vocalese stands as both a personal statement and a tribute to the ensemble that shaped her career.

We spoke about the singer's new album, November 4 Dizzy's/Jazz at Lincoln Center show in NYC, and more.

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Tell us a little about your upcoming show.

I am very excited to bring my new music to Dizzys on November 4th for two sets. I've never done my own solo show there, although i have sat in with other people, subbed for Sheila Jordan and recorded there with Bobby Sanabria's Multiverse Orchestra for our record "Vox Humana." It will be a CD release show and I'll have records with me, will autograph them and will talk about the music. Dizzy's is such a gorgeous room and it feels like a big party there.
My special guests will be the force of nature that is Lea DeLaria, my original Manhattan Transfer partner Laurel Massé and master drummer, percussionist, educator and my WBGO colleague, Bobby Sanabria.
The band is absolutely stellar: John Di Martino on piano, Luques Curtis on bass, Vince Cherico on drums, Guilherme Monteiro on guitar and Don Braden on sax and flute.

What was the process of putting this album together like?

A labor of love.- not without its hurdles. But that made it all the more satisfying to finally get this project realized, finished and out to the world. In many ways this record is not only a tribute to the art of vocalese, but homage to one of its creators, Jon Hendricks, and a continuation of The Manhattan Transfer's jazz legacy. I started with three of Jon's lyrics that I found while sorting through papers, and moved on from there to some arrangements I had written, some original vocalese, and some other Jon lyrics.

My longtime friend, pianist/ arranger John Di Martino was a wonderful partner in crime throughout the whole process, as was my engineer Dave Darlington at Bass Hit Studios.

What have you been filling your time with lately?

I co-host the radio show "Singers Unlimited " on WBGO along with Lezlie Harrison and that isn a great joy. Love being able to play classic singers, vocal groups, different vocal traditions from all over the world and their fusion with American jazz. Love the idea of listener supported radio.

I also am an adjunct professor at NYU and, along with my dear friend and colleague Lauren Kinhan from The NY Voices, teach an ensemble called The Village Voices . Lauren and I also host and sing at a bi monthly singer's salon at Drom in the East Village called Vocal Gumbo. Our next show is December 6th.

One thing I've been doing lately and enjoying is curating vocal groups for special recordings. That way I still get my "alto harmony" fix.

I was part of making some single releases in duo with guitarist Sean Harkness - we put out a wonderful version of the Brian Eichenberger (known as "iKe") song "Secret Admirer" and was also part of a wonderful vocal group JADE, spearheaded by Cantor Daniel Kramer, including singers Aubrey Johnson and Evan Sanders of "Erev Shel Shoshanim /Like Someone In Love" which is available on digital platforms.

Who or what have you been listening to lately?

My tastes are eclectic and always have been. Lately, I've been listening to a lot of classical music ( Paul Cavalconte on WQXR), new bluegrass, calypso, Brazilian music, releases from the Womack Sisters, Vanisha Gould, Kelly Green, Ezra Collective, Gene Shinozaki, Lizz Wright, Javier Nero Orchestra, and all manner of classic and new vocal groups.

What are you planning to do at your Dizzy's show in November?

I will be performing most of the new record live and also throwing in some other tunes that I love...some Sondheim, some Brazilian music and you never know...a little Dolly might appear. I will be wearing makeup and possibly sequins.

Do you have any other upcoming projects or shows you'd like to tell us about?

I sang on the latest Klezmatics album, "We Were Made For These Times." and the new Mountain Goats album "Days."

New flugelhornist Franco Ambrosetti [has a] project out November 20th called "Voices" ...I curated the vocal group and sang alto on vocal arrangements by the great Alan Broadbent.

I'm singing with Chuck Bergeron and the So. Florida Jazz Orchestra November 11th at the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center. I also contributed two tracks to Chuck's latest album, "Bass & Face"

I'm a member of the LH&R Project which is a collective that performs the music and the vocal arrangements of Lambert, Hendricks + Ross. Members include Trist Curless, Genevieve Artadi, Michael Mayo, Mark Kibble and Reggie Bowen

I do an ongoing music podcast called "Music- The Unifying Force " with my friend and colleague Yusuf Gandhi. (Learn more at musictheunifyingforce.com)

I'll be touring the new record in November and will be hitting Ann Arbor, Seattle, Palm Springs and Los Angeles for starters.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I'm excited to head to Bahia for the very first time in January to submerge myself in the music (and food and nature) of that beautiful region of Brazil.

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Find all of Janis's tour dates and information on where to hear the new album on her website at janis-siegel.com

Tickets to Janis's November 4 show at Dizzy's Club in Manhattan are available here.