The voice of Silhouette Brown & Robert
Mitchell's Panacea
By T. Freeman
It's not always the familiar names that strike a chord and leave
a lasting impression. I, like so many other music buffs and enthusiasts, had never heard of Deborah Jordan until the
2005 release of 'Silhouette Brown,' the critically acclaimed "broken" soul album by the group of the same name. The
two founding members of the group, Dego MacFarlane and Kaidi Tatham were already established musician/producers on the London
scene, but it was their lead vocalist that was virtually unknown to many outside of the UK.
Little did we know Silhouette Brown was just one of two groups fronted by Deborah Jordan
at the time. She was also the voice for Robert Mitchell's Panacea jazz group, an improvisational jazz group that created
major waves in and around Europe with their 2005 release entitled "Trust." So the word "busy" is extremely understated
when it comes to this London based vocalist. Deborah has garnered Worldwide attention and has emerged as one of UK's
brightest newcomers.
OTV had the pleasure of chatting with Deborah as she graciously granted us all access.
And once we were in, it didn't take us long to find out that her journey, her passions, her music and her triumphs
are just as captivating as the voice that we have come to love. Deborah Jordan is fast becoming one of the most
recognizable and versatile voices in music today. So go get yourself something nice to drink (hot or cold) then come
back, get comfortable and spend some time with us as we get to know the remarkable Deborah Jordan.
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Tracy: Hi Deborah! Welcome to On The Verge. Thank you for taking
time out to chat with OTV. My excitement is overflowing right now. We are big fans of yours here at OTV and like I’ve
told you before Deborah, you struck a chord with me personally and stirred up some emotions from the first time I heard your
vocals on record. What type of music struck a chord with you at an early age?
Deborah: I grew up with my Dad playing all
the old 60's soul and r'n'b, my Mum playing Mina and Frank Sinatra, and my sister blasting out Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran,
so it was a pretty mixed bag! I've always enjoyed just listening to anything and everything, just judging it on it's merits
rather than listening to a specific style or genre. I also listened to and played a lot of classical music growing up which
I found particularly powerful - something about the many players and instruments being synchronous, the depth of harmony and
emotionality in the music....I have to admit to being a sucker for a nice voice though - Frank Sinatra, Scott Walker, Sam
Cooke....I should have seen the signs then....
Tracy: Were you born and raised in the UK?
Deborah: I was....but I am Anglo-Italian by
heritage....I'm lucky enough to have an English father and Italian mother and so I have been brought up with the best
of both worlds, and it can be quite a combination! As a child I always felt more Italian in my heart, but as I've gotten older
I've learnt to appreciate what the English side of me has to offer too.....although if you ask anyone close to me they'll
probably say I have an Italian temperament!! ;-) ....I love the passionate side of their nature as it can be about anything
- the most mundane things become the source of great passion for them....it ties into the musician side of me very well as
music is obviously a great source of passion but also a beautiful way to channel it.......My parents have definitely blessed
me, and not only with my heritage but in raising me near the coast as it has instilled a love and appreciation of nature,
especially the ocean, in me....I still miss it even though I've been in London for 16 years now.......
Tracy: Was singing and music always a career passion?
Deborah: Absolutely!! With my Dad having been
a musician, music was always on around the house...I used to love hearing my Dad sing - he had that wonderful Scott Walker-esque
quality to his voice and it used to mesmerise me completely! I was just in awe....I started the usual way, singing around
the house indiscriminately and playing different instruments at primary school where I found flute was my instrument. I had
intended on being a classical flautist for a living, but had always sung for fun - probably a spin off from Dad - and it was
at University (where I was studying a music degree) that I finally decided that singing was the real thing for me. Because
I'd always done it for fun rather than training hard like the flute I hadn't really seen it as what I could really do as a
job...it was always too much fun to be work!....But there it dawned on me that if I was going to be working as hard as I knew
it would take to get anywhere, I wanted to do it singing rather than playing the flute - I knew it was the only choice. From
the age of 8 I had decided it was going to be music - it's just always been in my blood, and I could never imagine living
without it. It's too overpowering and consuming - that's where the passion comes in! And especially singing - there's something
so amazing about communicating through your voice in music/song. We all have a voice so we all identify with the singer -
partly because of the textual/lyrical thing too, but there's something truly unique about the emotionality of singing...it
still amazes and inspires me!....
Tracy: Deborah, you are a very busy lady these days. You are
the vocalist for Silhouette Brown and you are also in Robert Mitchell’s Panacea jazz group. Stylistically, what are
the differences between the two groups?
Deborah: Wow - that's not easy! Firstly I
have to say I'm completely honoured and blessed to be involved in two such amazing projects! It's been a dream come true for
me and I would never have imagined myself being lucky enough to be in this position! Silhouette Brown has been amazing - working
with Dego and Kaidi is just such an experience. Two of the most talented men in music with such vibe and passion about what
they do, and forerunners of what is now a vibrant 'scene'...I suppose most people are calling this project 'broken soul' as
it has elements from their broken beat style but mixed with a very soulful vocal approach, with elements of funk and jazz
too! Singing these tracks is just a joy, and Dego and Kaidi are just innovators and creators from the soul.....that's what
they have in common with Robert, as he is innovation in the purest sense!! His music is truly original, unique, and to me
he is a genius, and I don't use that word lightly! I was blessed enough to be at University with Robert, albeit in different
years, so we've known each other a long time - but never would I have imagined being the vocalist for his 'baby', Panacea!
When he asked me if I wanted the job I though he was joking as I didn't even believe I was capable of doing it - but he had
faith and persuaded me to try and here we are 5 years on! His music although being predominantly contemporary jazz I find
intriguing as there is a lot of contemporary classical feel to it too, but without the constraints of classical music (just
play what's on the page, don't add your own essence to it..)...it's definitely a challenge playing Robert's music as you never
really know what's going to happen til you're doing it - but that's also part of the beauty! And his soul is truly in his
music - that comes through very much for me.....
"Knowing that you can communicate something to someone in
your own unique way is incredibly powerful and reason enough to be involved in music." ---Deborah Jordan
Tracy: How did you come to work with Dego (MacFarlane) of 4
Hero and Kaidi (Tatham) aka Agent K from Bugz In The Attic to become Silhouette Brown?
Deborah: I'd been performing with Bembe Segue
for quite a while when she mentioned that she was involved in writing for this new project by Dego and Kaidi and that they
were looking for a vocalist who wasn't already heavily a part of the brokenbeat / west london scene to front it.....then it
dawned on her - why don't I introduce you?! So she and Dego came along to a Panacea gig so Dego could check me out...next
thing I knew we were all at Bembe's talking about when recording was going to take place, then in the studio!
Tracy: What was your studio chemistry like with those guys?
Deborah: It's great being in the studio with
them - they're amazing! It's just such a creative environment! They have so much energy when they're working and bouncing
ideas around that it's pretty infectious - you can't help but get caught up in the vibe. Dego and Kaidi work so well together
that it's also a very natural thing - not a pressured atmosphere....it was great being able to get involved and throw ideas
into the pot too, and you couldn't have better material , particularly to get creative on bv arrangements with.....
Tracy: Yes, I myself use the term Broken Soul to describe
the Silhouette Brown sound. And Broken Soul to me is like a sibling with the parents being Broken Beat. Broken Beat is a growing
genre and an entire music scene that was birthed in West London. Are you aware of the critical acclaim that Silhouette Brown
has garnered worldwide and the impact that Broken Beat is making in the US?
Deborah: I have to admit
probably not! I still find it amazing when I get messages from people in the States and other countries saying how much they
love the album and project, so many saying it was their favourite album of last year - it still sometimes feels like a dream
that I'm involved in it, and that people worldwide are hearing it and appreciating it. It's an awesome feeling! And especially
with the touring we've been doing - seeing the reaction live and direct, as wherever we've played it has been absolutely fantastic
- and I have to give props to the band for that too, as I couldn't wish for a better group of people around me!.... The audiences
have really surprised me in the amount of support and love they've shown! So I've seen that there really is support out there
for what we do and for music that is pushing the boundaries and not fitting into the mainstream playlists.....my dream though
is to get the band out to the US - so many people message me asking when we're going to play out there as they can't wait
to experience it live - and I really don't want to disappoint them! - so I'm hoping that get's to happen some time soon.....
Tracy: What excites you about performing live?
Deborah: There's just nothing like
it!!! It's such a paradox - there's the incredible nervousness and pressure I feel to sing better than I ever have, to put
on a great gig that people are going to remember, that the vibe is just as good as it can get etc etc....and then there's
the complete spontaneity and being in the moment, loving the fact that anything can happen, that you have to be listening
to what's happening around you to go with what's happening, and the crowd reaction which is what matters most - if you see
the crowd really feeling it and they're with you all the way it's just incomparable! With SB the band is just tight! Everyone
on stage is amazing and puts in 100% and more. Because the audience has been hearing the album for a while it's amazing seeing
them sing along, get into their groove and just follow everything you're doing. We've had some astounding gigs this year -
Paris and Vienna were absolute stand out gigs, as well as Rome last year. With Panacea it's very different and yet the same
- all the same nervousness, in fact more as Robert's music is so challenging and particular, but because of the nature of
the music, it's sit down and listen - so it's in a way harder to get the audience behind you as such as they can't just get
their groove on! And yet as a performer there's such a thrill in again being on stage with the best musicians, but playing
this incredible music which demands your complete focus and attention - it's hard work and at the same time such a joy as
when we really get it where we want it.....it's phenomenal! With either project when we lock into that certain zone where
all there is is music it's indescribable. And reaching people in that way is what it's all about......
Tracy: Deborah, I have often wondered about the inspiration
behind the name Silhouette Brown and the album cover art? A rather unique looking cover.
Deborah: Well, there's no great story
behind it unfortunately!....the name was almost a lucky accident - none of us had been able to come up with a cool sounding
name that fit the project, so Dego threatened us with the most awful name he could think of so we suddenly all decided that
Silhouette Brown which was on the shortlist as a possibility was the one to go with....The guys didn't want to be all over
the cover and with it being a group identity rather than focussing on individuals the graphic approach seemed to work....Dego
has good people involved on all levels so he gave them the ideas and they came up with a great visual identity for it.......
Tracy: Since you were already working with Robert Mitchell
before Silhouette Brown was formed, would you say that Silhouette Brown brought you to the attention of a whole new audience
at home and abroad?
Deborah: For sure! Of course 4Hero and Kaidi
in his many guises were known quantities, so being involved in anything with them and of that calibre raises the stakes and
brings you into a whole new arena....particularly not having been involved on the broken side of things before that as I recorded
the Bugz track 'Los Alamitos' (the Gene Harris rework) after having already started SB. And with it being much more accessible
music there's a wider audience there. SB has without doubt raised my profile in ways I would never have imagined. But there's
also this wonderful kudos that surrounds Robert and anything he does - people know he's a complete one off and that what he
has to offer is (as with Dego and Kaidi) just on a different level.....so the wonderful thing has been being part of both
projects and having people who know Robert's style check out SB and think 'Oh, we didn't know she could do that too' and those
who are into SB and the broken or soul thing check out Robert's music and get blown away, and say 'oh we didn't know she could
do THAT!'.....like I said before, I'm incredibly blessed and lucky to be able to enjoy both......
Tracy: Bembe Segue was also involved in the Silhouette Brown
project as writer and backing vocalist and you ladies have a work history together. What is it like to work with such a gifted
and creative artist like Bembe?
Deborah: We mostly worked together when I
was one of her backing vocalists and that was great - a band of 11-14 people sometimes, so to say there was plenty vibe on
stage is an understatement, and we were lucky enough to get some great gigs such as North Sea and the Import festival so it
was a great learning experience.....the tracks she contributed to on the album she had already written when I came to record
so I got on with that while she carried on working on her long awaited solo material..so we weren't actually in the studio
together much, apart from 'Who's in Charge' where we came up with the end scat together and just had to jump in the booth
together to record it there and then for the vibe!
