Tracy: How did you come to work with Robert Mitchell's Panacea?
Deborah: As I mentioned earlier,
Robert and I met at University. He was in his second year when I joined the first. We got on from the first and he was exactly
the same then as now - completely focussed and dedicated to his art, but a genuine and humble soul with no ego. We lost touch
after leaving Uni for a while, then I had my accident and was just back in London still recovering when my best friend told
me Robert was having his album launch gig at the Jazz Cafe and we were going! I was very nervous as I was still shaky on my
feet at the time but knew I couldn't miss the opportunity of reconnecting with Robert, especially as I wanted to congratulate
him as it seemed his hard work was paying off with it being his album launch. So I went along and frightened the life out
of him by turning up out of the blue like that....Eska was singing for him then, but after a few months there was a line up
change and Robert asked if I wanted the job. The sax player with the band had heard some stuff I'd recorded with Lewis Taylor
and had been secretly fighting my corner to get me the gig completely unbeknownst to me....so when Robert asked I said I didn't
even know if I was capable of it as it was unfamiliar territory to me, I'd never sung anything like that before, so to say
I was scared and saw it as a challenge is another understatement. But Robert had faith and I wanted to learn and be part of
the project, so I got my head down and got working! It's been the most incredible journey with Robert.
Tracy: I love Robert Mitchell's "Trust" CD. He
is an innovative composer and pianist who works hard to extend the possibilities by fusing together different musical elements
with his own unique improvisational style of playing. Where and when did you develop such an affinity for improvisational
jazz?
Deborah: I really started
getting into jazz when I was at University - before then I was really a soul girl at heart, but I started hearing more and
more styles of jazz (rather than just Frank or Ella etc which I loved) and realised there was a whole area I hadn't experienced
yet. So I started exploring and I loved listening to it and trying to sing along. I was used to copying other people's scats
etc so it wasn't until Robert that I really had to challenge myself to really get into what I could do with it, and I'm still
learning every time we play together! It's a constant thing, there's always more to learn and try as it's constantly developmental...no
two gigs are ever the same so although you might have the basics down you have to be in the moment ready to go wherever 'it'
goes....there's something simultaneously terrifying and beautiful about that......but for me good music is just good music,
whatever genre, style etc......
Tracy: People are often judged a great deal by their associations.
Do you feel that that happens to you at all? And what would you say sets you apart from your professional and musical associations?
Deborah: It's definitely true....and
I'm grateful for the associations I have had and still do have....it's great being able to say you've recorded with Lewis
Taylor, or Michael Mondesir is your best friend, or that you are Robert Mitchell's vocalist, or front SB.....and who wouldn't
want to be able to say those things?! But ultimately you are judged on what YOU do, not by the associations you have.....if
you don't cut it, you don't cut it - it doesn't matter who you associate with for me.... it matters whether you do what you
do to the best of your ability. It helps to surround yourself with people that inspire and challenge you so that you don't
get complacent and keep working at taking what you do to the next level, so associations are great, but they don't make you
sound better at the end of the day - that's still got to come from you. I just try to give anything I'm involved in 100% and
more, from the heart and soul, sincerely and honestly.....that's all I can do......
Tracy: You are a very gifted and talented writer.
You recently co-wrote a tune called 'Backstep' with Max Cole for his stunning "Star Charts" album released on the Wah Wah
45 label this year. Yet another groundbreaking project from the lovely Deborah Jordan! I had the pleasure of checking out
the tracks and I have to tell you that the album is incredible and your writing and singing contributions on 'Backstep' are
simply beautiful! Explain your approach to writing and your passion for beautiful harmonies.
Deborah:
Thank you for the compliment! I'm really glad you like it! It was an honour to be asked to contribute to Max's album, especially
as he said to just go wherever I wanted with the track and that it would be a bit of a feature for the album, being just me
rather than us both on the track. And given the quality of what Max does I knew I had to step up and bring something worthy
of being there - so I hope it is! Max has such a distinctive style and vibe to what he does, and I didn't want that to be
lost just because it was me singing instead of him, so I tried to bring a bit of me with a bit of his influence and flavour
to the track. And he is very graciously contributing to my solo project, so more to come from our collaboration.....it's also
great when a producer/writer gives you the freedom to write without restrictions to something they've created....that they
trust you to come up with something that will work and honour their input as much as allowing you to write what feels natural
and good to you....It's wonderful collaborating with artists and producers as I love the fact that it's the sum of the parts
that makes the whole - without your input it would be something completely different, and vice versa...that I find really
inspiring.....as for my approach to writing - I don't know that I have one! I'm in the enviable position of having some great
people give me wonderful music to write to - when I listen to their tracks something will just jump out at me and vocal ideas
will start buzzing round my head...so then I'll take that track, put it into my system to record onto, as I write and record
the demo as I go along, developing the ideas as they come in the moment, so it's all pretty spontaneous and unscripted. I'll
get melodic ideas then lyrical ideas will come to the melody, and generally before I know it, the whole thing's done and I'm
then sat there wondering if it works or is good enough!! ;-) It would be fair to say I don't know how I write tracks but that
they just seem to happen, almost like channelling something - sounds very hippy-ish, but is how it happens in reality.....As
for harmonies - I can't help it, I'm a junkie when it comes to harmonies!!! I love vocal harmony - it's just something that
has always reached inside me - the blend of unique voices coming together to create a sonority that can only be made by a
mix of voices - there's nothing like it....and when you have people like Take 6, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Lewis Taylor, Kate
Bush to inspire you and show you how it's done it's not hard to draw inspiration and try your own hand at it.....although
some songs work best as just a single voice or line I have to admit having a weakness for having some great harmonic interplay
going on - it gives you another dimension to work with too - you can say things in the bvs that create wonderful counterpoint
to the lead which just adds to the whole piece.....
"What motivates me is just the beauty an greatness of music."---Deborah
Jordan
Tracy: You just mentioned a solo project that I
was going to ask you about. That is something we will definitely be anticipating Deborah! What direction
do you think you'll go in artistically and musically? You are so very versatile and you are definitely not an artist that
can be forced into a box for marketing purposes.
Deborah: Thank you! I take that as
a compliment....I don't want to be made to fit into a box or category - I don't think it's necessary....I don't even necessarily
'try' to be versatile, I just do what feels and sounds right to me, without thinking about how it may be categorised - to
me the category is just 'good music'! or at least that's what I hope! That's what I endeavour to be involved in and present
to the listening public. It's great being diverse as it's far more challenging and gives you greater freedom of expression,
so I'm all for versatility. There is definitely a 'Deborah Jordan' album in progress as we speak and I'm extremely excited
by it as I'm working with people that are hugely talented and that are getting the best out of me, as a writer and singer.
And part of the wonder of it is the fact that through working with different producers it continues that versatility, as even
though the album may have an overall feel, thanks to everyone's unique flavour you also get that edge of having things sound
different and complimentary to one another without becoming too one dimensional. Of course it's going to have elements of
soul, jazz, funk, hip hop, minimal electronica - but the continuity is my voice, the vocal harmonic writing and style which
unifies the work. I just hope that people will listen to it with open minds and hearts and see if it moves them rather than
judging it against other projects I'm involved in and maybe known for.
Tracy: Deborah, your vocal styling is very soulful and warm.
I have even been quoted as saying, "Deborah Jordan takes me back to the early Patrice Rushen days of the late 70's and early
80's." Most times when we listen to music we do find ourselves making comparisons. How do you feel about comparisons?
Deborah: It is absolutely
inevitable....we reference everything around us, and particularly with music we like to have a field of reference - 'oh, you'll
like this because it's like so-and-so' etc....so it's bound to happen and although every singer has a unique voice given that
none of us are physiologically the same, it's possible to find traces of similarities between us and so it's easy to make
the comparison. I have to admit that if people are going to compare me to the incomparable Patrice Rushen (who I had the honour
of meeting last year and she is an angel!) then I'm certainly not going to complain about it! If anything I'll work harder
to live up to the comparison - and with someone like Patrice that's hard to do! Again for me I see it as inspiration. That
I should provoke in someone such a complimentary comparison is quite an achievement I think! I haven't tried to sound like
anyone...I can't, I can only do what feels right to me when I'm singing, but to remind someone of an artist I find truly incredible
is something to be thankful for.....and though we all try to be individualistic and to some extent achieve it, it is rare
to find someone who really has a unique voice like no other - even Robert who I find unique and extremely original
draws comparions with McCoy Tyner all the time...is that a bad thing?.....
Tracy: You are also part of a new and exciting record
label called Futuristica Music spearheaded by DJ Simon S of Break Reform and Abstract Blue Recordings. From what I've heard
so far there is something definitely brewing within that camp. What's the story behind this new interesting label?
Deborah: With
the demise of Abstract Blue and Break Reform, Simon decided to go it alone and create Futuristica Music as a source of quality
music, predominantly soul and jazz infuenced, giving artists an opportunity to get their music out there whilst maintaining
their integrity, rather than having to compromise to fit in with other label's ideas of what is commercially viable etc. He
hand picks everything for the label with a lot of care and attention. He already had the beautiful Low Budget Soul album ready
for release and has since been working with other artists such as Kamara and Stark which will feature as part of the first
batch of releases. He's gotten amazing remixes from the likes of Kev Brown, Nostalgia 77, Yam Who? and Blackbeard so it's
all about good music. There's a great sense of community and family within Futuristica so there's a great vibe which obviously
helps in the creation of good music. I've been blessed with amazing tracks by Kamara to write to which has been a joy and
has started a great partnership, and the response to those tracks has been fantastic...I've also been writing with Ol' English
(Low Budget Soul producer Tris Browne) ....so the future is very bright for Futuristica! Especially with Simon looking after
the family as he has amazing character and depth, and a great instinct for good music being a superb writer/producer and dj......
MAX COLE
STARCHARTS
(WAH WAH 45) 2006
Max Cole's 'Starcharts' features an original track co-written
and performed by Deborah Jordan called 'Backstep'. |
|
