RE: Could well be the guitarist who directed the music then

Hi Guys,

thanks for coming to the gig..hope the jazz didn't put you off! Re. your query..

(Just to clarify, certainly not snarky)

In terms of the jazz thing- not so much a new direction. I've actually been singing jazz for coming on ten years (ooh, just freaked myself out, I'm getting old!)..in various formats. I used to be in a jazz band, as pianist and singer, which someone else fronted years and years ago. I sang some at Uni, usually just sitting in or guesting.

Then I went to Chicago in 2001, which kind of cemented my love of the artform. I got to hear the amazing vocalist Kurt Elling, and his awesome quartet every week. I made an album out there with Kurt's bassist, the awesome Rob Amster, which had some standards, couple of more recent covers (The Police, Stevie Wonder) and two of my tunes on it. Rob wrote some beautiful arrangements for the album, and produced and played on it.

Since I returned from Chi in 2003, I've been doing lots and lots of things!

The act you are referring to (the Zepellin-y thing) is something I still do. I used to sing pop songs before I ever heard any jazz, and basically I'm just a fan of good writing.. If a song floats my boat, I'll sing it. I formed the duo (formerly called Tallow, now called Kid Charlemagne, which is also the name of the jazz duo and my five-piece band) in 2003, and we've been playing pubs, functions, restaurants, you name it, since then.

I play almost as many, if not more jazz gigs now as ever I did (which is cool with me, as it certainly stretches me as a vocalist)..Pizza Expresses, bistros, jazz clubs etc.. I used to do the KC Folk duo at The Chambers with Simon Bridgestock (bassist in the band), but since Chris (Smith, the owner) asked me for a regular jazz night, I've been doing that, with Sam Dunn (guiatrist in the band!- see, its all very cosy). It's not really a directional choice thing (I refuse to fall into one of those handy pigeonholes, which will certainly be my undoing!) or a 'someone else in charge' thing either..Everybody knows, I'm the Wiz, I'm the Wiz (sorry, obscure Seinfeld reference...no need.)

Rather..I guess I 'direct' the gigs (as I usually get them), but it doesn't really feel like that, ever. Whoever I'm playing with has as much say about what goes into our sets as I do (unless I say otherwise, in which case, my word is LAW...Nick Peck- I'm joking!)

The band itself is a forum for whatever we want to play; my originals, jazz tunes, folk tunes, funk tunes, soul tunes...literally whatever we want to do. It usually sounds pretty cool, I guess because its not about the type of music you play, but who is playing it..and how they interact with one another and the audience- what is the connection like? Does everyone seem to be having fun? 'Cause that's the whole point.

Hope that wasn't too ranty; it's just a query I seem to explain a lot (not surprisingly, as I do different music with different people, and that gets bamboozly). If you want to know anything else about me/the duos/the band you could hit my myspace site..

myspace.com/ninaclarkandkidcharlemagne

Thanks for your interest,

Nina Clark

Singer/Songwriter etc.

Nina :: 25 Feb :: 2006 :: Comment / reply