Melvin Lee Davis

All that jazz

November 23, 2011

An Evening with Chaka Khan
A Rare Jazz Quartet Performance Monday and Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. SOLD OUT
The Birchmere
3701 Mount Vernon Ave. Alexandria, VA


Interview By The Washington Blade: AMERICA’S LEADING GAY NEWS SOURCE

Legendary singer Chaka Khan, who’s gearing up for a two-night limited engagement at the Birchmere Monday and Tuesday, took a few minutes on the phone from her Los Angeles home to talk about her upcoming concerts, her philosophies of live performance and why she can’t get enough of her hero Joni Mitchell.

BLADE: Tell us a little about what you have planned for next week at the Birchmere.


KHAN: It will be a nice mix but everybody should know going into it, there will be jazz. I think everybody will be happy though. I’m gonna do some Joni Mitchell songs, a lot of my jazz songs and then I’ll do some of the hits that people know me by.

BLADE: Have you been touring with this kind of show or is it a one-off? I know you’ve done many jazz concerts in the past.

KHAN: Oh yes, for years. But these are just one offs.


BLADE: And you’re going to Japan in the new year for a tour?


KHAN: Yes


BLADE: Jazz or other stuff?


KHAN: That will probably be more of my contemporary stuff with some jazz in there too.

BLADE: And for a show like you have planned at the Birchmere, approximately how much of the material will be stuff you’ve recorded versus standards or other material that you haven’t recorded?

KHAN: Let’s say about three-fourths of the stuff you’ll hear is stuff I’ve recorded.
BLADE: Joni Mitchell is another singer who did significant jazz work alongside her pop stuff. Which of her songs will you be covering? I’m sure you’ll be doing, well, of course right now I can’t think of it, the song from “Wild Things Run Fast” that you recorded.

KHAN: “Ladies Man,” yes of course I’ll be doing that.


BLADE: Yes, that’s it. I could totally imagine you singing “Moon at the Window” too.


KHAN: Yes, that’s another good one. I’m doing a few others of my favorites, I mean I could go on and on and on, but some of my favorites at the moment like “Hissing of Summer Lawns,” “Sunny Sunday” and a few others. I’ll keep some surprises.

BLADE: So it sounds like you’ve gotten to know Joni a little. Have you been able to spend time with her and get to know her beyond just expressing your admiration?

KHAN: Oh yes, we’ve spent a good bit of time together.


BLADE: I’ll get back to your concerts in a second, but this is fascinating since she’s become rather reclusive. What’s she like one on one? I know she’s quite outspoken.

KHAN: Yes, very outspoken. She’s really a philosopher at heart. She’s truly one of the brightest geniuses we have. Certainly a musical genius but in every other way as well. I love to just listen to her talk and speak on current events and blah blah blah, you know, all sorts of things. She’s just so buried in, you know, what’s going on. She knows everything, as you can tell.

BLADE: Did you like her last album “Shine”? KHAN: Oh yeah, I like everything she does. BLADE: Do you think she’ll record again?
KHAN: Well she’s moved up to Canada again and I think she’s kind of chilling a bit but I think she’s writing. I hope so. I’d be devastated if she never did another album.

BLADE: When you’re singing, from a vocal standpoint, how is the interpretation different than say, funk or pop?

KHAN: Well, it’s really not. I approach them all the same, with the same spirit. Some require a little more technique. Jazz requires a bit more of a cerebral application than the songs I’ve been doing, you know, for a hundred years. So it’s good. I just love singing jazz and I love singing other people’s stuff that I really relate to. Some I relate to so much, it feels like I actually wrote it. So, you know, the fundamental approach is the same.

BLADE: What kind of musicians will you have with you?


KHAN: We started out with just a quartet but we just added a horn player. I think we’ll have some singers too because some of the more contemporary stuff I’ll do will require that.

BLADE: How long are your shows? Do you feel you have to play a certain amount of time or sing a certain number of songs for people to feel they’ve gotten a full evening of entertainment?
KHAN: Well usually there’s a time limit with the promoter. I could go on singing all night if I
had the opportunity, but yeah, it’s usually about an hour to 90 minutes.


BLADE: Is it vocally taxing to sing for that long or even during a two-hour concert?


KHAN: No, not at all.


BLADE: Lots of other singers, like Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin, have primarily had pop or R&B careers but done lots of jazz on the side here and there. Do you like their jazz material?

KHAN: I like “Good Morning Heartache” (Ross) and a lot of the Billie Holiday stuff she did. But you know, when I get in my car, I put on Miles Davis, El - All That Jazz

All that jazz

November 23, 2011

An Evening with Chaka Khan
A Rare Jazz Quartet Performance Monday and Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. SOLD OUT
The Birchmere
3701 Mount Vernon Ave. Alexandria, VA


Interview By The Washington Blade: AMERICA’S LEADING GAY NEWS SOURCE

Legendary singer Chaka Khan, who’s gearing up for a two-night limited engagement at the Birchmere Monday and Tuesday, took a few minutes on the phone from her Los Angeles home to talk about her upcoming concerts, her philosophies of live performance and why she can’t get enough of her hero Joni Mitchell.

BLADE: Tell us a little about what you have planned for next week at the Birchmere.


KHAN: It will be a nice mix but everybody should know going into it, there will be jazz. I think everybody will be happy though. I’m gonna do some Joni Mitchell songs, a lot of my jazz songs and then I’ll do some of the hits that people know me by.

BLADE: Have you been touring with this kind of show or is it a one-off? I know you’ve done many jazz concerts in the past.

KHAN: Oh yes, for years. But these are just one offs.


BLADE: And you’re going to Japan in the new year for a tour?


KHAN: Yes


BLADE: Jazz or other stuff?


KHAN: That will probably be more of my contemporary stuff with some jazz in there too.

BLADE: And for a show like you have planned at the Birchmere, approximately how much of the material will be stuff you’ve recorded versus standards or other material that you haven’t recorded?

KHAN: Let’s say about three-fourths of the stuff you’ll hear is stuff I’ve recorded.
BLADE: Joni Mitchell is another singer who did significant jazz work alongside her pop stuff. Which of her songs will you be covering? I’m sure you’ll be doing, well, of course right now I can’t think of it, the song from “Wild Things Run Fast” that you recorded.

KHAN: “Ladies Man,” yes of course I’ll be doing that.


BLADE: Yes, that’s it. I could totally imagine you singing “Moon at the Window” too.


KHAN: Yes, that’s another good one. I’m doing a few others of my favorites, I mean I could go on and on and on, but some of my favorites at the moment like “Hissing of Summer Lawns,” “Sunny Sunday” and a few others. I’ll keep some surprises.

BLADE: So it sounds like you’ve gotten to know Joni a little. Have you been able to spend time with her and get to know her beyond just expressing your admiration?

KHAN: Oh yes, we’ve spent a good bit of time together.


BLADE: I’ll get back to your concerts in a second, but this is fascinating since she’s become rather reclusive. What’s she like one on one? I know she’s quite outspoken.

KHAN: Yes, very outspoken. She’s really a philosopher at heart. She’s truly one of the brightest geniuses we have. Certainly a musical genius but in every other way as well. I love to just listen to her talk and speak on current events and blah blah blah, you know, all sorts of things. She’s just so buried in, you know, what’s going on. She knows everything, as you can tell.

BLADE: Did you like her last album “Shine”? KHAN: Oh yeah, I like everything she does. BLADE: Do you think she’ll record again?
KHAN: Well she’s moved up to Canada again and I think she’s kind of chilling a bit but I think she’s writing. I hope so. I’d be devastated if she never did another album.

BLADE: When you’re singing, from a vocal standpoint, how is the interpretation different than say, funk or pop?

KHAN: Well, it’s really not. I approach them all the same, with the same spirit. Some require a little more technique. Jazz requires a bit more of a cerebral application than the songs I’ve been doing, you know, for a hundred years. So it’s good. I just love singing jazz and I love singing other people’s stuff that I really relate to. Some I relate to so much, it feels like I actually wrote it. So, you know, the fundamental approach is the same.

BLADE: What kind of musicians will you have with you?


KHAN: We started out with just a quartet but we just added a horn player. I think we’ll have some singers too because some of the more contemporary stuff I’ll do will require that.

BLADE: How long are your shows? Do you feel you have to play a certain amount of time or sing a certain number of songs for people to feel they’ve gotten a full evening of entertainment?
KHAN: Well usually there’s a time limit with the promoter. I could go on singing all night if I
had the opportunity, but yeah, it’s usually about an hour to 90 minutes.


BLADE: Is it vocally taxing to sing for that long or even during a two-hour concert?


KHAN: No, not at all.


BLADE: Lots of other singers, like Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin, have primarily had pop or R&B careers but done lots of jazz on the side here and there. Do you like their jazz material?

KHAN: I like “Good Morning Heartache” (Ross) and a lot of the Billie Holiday stuff she did. But you know, when I get in my car, I put on Miles Davis, El - All That Jazz

It is rare to see a legendary artist perform at a 1,350-seat venue. So it was quite a treat to see Chaka Khan at the Birchmere Music Hall on Monday, November 29, for the first of two sold-out shows. It was advertised as a performance with a jazz quartet, so I was expecting to see piano, drums, bass, and guitar. I was somewhat thrown off by the set up with two keyboards, drums, bass guitar, a saxophone, and 5 mic stands!

My dismay was immediately alleviated when the show started, with the familiar opening to “High Wire (The Aerialist),” the high-spirited tune that Chick Corea wrote for Chaka for the ECHOES OF AN ERA recording of 1982. The diva made her entrance to a rousing ovation, looking fit and ready. Any real Chakaholic knows that her voice was not in primo form for that recording, so it is always dynamite to hear her really give that song its due. The band, ably led by long-time Musical Director Melvin Davis, was up to the task, and provided all the support she needed. True to form, Chaka continued with the luscious “I’ll Be Around,” followed by a heartfelt “To Sir With Love” from her CLASSIKHAN CD, which she dedicated to her father who recently passed away.

For “My Funny Valentine,” she welcomed her four background singers – four of the most seasoned of her illustrious cadre of singers – Lisa Vaughan, Audrey Wheeler, Karen Bernod, and Lisa’s sister Kelli Collins. These women provided the mandatory wall-of-sound, recreating the WAITING TO EXHALE arrangement of this Rodgers and Hart classic.

At this point in the show, Chaka took a giant artistic leap, and delivered four songs by one of her favorite songwriters, Joni Mitchell. Mitchell’s songs are richly lyrical and artfully melodic, and Chaka had a wonderful time offering her version of ”The Hissing of Summer Lawns,” “Two Grey Rooms,” “Man From Mars,” and “Ladies Man.” I imagined that she has sung these songs for years--in the car and around the house--and relished the opportunity to include them in her show. It was a bold and welcome change from the norm, and she commented about being able to sing the songs that she loves. She has definitely earned that right.

Chaka’s demeanor for the show was very relaxed, and the intimacy allowed free flowing conversation with the audience members who were seated at tables close to the stage. This gave more weight to the candid revelation that the lyrics to the song “Angel,” from her FUNK THIS project, were written in an altered state and found years later in a notebook. With lyrics like, “always re-arranging the wreckage of her life…” it is definitely one of her most personal and revealing songs. “Everlasting Love” was another opportunity to show off the skill of everyone on stage, followed by “Through The Fire,” which has evolved from a love ballad into a moment of testimony.

After polling the audience for requests, which ranged from “Night In Tunisia,” “I’m Every Woman,” “Hollywood,” and “Stay,” Chaka sang an a cappella “Fool’s Paradise,” but relied on the crowd for the lyrics. She comically praised our “total recall,” then settled on “Tell Me Something Good,” where she allowed the four singers to individually show off how they got the gig.

Finishing off with the encore, the eternal “Ain’t Nobody,” Chaka left the stage in a wail of glory, exiting the building through a side door.

It was a memorable night, but I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if she completely foregoes the hits and focuses on doing a show of songs like the Mitchell songs, or even songs from her own catalog, like “Earth Song,” “Destiny,” "BeBop Medley," or “Close The Door.” I think Ms. Khan would find that her devotees would enjoy hearing those songs as much as she would enjoy singing them.

- Michael Lewis for SoulMusic.com

KEVIN JOHNSON "An album that stands to defy singular musical styles. The bassist who also produced the record enlisted the help of many of his friends, including drummer Ron Bruner, Jr., Lankin Saucedo, Oscar Seaton, Jesse Milliner and more...... - NO TREBLE MAY 28, 2011

"Los Angeles native Melvin Lee Davis began his illustrious career at the age of 16 when Buddy Miles brought him to New York to play in his band. After playing the New York club circuit Melvin Lee Davis found himself working with Don Cornelius of Soul Train. He has toured worked with Chaka Khan, the Pointer Sisters, Lee Ritenour, David Beniot and many other top artist. - FOR BASS PLAYERS ONLY; MAY 17, 2010