They moved to New York City where she found her first professional gig with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra as lead vocalist. Dee Dee Bridgewater. I can kind of follow a melody now, you know. By Andrew Gans. ARTIST: Dee Dee Bridgwater. What music did you listen to when you were young, like, you know, 12—was it jazz? Lewis, I’d like to audition, too.” And he said, “Well, it’s a little late. Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas with Vanessa Williams, Soundbreaking: Stories from the Cutting Edge of Recorded Music, The Movie Music of Spike Lee & Terence Blanchard, Marcus Miller & Herbie Hancock North Sea Jazz Cruise 2006, Play Your Own Thing: A Story of Jazz in Europe, Im Herzen des Lichts - Die Nacht der Primadonnen, 4th Annual Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, Carnegie Hall Salutes the Jazz Masters: Verve Records at 50, K.C. There’s like three things that he told me that I never forgot, and it’s just, like, my mantra, and I try to pass that on to young singers. And then in 1984, Dee Dee Bridgewater moved to France…. Vinyl: $19.99. #repost @sfjazz ・・・ TOMORROW on Sep 4 at 5PM PT, SFJAZZ presents 2017 NEA Jazz Master & vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater performing a tribute to the late jazz legend Horace Silver. She started out singing in school talent shows and with local jazz bands. To know that I’m thought of with that amount of respect, that the National Endowment for the Arts would even think of me as a master is already huge. They were 13 of the best years I ever had. I can—I kind of have an idea what note I should do, kinda-sorta. So, it was a family, and it was beautiful. Josephine Reed: What was that like? Dee Dee Bridgewater on Studying Betty Carter, Dee Dee Bridgewater's Breakthrough Audition. Josephine Reed: You were so young. They relocated to Flint, Michigan, where Dee Dee lived until completing high school. And I was the poster for Sophisticated Ladies in France, and it was a picture of me coming down the staircase. Those are the ones that I’m pulling up at the moment. View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2006 CD release of "Dee Dee Bridgewater" on Discogs. Josephine Reed: You also have been a singer who identifies herself as a musician. Josephine Reed: It must have been, though, such a time for you. The vocalist has created a diverse collection of recordings, including tribute albums to Horace Silver, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Kurt Weill; an album of French love songs,  J'ai Deux Amours, spurred by a Kennedy Center Valentine’s Day concert; and an album born out of Bridgewater's search for her African ancestry, Red Earth, recorded in Bamako, Mali, and featuring Malian, U.S., and European  musicians. And that came out in 2008. Josephine Reed: Yeah, you’re three for three there. Josephine Reed: How old were you when you moved to Flint? The move came out of me wanting to act more. He was hired into the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, and so, I would follow him down to the club on Monday nights. For 13 years, she was the host of National Public Radio's award-winning show, JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater. Born on 27.05.1950 in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A. She grew up in Flint, Michigan. Dee Dee Bridgewater To Star In Lady Day The Musical. We moved to New York City, because that’s where we had to go for him, as a musician. Thad Jones was my world. Dee Dee Bridgewater: And I did translations of these griot songs. Now Clark Terry was the first musician that took me out of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. Get the best deals on dee dee bridgewater when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. It was crazy. And so, I would put the bed in the—in the—in the coat closet, and the lady that checked the coats would watch my baby (laughing).That’s terrible. CATALOG #: SD 18188 . Dee Dee Bridgewater: That was my school. I was starring in Sophisticated Ladies. I was her shadow. Josephine Reed: How did you first begin on Broadway? If you can work in—in Paris, I suggest you stay there for a while.” So, that’s how that happened. So, I loved R&B. Yeah, yeah, yeah.”. They were sitting in the living room of—of our little modest house in—in Flint, Michigan. Josephine Reed: Red Earth was also infused with a jazzy soul…and communications did not always flow easily between African and Western musicians. And my dream was to come down some big winding staircase with all the gorgeous men on either side, and you know, go—break into some dance and song number at the bottom of the stairwell and be lifted up in the air by—by the male dancers. Dee Dee Bridgewater: It was very difficult in the studio to get the two sides to come together, musically speaking. But I can—I can at least follow an arrangement. Josephine Reed: Now, you’re in New York now, what is it, like ’70? I took it from Etta James. Dee Dee Bridgewater: We—we—well, let’s see. Bridgewater's career then took off and she soon performed and recorded with some of the giants of the music: Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, and Clark Terry. I—I could not exist, had it not been for these women opening the doors that they did. It was her second tribute album to a great jazz singer—the first was Dear Ella, honoring of course, Ella Fitzgerald, and both albums won Grammy Awards…. Oh, my God, my Uncle Miller, oh, uhh. Dee Dee Bridgewater: I’m a frustrated musician. Dee Dee Bridgewater: It took me four months with a French teacher to learn this play. That kind of physical freedom that Betty exhibited—that’s where I got it from. STEREO / MONO: LABEL: Atlantic Records. This is “Bye Bye Blackbird,” the first song I ever did with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra … okay…. Motown started when I was 12, in 1962, so, all of us who loved music, we were aspiring to be Motown artists. So my way of being on stage, that came from Betty Carter. And I was able to work as a singer. With a top-shelf soul band cooking behind her, Dee Dee Bridgewater steps up as a top-shelf … I took it from female performers who were very physical. The NEA Jazz Masters will be honored with a concert on Monday, April 3 at the Kennedy Center. They relocated to Flint, Michigan, where Dee Dee lived until completing high school. Excerpt of “Mack the Knife, composed by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Bertolt Brecht. One of the best jazz singers of her generation, Dee Dee Bridgewater had to move to France to find herself. Josephine Reed: Did you know, right from the beginning, that’s what you wanted to do? Chicago White Sox; Cleveland Indians; Detroit Tigers When the international touring company of Sophisticated Ladies (in which she was the female lead performer) ended in Paris, France, Bridgewater decided to stay. It's not every night that an artist proposes locking the doors and having “one giant orgy of love”, but then Dee Dee Bridgewater has always had a singular take on things. My mom loved jazz singers, so when I was a baby, she swore—swore that I could scat before I could speak, because she was a huge fan of Ella Fitzgerald. Chihiro Yamanaka Trio On "Jazzset With Dee Dee Bridgewater" Photos. So, that when you go into your improvisation, they can go, “Wow.” Well, there’s four things. Dee Dee Bridgewater: I’m very grateful to Billie and to Ella, because those are the two women who have walked me to the Grammy podium. Josephine Reed: How did you bring the musicians together? I couldn’t believe it. Josephine Reed: Your voice is an instrument. And so, I went down to the club, and Thad called me up, and I auditioned. That was my whole goal. I would always sit alone. She is a two-time Grammy Award Winner, Tony Award Winner and Host of NPR's Syndicated Radio show "JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater". It all came from Thad. Dear Ella Dee Dee Bridgewater. AL Central. I’ve fought long and hard to preserve my musical integrity, to garner respect in this male-dominated jazz world. In 2001, she took over as host of NPR’s JazzSet—a position she would hold for 13 years…. So all of these things have come to pass. In addition, her commanding personality made her a natural for hosting the award-winning National Public Radio syndicated radio show JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater from 2001 to 2014. You’re playing with Thad Jones/Mel Lewis. What a pleasure it was to savor the soft tones, dusky colors and coyly purring phrases she brought to ‘Yes, I’m Ready.’ —Chicago Tribune Excerpt of “You’ve Changed,” composed by Carl Fischer, lyrics by Bill Carey. Excerpt of “Bad Spirits (Bani)” composed and performed by Dee Dee Bridgewater from the cd, Red Earth: A Malian Journey. Find event and ticket information. On this IMDbrief - presented by Acura - we explain how an online premiere resulted in a multi-million dollar payday and the Sundance 2021 must-see movies to add to your Watchlist. I mean, it was like in the movies. I had gone to Paris with Sophisticated Ladies. What—what was your thoughts about this? Like, “You were an on-air DJ.” “Oh, yeah. Dee Dee Bridgewater (née Denise Garrett, May 27, 1950) is an American jazz singer. Date Detail Price; Feb 6 Sat: Dee Dee Bridgewater Jo Long Theatre San Antonio, TX : $34 - 34: Mar 5 Fri: Dee Dee Bridgewater Keystone Korner Baltimore Performed by Dee Dee Bridgewater from the cd Eleanora Fagan (1915–1959): To Billie with Love From Dee Dee Bridgewater. Though that was my goal when I was growing up – I wanted to be able to sing with my dad while he was playing the trumpet. Dee Dee Bridgewater: I grew up on R&B. First of all, he said don’t listen to singers; listen to musicians. 6. The word polymath comes to mind. I did not want to be distracted. There was a station out of Memphis that I could catch late at night when most of the airwaves shut down. We were taken down a little alley and—and they did a special knock, and you—remember the old doors, the speakeasy doors? How did you conceive of it? This 1980 release is produced by Thom Bell (the Spinners, the Stylistics) who buries Bridgewater's firery charms with the already-dated Philly sound and material that sounds like Spinners rejects. You were 20 years old. Eventbrite - Allerton Park and Retreat Center presents Dee Dee Bridgewater: CU Jazz Master - Virtual Presentation - Sunday, February 21, 2021 at Allerton Park & Retreat Center, Monticello, IL. So, it’s very important, I think, to create a kind of communion with your audience, so that your audience—so that the people who have taken time out of their day to come and sit and listen to your music and support your music—I think it’s our obligation to give them a good show. Live at Yoshi's by Dee… Dee Dee Bridgewater. And then I found out, doing a television interview with Charles Lloyd last year in Switzerland, he and my father had a band together. Dee Dee Bridgewater Concerts. Dee Dee Bridgewater: We had fun. Dee Dee Bridgewater was born in Memphis, Tennessee to a family with deep musical roots….. Dee Dee Bridgewater: You know, the—the actual music and I think my ability to sing comes from my father’s side of the family. I’d had this tuxedo suit made, and running up on stage, and getting the award, and coming off and promptly fainting. MLB American League Tickets. It was a beautiful show because I really tried to stay true to, you know, my jazz thing. They relocated to Flint, Michigan, where Dee Dee lived until completing high school. I was able to put into words those stories, so I’m the only Western person that’s gone over there and done that. Josephine Reed: You ended up going to the Soviet Union at a very young age, as part of the jazz band at the University of Illinois. I grew up on all of the musical films of the ‘30s and the ‘40s. Her mother introduced her to Ella Fitzgerald’s music, which became an inspiration to Bridgewater throughout her career, and her father was a jazz trumpeter who taught music at Memphis' famed Manassas High School. And so, I could hear blues and R&B songs that I didn’t hear in Michigan. So, I loved R&B. I mean, it was Dizzy and Clark Terry. In addition, her commanding personality made her a natural for hosting the award-winning National Public Radio syndicated radio show JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater from 2001 to 2014. We just worked it out. Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices. And then, the fourth thing he said to me is learn your songs inside out, so you don’t have to think about what you’re singing. And I think that is why as—in my position now, why I took to mentoring Theo Croker, this young trumpet player that I’ve been working with now for about seven years, whose career is now really taking off. Josephine Reed: Dee Dee may have been on to something—because within a year of moving to France, she was cast as Billie Holiday in the one-woman show, Lady Day. Dee Dee Bridgewater: And so, that’s how I started. And the bands would be tight, and the music would be great, but they also entertained. Her portrayal of Glinda the Good Witch in the Broadway musical The Wiz garnered her a Tony Award in 1975. You know, it was NPR, and then I became a part of the NPR family. Dee Dee Bridgewater. So, I sat in with the likes of Carmen McRae, Blossom Dearie—Betty Carter would not let me sit in—and some lesser-known singers. Dee Dee Bridgewater: I know. And I was game. Over the past half century, Dee Dee Bridgewater has distinguished herself as a jazz icon, a star of the theater, a devoted cultural ambassador, and a tireless humanitarian, to name but only a few of her many accomplishments. We’re playing tonight.” He says, “If you want to audition, you have to come down to the club and audition.” And I was like, “But—but—but—no—” I was terrified. It’s a horrible way to learn a language. Dee Dee Bridgewater is not due to play near your location currently - but they are scheduled to play 5 concerts across 3 countries in 2021-2022. Memphis ...Yes, I'm Re… Dee Dee Bridgewater. Dee Dee Bridgewater: Cecil Bridgewater, my first husband, we had just married in 1970. Thad was my music teacher. Dee Dee Bridgewater: I’ve never had any formal music training. She could play the big church organs, and I had a couple of great-aunts who were in Vaudeville as dancers and singers, so it’s all on my—my father’s side. Regardless, she shows no signs of slowing down. Not to be any kind of superstar or giant celebrity, but well-known, well-respected by the musicians. It was that period when everyone supported everyone. Bridgewater has produced all her recordings since 1993 and has had her own label, DDB Records, since 2006. Josephine Reed: By then, Dee Dee Bridgewater had returned to the United States, and she rededicated herself to jazz. So, I’ve uncovered a lot about my father that I didn’t know. Josephine Reed: What was that moment like when you won a Tony? In 1974, she recorded her first album as a leader, Afro Blue. Dee Dee Bridgewater: Cheick Tidiane Seck is the—is the person who was responsible for assembling all of the musicians on that album, and I think—I think it was like 47 musicians and singers, because I didn’t know anybody. To find out how art works in communities across the country, keep checking the Art Works blog, or follow us @NEAarts on Twitter. Each week she would take listeners to concert halls, clubs, and festivals around the country so they could hear great jazz performances. To fast-forward, I am now in Memphis, recording an album of those songs that I used to listen to. Dee Dee Bridgewater: I loved acting. Dee Dee Bridgewater: My problem has always been—how do I juggle the singing career and the acting career. It’s infused with Malian music and jazz and it’s—it’s your baby; it’s your project. During her first years in college she began singing with big bands, which lead to her work with the Thad ... Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello to Perform on Jazz Foundation Livestream, Aretha Franklin’s Funeral: Bill Clinton Leads Who’s Who In Queen Of Soul Tribute, Aretha Franklin ‘Celebration of Life’ to Feature Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Bill Clinton. I grew up on Ziegfeld Follies. She started out singing in school talent shows and with local jazz bands. Dee Dee Bridgewater: Okay, here we go. Dee Dee Bridgewater: I remember telling my mom and dad when I was seven years old. And Clark was a ham. My father was one of the first DJs with WDIA. I—I think notes look cute on paper. Performed by Dee Dee Bridgewater from the cd Dear Ella. For the National Endowment for the Arts, I'm Josephine Reed. I’m so happy. I’m Josephine Reed. I just knew what I wanted to do. Josephine Reed: I remember you—you had said that, Thad, he had said to you, “Stop listening to singers. Dee Dee Right at Home With French Songs J'Ai Deux Amours buy CD music Dee Dee has done quite well in France and this album is a real treat. As we were part of a university coming to really the Soviet Union, it was a very unsettling experience. And I was 20, and I got hired. She also co-leads UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and U.S. Department of State sponsored tours to Russia, India, China, and France, and, since 1999, she has been a United Nations Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization. Because I went with an open spirit, and I’m trying to get to my highest spiritual level in this lifetime, because I have no intention of coming back. Married trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater in 1970 and moved to New York City. Dee Dee Bridgewater: I fainted. Dee Dee Bridgewater (b. While attending the University of Illinois, she joined the University of Illinois jazz band for a U.S. State Department tour of the Soviet Union in 1969. Everything I know, even the way I scat. My father, whose name is Matthew Garrett, taught a lot of jazz musicians that we listen to today. And he got hired. For 23 years, she was the host of National Public Radio's syndicated radio show JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater. Bridgewater continues to tour nationally and internationally. We were really taken in by the older musicians, so there was this mentoring that happened. So, he brought everybody together, and then we all kind of worked out, you know, the arrangements. And I remember—you know, waltzing down the hallway and walking into the living room––I don’t even remember what they were doing—and saying, “When I grow up,” I crossed my arms, “When I grow up, I’m going to be a well-respected, internationally known jazz singer.” And I—I said something to them about I—and I was going to be respected by the musicians. So, George Coleman was a student of his, Harold Mabern, Charles Lloyd. I would reserve my seat. Josephine Reed: That’s 2017 NEA Jazz Master, Dee Dee Bridgewater. And so, I decided I would go with Cecil to these auditions, which were held out on Long Island. Dee Dee Bridgewater: I played Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, and that is what I won my Tony Award with. And that I was going to buy them a house and a car. Memphis...Yes, I'm Ready. Everything that I know about music, I learned from Thad Jones, and I learned from being in that band. De Caunes/Garcia - Le meilleur de Nulle Part Ailleurs 2... suite et fin. It was wonderful. I needed to understand what Betty Carter was doing. She is a three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, as well as a Tony Award-winning stage actress. Well, besides getting hired into the Horace Silver Quintet, my honeymoon was spent on the road with Cecil playing with Horace Silver. Dee Dee Bridgewater: You know, but those two ladies—I don’t think I would be the individual that I am, had it not been for all of these amazing singers who came before me. Also, I had gone to France with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, so I had this kind of name in the jazz community in France that I wasn’t aware of. She is a United Nations Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Josephine Reed: The Wiz also won the 1976 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album… Dee Dee subsequently appeared in several other stage productions. His—his brother, my uncle, who died when he was 34, had an amazing baritone voice. Where the—the little sliding window would open, and they’d see, and then they’d let you in. And that lasted for 13 years, 13 wonderful years. $107.15. CD: $11.98. I don’t remember where. Dee Dee Bridgewater was born in Memphis, Tennessee, to Marion and Matthew Garrett. We had meetings with musicians that were clandestine, that were arranged by the embassy. TITLE: Self Titled . It was an AM station, of course, and it was called—it is, still—it still exists—WDIA. I could hear the blues, like the Delta blues, in the griot songs. Dee Dee Bridgewater has a rich voice—like honey— with great range, intonation and pitch, and she’s one of the few scat singers left standing. Josephine Reed: To that radio station I’ve been listening to! Dee Dee Bridgewater: To win this award is huge. And my theatrical agent said, “There is no work for black actresses. Dee Dee Bridgewater: It was borne out of my search for my African ancestry. In 1970, she wed her first husband, trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater. Dee Dee Bridgewater: Betty Carter let me be—I called myself her puppy dog. I would go to any performance that she would have in New York City. I think it’s been more about that than anything planned. Dee Dee Bridgewater: Now, I did want to do it with my own normal, regular speaking voice, and they decided I needed an NPR voice, so they hired a man to work with me on the shows – (clears throat), let me get it, “Hi, this is Dee Dee Bridgewater, and you’re listening to JazzSet.” That’s my NPR voice. The Russians didn’t speak English and we didn’t speak Russian, but it was this beautiful meeting of—of spirits and minds. It was just a beautiful family, a beautiful community. And that’s what happened when I got The Wiz. Josephine Reed: And you got a lot of council from jazz musicians at that time. I was really proud of JazzSet. She is a natural performer. Every year, I do at least one Ella Fitzgerald concert. So, entertainment is very important to me. And there was a lot of lifting up of—of the young musicians. Buy on Amazon, Apple Music, iTunes. What was it like performing with Dizzy Gillespie? And when I come back in, and the same with the big band. Dee Dee Bridgewater: I grew up on R&B. Want to see Dee Dee Bridgewater in concert? During her time in Paris from 1986 to 2007, she starred in Stephen Stahl's musical Lady Day in Paris and London (for which she earned a Lawrence Olivier Award nomination), and continued to perform in musicals such as Black Ballad (with Archie Shepp) and Cabaret (being the first black actress to star as Sally Bowles) while concurrently performing and recording her jazz material. So I will walk with Ella, probably for the rest of my life, which isn’t a bad thing at all. DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER: Self Titled LP ATLANTIC RECORDS SD18188 US 1976 VG++. Josephine Reed: And you also got a lot from musicians, too, like Dizzy Gillespie. Hence, my love of Horace Silver, but I loved Horace Silver from the time I was 15. Dee Dee Bridgewater is a daring performer of great depth whose singing talents have earned her three Grammy Awards as well as a Tony Award. You've been listening to Art Works produced at the National Endowment for the Arts. Celebrate Black History Month with IMDb's exclusive galleries, recommendations, videos, and more. Bridgewater was born Denise Eileen Garrett in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Flint, Michigan, in a music-filled home. So for my orchestral arrangements or my big band arrangements, I have to have my vocal chart in front of me when I’m rehearsing at—at first so I understand, you know, how many bars, you know, the orchestra is playing, and so I can actually follow. Number three, always sing your melody first. VINYL Condition: VG++ . BRIDGEWATER,DEE DEE. And—. In 1976 - 1980 she released some high class disco soul albums, accompanied by top session musicicans. The festivities begin at 7:30 p.m. and the concert is free and open to the public. Josephine Reed: Maybe she couldn’t improvise because of the language difference, but Dee Dee Bridgewater shone as Billie Holiday, and she would revisit Lady Day throughout the years—including a tribute album, Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie with Love from Dee Dee Bridgewater. Working with musicians to get them to understand that it’s really okay to add that element, and for them to see the difference in responses that one gets if one is entertaining and performing at the same time, as well as just standing there. Jo Reed: I want to hear about how you started working with Thad Jones and—. Thanks for listening. I didn’t understand that. For some reason, I could understand the rhythms, the—the West African rhythms, and I could—I could hear how it flowed into the jazz thing. I was always able to scat. That orchestra and in particular, Thad Jones. By Dee Dee Bridgewater, Irvin Mayfield, The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (Official Music Video) 27. I was on these big billboards and stuff. They picked a singer at the end of almost a full afternoon, and I thought I can sing better than her. She is a three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, AND a Tony Award-winning stage actress. And the Sunshine Band/Dee Dee Bridgewater. Josephine Reed: You had had no—no singing lessons. So I gathered up the nerve, and I went up to Mel Lewis, and I said, “Mr. When I decided I wanted to sing jazz, and I always thought that scatting was a prerequisite to being a jazz singer, and so, that came from, I think, you know, my mother listening to Ella Fitzgerald. Dee Dee Bridgewater is a multi-talented performer who will not be put into a box. CD: $11.98 MP3: $8.99. So, I decided to stay when the show ended, because I wasn’t getting any work as an actress in the States. Dee Dee Bridgewater has a technique and musicality that bests most performers of her generation, and her understanding of the “great American songbook” makes pretenders pale in comparison. I was able to bring it together in person, you know, for live shows. So, it inhibited me as an actress in terms of my being able to improvise. May 27, 1950) is an American Jazz singer. I’m the first and the only person who has translated these songs. I was ready. There was a station out of Memphis that I could catch late at night when most of the airwaves shut down. It was a gig that she loved—and which provided some humorous moments…. It was a period where you expected people to sit in on concerts when you go to a concert. Over the course of a multifaceted career spanning four decades, Grammy and Tony Award-winning jazz giant Dee Dee Bridgewater has ascended to the upper echelon of vocalists, putting her unique spin on standards, as well as taking intrepid leaps of faith in re-envisioning jazz classics. Motown started when I was 12, in 1962, so, all of us who loved music, we were aspiring to be Motown artists. Josephine Reed: That is 2017 NEA Jazz Master, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and this is Art Works, the weekly podcast produced at the National Endowment for the Arts. And I think I sang “Bye Bye Blackbird” and “Fly Me to the Moon.” I remember the audience really kind of going crazy. She eventually took the play to London, but she opened it in Paris—performing in French…. Josephine Reed: You’ve had time now to process being named a 2017 NEA Jazz Master—so tell me what the award means for you? Film & TV News Vanessa Williams, Norm Lewis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, More Featured in PBS Concert Celebrating Ella Fitzgerald, Premiering December 15. They loved to entertain. It’s my ears. I have always felt that as a jazz vocalist, my duty was to keep that tradition alive of the vocalist who does the scat. But my—my dream with my father was to, you know, have the father-daughter family act. If you want to create your own style, that’s what you have to do. I intend to make the National Endowment for the Arts very proud, so I’m very very honored. My career has been as much about kind of being in the right place at the right time, or just, you know, these happenstance meetings leading to a situation.