Jurgen Pape and I doing Sondheim's "Send In The Clowns" at the Midland Cultural Centre
Excerpts from a recent interview with PJ...
Interviewer What lies behind your desire to sing?
PJ It's really pretty simple: I love sharing my admiration for the songwriters and lyricists who have made the Great American Songbook such a commanding, wonderful, musical force. There aren't a lot of performers singing these songs today so it's an honour to be able to do so... it's a privilege to be able to entertain an appreciative audience.
Interviewer How do you feel about the young singers performing today: Lady Gaga, Justin Beiber, etc.?
PJ I try to keep up with the current music scene: I'm interested in what's going on and I think it's important as a performer to stay current. Not into Beiber, but Gaga and Tony Bennett's album: love it!
When you talk about today's music, you need to categorize what you're listening to. I was commenting to my son Jamie - who has a great depth of musical knowledge - that I didn't think a particular rap performer was musical at all, to which he replied, 'Dad, it's not music. It's entertainment.' That was a real revelation to me. I was trying to pigeonhole this guy into my sense of music but that's wrong: he's working on a whole different level. Now, that being said, it was the great Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini who put it about as well as anyone: 'Music is either good or it isn't. It's not someone's opinion.' There's a certain finiteness to that which speaks volumes.
Interviewer Within the Great American Songbook, there are hundreds of contributors to that genre. Care to name your top 5?
PJ Oh boy... I never like doing this: you're always going to leave someone out. But alright... I'd prefer to distinguish between the song writers and the lyricists, if that's OK. From the list of lyricists, my top 5 would be Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer, Yip Harburg, Sammy Cahn and Lorenz Hart. And the songwriters... Porter would be there too, along with George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Harold Arlen and Jerome Kern.
Interviewer Interesting choices. I'm surprised Irving Berlin isn't in the list...
PJ As I said, you're always going to leave someone out. And Berlin's a powerhouse, no question: 1,500 songs over 60 years! But in terms of overall quality, I'll stick with the 5 I mentioned in each category. No question though, if we expanded the list to 10, Irving would be in there on both counts.
Interviewer How about the best song?
PJ Now that I'm not touching! It's like being asked to name your favourite child. Can't do it!
Interviewer Fair enough. Let's turn to your performing style. What guides your approach to the songs you sing?
PJ You know, for me it's all about respect. Respect for the lyricist, for instance. What was going in his or her mind when writing those words. What did they want to communicate: joy? sadness? opinion? As an interpreter of their words, it's my job to honour their meaning. And it's the same with the songwriters: they poured real talent into writing those scores and I think it's a little cheeky for a singer to take the music and re-interpret it outside of the original. Oh sure, as a performer, I may make changes to suit my voice or style, and of course the orchestral arrangement can contribute greatly to making the song 'yours', but I never wander far from the tune: the Masters deserve respect. Then, of course, there is the audience. You simply have to respect the fact that they have spent money and devoted time to coming out to see you. I owe them the absolute best I can offer. And for me, that can mean rehearsing a tune - maybe 100s of times to get it right - before ever sharing it with an audience! At the end of the day, when you sing, it's a really vulnerable position to be in: you're exposing your feelings, and that's pretty personal. But ultimately you're singing for the audience, not for yourself, and I owe them my best.
Interviewer So respect underscores your singing. Anything else?
PJ The great pianist Bill Evans told Tony Bennett, 'Just go with truth and beauty; forget everything else.' Well, there's truth and beauty in all the Great American Songbook selections: that's good enough for me.
Interviewer Who are your musical influences?
PJ Well, no question, Frank Sinatra. I suppose every singer of standards has been influenced by Frank... it'd be hard not to. When I first heard Sinatra – this would have been in the late 1950s when he was making those great albums at Capitol – I was captivated by his style, phrasing, breathing, plus the outstanding arrangements by Nelson Riddle, Billy May and others that underscored him. I decided then and there that if I was ever going to sing, I would be influenced by his techniques. Beyond that, I've always loved Bobby Darin's work. And I borrow phrasing ideas from great arranger/players like Rob McConnell whose Boss Brass albums were terrific. But more than listening to the "masters", I like to think I've been influenced by taking the time to understand the song at hand, as I mentioned earlier. It's really only when you understand a song that you can create your own unique take on it. At the end of the day, that's what you want to do: offer the listener a song done your way, not anyone else's way.
Interviewer You were recently quoted talking about what you wanted the audience to feel when they see you perform...
PJ Oh that (laughing). Well, the reporter was trying to get me to articulate what I wanted women in the audience to feel when I sang... I think she was looking for a sexy quote, or something. Anyway, I replied - and actually, I think this is pretty realistic - 'I want to connect with the audience. Break down the invisible wall that separates me from them. So, at the end of the performance, if the ladies want to hook up because they think I'm emotionally available, and if the guys want to go for a beer with me because they think I'm cool... well, I guess that's not all bad. Hey, sure worked for Sinatra!
Interviewer What music do you listen to?
PJ I've got music on constantly: it truly underscores my very being and I can't imagine a life without it. Now, what do I listen to? Lots of jazz. Symphony. New artists that people direct me to. A friend recently turned me on to Ben Rector and Ed Sheeran's singing. Really nice stuff and what a delight to hear vocalists who care to enunciate the words so you know what they're singing. She also introduced me to Lindsey Stirling: man, that lady can play the fiddle!!
Interviewer We'll leave it there. Thanks for talking with us.
PJ My pleasure. Hope to see you at a concert.
Interviewer What lies behind your desire to sing?
PJ It's really pretty simple: I love sharing my admiration for the songwriters and lyricists who have made the Great American Songbook such a commanding, wonderful, musical force. There aren't a lot of performers singing these songs today so it's an honour to be able to do so... it's a privilege to be able to entertain an appreciative audience.
Interviewer How do you feel about the young singers performing today: Lady Gaga, Justin Beiber, etc.?
PJ I try to keep up with the current music scene: I'm interested in what's going on and I think it's important as a performer to stay current. Not into Beiber, but Gaga and Tony Bennett's album: love it!
When you talk about today's music, you need to categorize what you're listening to. I was commenting to my son Jamie - who has a great depth of musical knowledge - that I didn't think a particular rap performer was musical at all, to which he replied, 'Dad, it's not music. It's entertainment.' That was a real revelation to me. I was trying to pigeonhole this guy into my sense of music but that's wrong: he's working on a whole different level. Now, that being said, it was the great Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini who put it about as well as anyone: 'Music is either good or it isn't. It's not someone's opinion.' There's a certain finiteness to that which speaks volumes.
Interviewer Within the Great American Songbook, there are hundreds of contributors to that genre. Care to name your top 5?
PJ Oh boy... I never like doing this: you're always going to leave someone out. But alright... I'd prefer to distinguish between the song writers and the lyricists, if that's OK. From the list of lyricists, my top 5 would be Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer, Yip Harburg, Sammy Cahn and Lorenz Hart. And the songwriters... Porter would be there too, along with George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Harold Arlen and Jerome Kern.
Interviewer Interesting choices. I'm surprised Irving Berlin isn't in the list...
PJ As I said, you're always going to leave someone out. And Berlin's a powerhouse, no question: 1,500 songs over 60 years! But in terms of overall quality, I'll stick with the 5 I mentioned in each category. No question though, if we expanded the list to 10, Irving would be in there on both counts.
Interviewer How about the best song?
PJ Now that I'm not touching! It's like being asked to name your favourite child. Can't do it!
Interviewer Fair enough. Let's turn to your performing style. What guides your approach to the songs you sing?
PJ You know, for me it's all about respect. Respect for the lyricist, for instance. What was going in his or her mind when writing those words. What did they want to communicate: joy? sadness? opinion? As an interpreter of their words, it's my job to honour their meaning. And it's the same with the songwriters: they poured real talent into writing those scores and I think it's a little cheeky for a singer to take the music and re-interpret it outside of the original. Oh sure, as a performer, I may make changes to suit my voice or style, and of course the orchestral arrangement can contribute greatly to making the song 'yours', but I never wander far from the tune: the Masters deserve respect. Then, of course, there is the audience. You simply have to respect the fact that they have spent money and devoted time to coming out to see you. I owe them the absolute best I can offer. And for me, that can mean rehearsing a tune - maybe 100s of times to get it right - before ever sharing it with an audience! At the end of the day, when you sing, it's a really vulnerable position to be in: you're exposing your feelings, and that's pretty personal. But ultimately you're singing for the audience, not for yourself, and I owe them my best.
Interviewer So respect underscores your singing. Anything else?
PJ The great pianist Bill Evans told Tony Bennett, 'Just go with truth and beauty; forget everything else.' Well, there's truth and beauty in all the Great American Songbook selections: that's good enough for me.
Interviewer Who are your musical influences?
PJ Well, no question, Frank Sinatra. I suppose every singer of standards has been influenced by Frank... it'd be hard not to. When I first heard Sinatra – this would have been in the late 1950s when he was making those great albums at Capitol – I was captivated by his style, phrasing, breathing, plus the outstanding arrangements by Nelson Riddle, Billy May and others that underscored him. I decided then and there that if I was ever going to sing, I would be influenced by his techniques. Beyond that, I've always loved Bobby Darin's work. And I borrow phrasing ideas from great arranger/players like Rob McConnell whose Boss Brass albums were terrific. But more than listening to the "masters", I like to think I've been influenced by taking the time to understand the song at hand, as I mentioned earlier. It's really only when you understand a song that you can create your own unique take on it. At the end of the day, that's what you want to do: offer the listener a song done your way, not anyone else's way.
Interviewer You were recently quoted talking about what you wanted the audience to feel when they see you perform...
PJ Oh that (laughing). Well, the reporter was trying to get me to articulate what I wanted women in the audience to feel when I sang... I think she was looking for a sexy quote, or something. Anyway, I replied - and actually, I think this is pretty realistic - 'I want to connect with the audience. Break down the invisible wall that separates me from them. So, at the end of the performance, if the ladies want to hook up because they think I'm emotionally available, and if the guys want to go for a beer with me because they think I'm cool... well, I guess that's not all bad. Hey, sure worked for Sinatra!
Interviewer What music do you listen to?
PJ I've got music on constantly: it truly underscores my very being and I can't imagine a life without it. Now, what do I listen to? Lots of jazz. Symphony. New artists that people direct me to. A friend recently turned me on to Ben Rector and Ed Sheeran's singing. Really nice stuff and what a delight to hear vocalists who care to enunciate the words so you know what they're singing. She also introduced me to Lindsey Stirling: man, that lady can play the fiddle!!
Interviewer We'll leave it there. Thanks for talking with us.
PJ My pleasure. Hope to see you at a concert.
