Press
Press & Interviews
Press Clips
"Musicalmente versatil, hermosa, y de voz fabulosa, Cheryl Dyrithe Barnes es un raro talento. Su refinada y entrenada voz recibe clasificacion superior en cualquier tipo de musica y su actuacion certifica que ella es realmente MUSICA, asi como actriz de estilo y de personalidad emocionante."
- Mario Vergoso, Tamanaco Journal Caracas, Venezuela
"Cheryl is a singer, not just a person who can sing."
- Rahn Coleman
"She’s got style. She’s got soul. Great voice (3 1/2 octaves of it)!), Great looks. A smasher when it comes to jazz! You gotta see her. You just gotta!"
- Richard Lim, Singapore Post
"Her refined and well trained voice would receive a top rating in any form of music. She displays this extraordinary and precious “instrument” in a unique show. “Don’t miss her” “She deserves television coverage to announce the fact that someone special from the show biz world of the USA has indeed arrived, rather than the imposters we often see and hear."
- Harold Emert, Brazil Herald Rio De Janiero
"Cheryl Barnes is a woman with an extraordinary vocal instrument. ” “..shows off her control, range, pitch, diction and expressiveness — in short, everything it takes to be a star."
- Wayne Lee, Jazziz
“We’re convinced that Cheryl Barnes is one of the West’s best singers and that she really deserves a television special all to herself.”
- Dusty M., Rocky Mountain News Denver, Colorado
"Cheryl Barnes is a songwriter’s dream. She has a great instrument – a rich, honeyed, wide ranging voice but more importantly, she knows what to do with it. Each song becomes an emotional story that touches, moves or just plain makes you smile."
- Mark Winkler
"Barnes’ range leapt upward in unpredictable octave jumps to a pure register."
- Leonard Feather, Los Angeles Times
"I don’t think there is a more immaculate professional singer in the jazz world today than Cheryl Barnes. She keeps it clean and swings to the point of no return."
- Barbara Morrison
“Barnes is a great storyteller”
- Howard Dukes, Soul Tracks
“What a voice. Rich and true. Miles of range.”
- Diane Patrick, Jazz Times
"Cheryl is an amazing singer, a master interpreter and a totally unafraid cosmic artist. Pure in heart, pure in spirit; she is a singer whose life you can feel."
- Rahn Coleman
"Cheryl Barnes’ vocals are impeccable."
- Jazz USA
Full Reviews
JazzTimes
Cheryl Dyrithe Barnes is a classically trained jazz singer in possession of remarkable depth, range and technique. Beloved around the world as a captivating live performer, Cheryl shied away from making records for nearly a decade. Now in 2014, Ms. Barnes returns with her fourth and finest album to date, a studio recording entitled Listen to This for which every one of the twelve selections is a personally inspired gem. Produced by Rahn Coleman and also featuring the impassioned piano playing of her husband Phil Cabasso, Listen to This was patiently rendered over a 5-year period, prepared with tender loving care utilizing Los Angeles’ finest, including soloists saxophonists Rickey Woodard and Pete Christlieb, pianists John Hammond and Joel Scott, and trumpeter Nolan Shaheed.
Listen To This moves from two tunes penned by Mark Winkler (the sassy “Like Jazz” and the evocative nostalgia of “That Afternoon in Harlem” to inventive adaptations of “When I Am Laid In Earth” (from Henry Purcell’s opera “Dido and Aeneas”) and Joni Mitchell’s epic “Come in From the Cold.” There’s even a Christmas song. “I love how varied the album is…because I’m varied,” Cheryl beams. “The complexity of jazz – of improvisation, expression and harmony - is clearly there. Rahn, Phil and our engineer Aaron Testerman spent hours – I’m talking marathon sessions – working,” Cheryl shares. “Phil would come home with his eyes like Xs! We didn’t have a deadline so we never rushed. A beautiful evolution blossomed through the process.”
From the hippest of contemporary faire like “Come With Me” and “What’s On Your Mind” to choice standards such as “I Wish You Love” (dedicated to the memory of Gloria Lynne) and “Why Did I Choose You” (inspired by Barbra Streisand’s rendition), Ms. Barnes brings a singular warmth and empathy to every line she sings, engaging listeners from a purr to a power belt. The title track “Listen To This” (composed and arranged by Cabasso), “What’s Fair in Love” (created and directed by Coleman) and “Baby’s Got Some Awful Kind of Blues” (crafted by John Hammond) are renderings of original pieces that are sure to go down as Cheryl Barnes classics. “This project solidifies within myself my view of myself as a true artist,” Cheryl poetically states.
Cleveland-native Cheryl Barnes harbors fond memories of music’s presence throughout her early life. “My father, Calvert Barnes, played music 24 hours a day in the house from his collection of old 78s and LPs – all the big bands, all the singers, all the jazz. Then on the radio he enjoyed the rich beautiful melodies of Mantovani and the 101 strings. No rock n’ roll allowed in the house!” Raised Catholic, Cheryl – unlike many Black singers - did not grow up in gospel yet sought and loved that and ALL music just the same.
Beginning at age 9 through college, Cheryl amassed 16 years of formal classical vocal training which led to appearances with symphony orchestras in Denver, Florida and Wisconsin. The rigorous programming reinforced her innate abilities and enabled her to move with ease between musical genres. Yet the road always led back to jazz. Cheryl confesses. “I have great respect for those that live the discipline of classical music like my cousin Thomas Young (the esteemed classical tenor and educator) who once told me, ‘Classical singing is an athletic event!’ I used the music that I learned from classical but never felt like if I sing that, I couldn’t sing this. I don’t sing like Leontyne Price or Rene Fleming, but I can sing that music. I sing jazz with strengthened abilities. And people have taken notice.”
The late iconic jazz critic Leonard Feather once wrote in the Los Angeles Times, “Barnes' range leapt upward in unpredictable octave jumps to a pure register." Renowned concert and television Musical Director Rickey Minor marvels, “Cheryl’s voice is sultry and full of soul…you’ll be instantly transported to a place of warmth and serenity.” Singing legend Barbara Morrison testifies, “I don’t think there is a more immaculate professional singer in the jazz world today than Cheryl Barnes. She keeps it clean and swings to the point of no return.” And the aforementioned Mark Winkler swoons, “Cheryl Barnes is a songwriter’s dream. Each song becomes an emotional story that touches, moves or just plain makes you smile.”
Ms. Barnes is the quintessential performer, wowing audiences worldwide with her unerring sense for creating and sustaining a musical and personal rapport, be it within intimate club settings or commanding concert stages.
The lady has shared the stage with Quincy Jones, Wynton Marsalis, Lou Rawls, J.J. Johnson and Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. In Los Angeles, she has performed in acclaimed venues including the Parisian Room, Memory Lane, The Baked Potato, the Jazz Bakery and Catalina Bar & Grill. Backing her live and in the studio have been some of the finest in jazz, among them bassists James Hughart, Tony Dumas, David LeVray and Robert Russell, drummers Ralph Penland, Quentin Dennard and Kendall Kaye, pianist Bill Cunliffe, and trumpeter Carl Saunders.
“I really appreciate being respected by instrumentalists because I consider myself a musician,’ Cheryl concludes. “I sing because I must. I am compelled from within - the force sometimes ebbing…often flowing…the rhythm of it all out of my hands. I follow where it leads; it is an essential part of my being.”
Jazz Corner
JAZZ SINGER CHERYL BARNES TO RELEASE DEBUT CD, 'LISTEN TO THIS,' ON FEBRUARY 18TH
(Published: December 17, 2013)
Album Features Remarkable Cast Of Players Including John Beasley, Rahn Coleman, Brandon Fields, John Hammond, Rickey Minor and More
Los Angeles, California. "Listen To This," the debut CD from eclectically-trained Jazz vocalist Cheryl Barnes, is set for release February 18, 2014, via Barnes & Cabasso Music. Highlighting twelve tracks steeped in Jazz and Blues, "Listen To This" was produced by music industry veteran Rahn Coleman, recorded at Mystic Knight Recording Studios in Los Angeles and features a stellar list of sidemen including Brandon Fields on Sax, John Hammond on Piano, and Rickey Minor on Bass with Orchestration by John Beasley.
Known principally as a Jazz singer, Cheryl's versatility encompasses many musical genres. Singing in four different languages, Cheryl has performed around the world (including shows with Wynton Marsalis, J.J. Johnson, Quincy Jones and a guest member spot with the Clara Ward Gospel Singers), and has recorded with the likes of Skip Scarborough, Azar Lawrence, Billy Mitchell and Cathy Segal-Garcia. Her sixteen years of Operatic training have brought her to the stage as a featured soloist with the Denver Symphony Orchestra, the Florida Orchestra and The Lawrence University Orchestra in Wisconsin, and she has toured extensively throughout South America, nurturing her love for Samba, Bossa Nova, Salsa and the riches of Latin and Afro-Cuban Music.
A sought-after vocal clinician conducting numerous workshops and clinics across the U.S., Barnes is also a founding member of the Jazz Vocal Coalition and retains an esteemed musical presence in Los Angeles, having been heard on stages ranging from The Los Angeles County Museum of Art's prestigious Friday Jazz Series to the Hollywood Bowl to the House of Blues .
Barnes' varied background makes itself apparent in the choice of songs which she has chosen to sing on "Listen To This." From Mark Winkler and Marilyn Harris' lovely portrayal of a veteran Jazz singer with an extraordinary life in "Afternoon In Harlem" to the spirited,
party-like jazz vibe of the title track "Listen To This" (written by Barnes' husband -arranger, musician, physician Phillip Cabasso) to Barnes' own, powerful interpretation of Joni Mitchell's "Come In From The Cold," Barnes' album is amply reflective of her deep-rooted musical training as well as her love of infusing different musical styles within her chosen material.
But what sets this project apart is Cheryl's incredible voice, which imbues each word she sings with a beauty and clarity all its' own, taking the listener along on an extraordinary journey as the story of each song unfolds. "After years of touring and working with a multitude of artists, I've decided now is the time to focus my energies on my own CD," said Barnes, "It's been a long time in the making and I'm very proud of both the music and the breadth of the songs and musicians on this album."
A complete track listing for "Listen To This" is attached. For additional information and media requests, please contact Alisse Kingsley at Muse Media, 323-467-8508; e: AlissetheMuse@aol.com.
-Alisse Kingsley Muse Media
Ticker Report
JAZZ SINGER CHERYL BARNES TO RELEASE DEBUT CD, 'LISTEN TO THIS,' ON FEBRUARY 18TH
(Published: December 17, 2013)
Album Features Remarkable Cast Of Players Including John Beasley, Rahn Coleman, Brandon Fields, John Hammond, Rickey Minor and More
Los Angeles, California. "Listen To This," the debut CD from eclectically-trained Jazz vocalist Cheryl Barnes, is set for release February 18, 2014, via Barnes & Cabasso Music. Highlighting twelve tracks steeped in Jazz and Blues, "Listen To This" was produced by music industry veteran Rahn Coleman, recorded at Mystic Knight Recording Studios in Los Angeles and features a stellar list of sidemen including Brandon Fields on Sax, John Hammond on Piano, and Rickey Minor on Bass with Orchestration by John Beasley.
Known principally as a Jazz singer, Cheryl's versatility encompasses many musical genres. Singing in four different languages, Cheryl has performed around the world (including shows with Wynton Marsalis, J.J. Johnson, Quincy Jones and a guest member spot with the Clara Ward Gospel Singers), and has recorded with the likes of Skip Scarborough, Azar Lawrence, Billy Mitchell and Cathy Segal-Garcia. Her sixteen years of Operatic training have brought her to the stage as a featured soloist with the Denver Symphony Orchestra, the Florida Orchestra and The Lawrence University Orchestra in Wisconsin, and she has toured extensively throughout South America, nurturing her love for Samba, Bossa Nova, Salsa and the riches of Latin and Afro-Cuban Music.
A sought-after vocal clinician conducting numerous workshops and clinics across the U.S., Barnes is also a founding member of the Jazz Vocal Coalition and retains an esteemed musical presence in Los Angeles, having been heard on stages ranging from The Los Angeles County Museum of Art's prestigious Friday Jazz Series to the Hollywood Bowl to the House of Blues .
Barnes' varied background makes itself apparent in the choice of songs which she has chosen to sing on "Listen To This." From Mark Winkler and Marilyn Harris' lovely portrayal of a veteran Jazz singer with an extraordinary life in "Afternoon In Harlem" to the spirited,
party-like jazz vibe of the title track "Listen To This" (written by Barnes' husband -arranger, musician, physician Phillip Cabasso) to Barnes' own, powerful interpretation of Joni Mitchell's "Come In From The Cold," Barnes' album is amply reflective of her deep-rooted musical training as well as her love of infusing different musical styles within her chosen material.
But what sets this project apart is Cheryl's incredible voice, which imbues each word she sings with a beauty and clarity all its' own, taking the listener along on an extraordinary journey as the story of each song unfolds. "After years of touring and working with a multitude of artists, I've decided now is the time to focus my energies on my own CD," said Barnes, "It's been a long time in the making and I'm very proud of both the music and the breadth of the songs and musicians on this album."
A complete track listing for "Listen To This" is attached. For additional information and media requests, please contact Alisse Kingsley at Muse Media, 323-467-8508; e: AlissetheMuse@aol.com.
-Alisse Kingsley Muse Media
JazzMonthly.com
Cheryl Barnes tells us what she wants us to do with her single word album title, but her staid album cover (hands clasped, semi serious facial expression) hardly prepares us for the wild ride. Those listening to the singer’s glorious voice and surfing the wave of eclectic emotion as she dips and weaves from bluesy, swinging jazz (“Like Jazz”) to sparse eloquent ballads (“Why Did I Choose You,” “Baby’s Got Some Awful Kind of Blues”) and dazzling, colorful big band vibes (“Listen To This,” penned by her husband Phillip Cabasso) may wonder where she’s been all their lives. And the answer is: out there, performing in various settings throughout the world, which apparently didn’t give her time to hit the studio and set her unique brand of heartfelt expression and joyful whimsy to disc. She’s done shows with Quincy Jones, Wynton Marsalis, J.J. Johnson, Billy Mitchell and Cathy Segal-Garcia. Brought her 16 years of operatic training to featured solo spotlights with the Denver Symphony Orchestra, the Florida Orchestra and the Lawrence University Orchestra in Wisconsin.
Branching out from her home base in Los Angeles, Barnes has also toured South America, worked extensively as a vocal clinician and is a founding member of the Jazz Vocal Coalition. Her resume and creativity demand deeper thought for a debut than simply mining the Great American Songbook – so she starts the CD mining gold from the catalog of fellow L.A. vocalist Mark Winkler (“Like Jazz” and the playful story song “Afternoon in Harlem”) and continues with unique choices like the wistful “Come With Me,” the eloquent “I Wish You Love” (partially sung in French) and an expansive, jazzy meditation on Joni Mitchell’s “Come In From The Cold.” Among the L.A. elite helping Barnes bring the magic at last to the studio are Brandon Fields (sax), John Hammond (piano), Rickey Minor (bass) and John Beasley (orchestrations).
-Jonathan Widran
Howard Dukes, SoulTrack
Cheryl Barnes titled her new CD of jazz standards Listen to This, and that title carries with it more than a little hint of self-awareness. There is a temptation to tune out these reinterpretations of the Great American Songbook, mainly because some artists treat us to the same tunes over and over and over again. Cheryl Barnes track list shows that she’s serious about wanting people to listen. The record sports a nice balance of tunes known to fans of the songbook while not being overdone. She features a Joni Mitchell pop tune that is repurposed in the jazz idiom, as well as a song that Glen Ballard wrote for the Quincy Jones produced Give Me the Night album.
The album also includes an original – the title track – that was written by Barnes’ husband, and Barnes gives some much needed shine to the current generation of lyricists and composers working to created new additions to the songbook. Barnes includes two tunes by Mark Winkler on Listen To This. One is the lovely “That Afternoon in Harlem,” a track perfectly suited for Barnes because she is a great storyteller and Winkler’s tune tells a great story. “That Afternoon in Harlem” tells the story of a young singer’s visit to the Harlem apartment of an aging jazz singer. The arrangement sports a bluesy swing that sets the stage for a tale of two artists bridging the generation gap. Winkler takes a photograph with his lyrics and Barnes’ voice adds the color.
Barnes combines her jazz-tinged vocals that feature stretched notes and moving in front and behind the melody with a jazz/funk arrangement on Ballard’s “What’s On Your Mind.” She transforms Mitchell’s “Come in from the Cold” into a jazz ballad. Barnes plays it straight on Michael Leonard and Herbert Martin’s standard “Why Did I Choose You,” which is good because that allows her to wring every ounce of passion and sentimentality out of those golden anniversary lyrics.
Barnes is one of those music lifers who you probably heard sing on somebody else’s project and who performed in genres ranging form classical (she’s classically trained) to R&B. However, her first love has long been jazz going back to her days growing up in Cleveland. That love comes through on this quality album of originals and covers. Barnes traveled from Cleveland to Montana to Denver before ending up in LA. Listen to This proves that Barnes is right at home whenever she sings jazz. Recommended.
-Howard Dukes
Monster & Critics
Radiant in red, jazz vocalist Cheryl Barnes took the stage last week at Rockwell, the tony cabaret space in the Los Angeles hipster village of Los Feliz, like few other artists who celebrating their debut album.
She proceeded to control the stage in an hour-long set that highlighted songs from her new album “Listen To This.” The audience that was filled with music industry pros did, indeed, listen – hanging on her every expert jazz phraseology and vocal acrobatics, effortlessly executed in her pitch perfect, honey-laced contralto voice.
Barnes is like a rare archaeological find – a legendary artist whose reputation precedes her and now, is suddenly discovered. Actually, the artist herself has been active in the jazz performance space for years, giving hundreds of shows around the world with the likes of Wynton Marsalis, J.J. Johnson, and Quincy Jones. However, unless you were lucky to have caught one of her live performances, her album arrives with a startlingly but altogether pleasurable surprise.
While principally a jazz vocalist, she was classically trained in music (since the age of 9) and is adept at pop, classical, Gospel and Latin sounds. She also is a much sought-after vocal clinician, who conducts workshops and classes across the country. Did I mention she’s fluent in four languages? The point here is that this is a very smart woman who uses her intellect to enhance her vocal prowess. Even when she is deeply emotive, she is a singer at all times in control of her voice.
She punctuated her set at the Rockwell with a mix of songs from the album that showcased her versatility from the upbeat party vibe of the title track “Listen To This” to the poignant ballad about a veteran jazz singer with an extraordinary life in “Afternoon In Harlem” and to the heartfelt “Baby’s Got Some Awful Kind of Blues.”
Missing from the set, but on the new album, was her amazing reinterpretation of Joni Mitchell’s “Come In From The Cold.”
The album was produced by music industry veteran Rahn Coleman, recorded at Mystic Knight Recording Studios in Los Angeles and features a stellar list of sidemen including Brandon Fields on sax, John Hammond on piano, and Rickey Minor on bass with orchestration by John Beasley. Her set at Rockwell was orchestrated expertly by her husband, arranger and keyboardist Phillip Cabasso.
In an interview prior to her Rockwell gig, she cited as her musical influences Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Peggy Lee and Nancy Wilson. “By the time that I was a teenager, I pretty much could imitate any voice. To find my own voice, I had to stop listening to vocalists and focus instead on instrumentalists,” she said.
Two other musical influences in her career must be mentioned. “My grandmother was a singer and had a naturally, beautiful, magnificent voice, and she encouraged me to study music,” she says. The other is Linda Hopkins, the legendary jazz, blues and r&b singer.
She confesses to thinking of Hopkins when she recorded for the album “An Afternoon in Harlem,” written by her friends Mark Winkler and Marilyn Harris. “I know Linda Hopkins fairly well, and she reminds me of the elegant, confident, older women with beautiful homes and clothes that were party of my upbringing in Cleveland (Ohio). Linda still has an incredible energy and love for music, which she shows by encouraging and supporting younger artists,” she says.
So, what took Barnes so along to come in from the cold and enter the studio to record “Listen To This”? In a word, life. “After years of touring and working with a multitude of artists, I’ve decided now was the time to focus my energies on my own CD.
“It’s been a long time in the making and I’m very proud of both the music and the breadth of the songs and musicians on this album,” she says. But she also confesses her own obsession with being technically perfect might have stymied her from recording more.
“Six years ago I decided that I must make an album so that I could leave a legacy to share with fans and other artists. But I had to learn not to over analyze my music, and throw my inhibitions under the table,” she says. In fact, in the coming years, she says she “looks forward to doing new things with jazz,” possibly on another album.
We’re poised and ready when she does.
-Greg Ptacek
Interviews
The Levity Ball
The Beauty, Talent, Grace & Smooth Jazz of Cheryl Barnes – The Levity Ball Interview
Oct 26, 2014 - Comments Off on The Beauty, Talent, Grace & Smooth Jazz of Cheryl Barnes – The Levity Ball Interview
Cheryl Barnes is a real musician. She’s living the journey, forging a sustainable path and bringing enjoyable performances to audiences around the world. I had the pleasure of sampling her CD and interviewing her. Like James Lipton and his show “Inside the Actors Studio”, I too want to know what one’s favorite cuss word is. Although I was disappointed she didn’t give a specific word, her answer was delightful. With that being said, she has poignant and interesting responses to more relevant and real questions. So, please, read on.
Tell us about some of your performing highlights. What were some of your most enjoyable shows? Who are some of the more fun and insightful artists with whom you’ve made music?
I had the pleasure of co-hosting a TV magazine show in Denver called “The Other Side” where we featured some of the great musical artists, along with other notable people who were appearing in the area. I was able to sing with and interview Della Reese, Merry Clayton, Lou Rawls and Leslie Uggams, among others. Ms. Reese generously shared some of her thoughts on life in general and life in music which has stayed with me and that I have passed along. I received some meaningful insights from the great Saxophonist, Eddie Harris on improvisation.
I traveled throughout the Caribbean and South America for a while and had some of my most happy and satisfying experiences singing for the masses in free concerts which were sponsored by various government entities in the cities where I was appearing in Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, the Antilles, the Bahamas and Singapore. Music truly IS the language of the world and I was able to reach hearts and minds of people of all ages, races, creeds, colors, religions, you name it.
Having extensive experience in both the jazz and popular music worlds, can you compare and contrast the two in terms of business, the hustle, touring, recording, vibe, camaraderie, etc.?
There are certainly some differences in the handling of these two musical genres. However, it’s all about the people and the relationships. My experience has been that all the mechanical/technical/logistical/financial dealing gets done through working closely with the many people one encounters on the road from first writing or finding a song to record through all the steps in between to get that song onto somebody’s mp3 player. It’s all hard work. Jazz, pop, classical…you name it. There’s an army of folks involved in making live performances and recordings happen. I really enjoy the opportunity to interact with all these different personalities. So many bright….and sometimes not so much….minds and so much energy. I soak it up. I concentrate on the positive; deflect the negative and enjoy the vibes I get in return for being genuine and straightforward.
Who are some of your favorite jazz artists and why?
Of course I revere the wonderful artists who laid the foundation for what I do today. The depth of artistry of Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington among a long list of greats is inestimable. What “Jazz” singer is not influenced by these forebears? How could I not love Sarah Vaughn? The cello-like tones of her instrument… Betty Carter for being willing and more than able to innovate in ways that singers before her seldom tried. These artists opened my mind and voice to the knowledge that I could do anything I wanted to do. Learn the foundation, and then find your own way.
You referenced the tutelage of your producer Rahn Coleman in your biography and made this statement, “Rahn helped me understand the difference between being a live performer and a recording artist, about certain techniques I could use to achieve a certain feeling.” What are the differences in live performing and recording and explain further the specific techniques you employed to express yourself emotionally?
For me, performing live is like breathing. Each artist has his/her own interpretation of what live performance means and what it needs for success. I feel I have to be honest. My goal up there is to give you a part of me through the song I’m singing and I do that by being willing to bare my soul and trust that the audience will take me in. (So far, I’ve been thrilled be the acceptance and smile). I try to convey my words through physical and vocal techniques that will allow me to reach the listener’s mind and heart. (Dance movement, facial expressions, etc.) It’s visual and musical and spiritual. I choose material which I believe in. The theme can be light or funny or somber or angry or whatever mood. My goal is to bring you along with me. In recording, all of these same intentions are necessary. The difference is that there’s no spiritual/electrical feedback from and audience, so the artist has to be courageous enough to “throw the doors to my inner self wide open and do some super-serious trusting that the listener will hear the truth. Then, it’s out of my hands. It feels like jumping off a ledge and not being able to see what’s coming, but jumping anyway.
You include a song for Christmas on this album. This was a surprise to see. Why did you include it?
The selections on this CD each have some personal meaning for me and for my husband, Phillip Cabasso, who arranged this Christmas song. A few years ago, we were rehearsing for a holiday gig we had coming up and we wanted to do some different Christmas songs so we looked in a generic Christmas song book and found this song. The original feel of this song is regular 4/4 with a medium tempo. Pretty basic and boring. Soooo, we decided to spice it up, made a nice samba beat version and decided to include it on this cd because we liked it and it’s different and it fits the very eclectic mix of this CD.
Talk about the development, organizing and creation of your new release “Listen to This”. Did you choose all of the songs? Did you decide on the release’s song order?
Yes, Phillip and I chose everything. We’re the label and executive producers and this project was created to allow me to make a record of my more current singing style and work. That’s why the song selection is so across the map. All of the originals on the cd were written by dear friends. Phillip wrote the title song, “Listen To This” and Rahn Coleman, our producer, wrote What’s Fair in Love. The ‘covers’ are all songs which I/we have loved and arranged and performed over time and were delighted to be able to include here. The arrangement on Henry Purcell’s “When I Am Laid In Earth (Dido’s Lament)” came about because I had loved the original aria from when I sang that role in college. I’ve always been a believer that musical genres can be mixed, so I asked Rahn to help me figure out a way to include this aria in a more contemporary/jazz-leaning manner….and he obliged with this extraordinary arrangement, with Phillip on piano.
You state, “I REALLY APPRECIATE BEING RESPECTED BY INSTRUMENTALISTS BECAUSE I CONSIDER MYSELF A MUSICIAN.” In terms of practicing and performing, how might this differ from only being a vocalist or singer?
I think the statement may be a little stale now because a vast majority of singers these days, do their homework and learn their craft with great seriousness and purpose. The historic reputation of jazz singers…the greats notwithstanding, is that ‘she’s the horn player’s girlfriend and can’t find one’, and ‘can’t sing in tune’, and ‘doesn’t know her lyrics’, etc. Anyway, you get my drift. I must say though, I learned my keys and lyrics and how to count off/set my tempos for the band, etc. at an early stage in my career. 10 years of classical training didn’t hurt at all when I had to work with a 21-piece big band and knew every note of every horn part. There are still many instrumentalists who are not fond of playing with or for singers, but most of the reason for that mindset has passed. Vocalists these days are musical pros.
Do you work on scales, jazz theory and rhythmic and harmonic execution like a saxophonist might?
Yes. Not as rigorously as I used to, but I vocalize with very specific exercises and goals on an almost daily basis. This is to keep my instrument nimble and bright.
Do you give music lessons?
I give occasional individual workshops or private sessions.
What are some of your thoughts on music education?
Music education is necessary. Not only for those who wish to pursue music, but to ALL students. Music is a balm. It is a crime that public school systems do not offer the level of music education which used to be routine. We know there are many so-called good reasons for this, but our children and our society pays the price.
Have you considered teaching online via sites like www.intotheshed.com?
I really hadn’t, but seeing this intrigues me. I may check it out.
Are you performing in support of your latest release “Listen to This” and if so, how do you accomplish recreating the studio sound and orchestrations and layers of tracks in a live performance?
I’m very happy to say we’ve been able to present the music from the cd in a very satisfying-to-the-audience manner without all of the original ‘architecture’. Phillip plays two keyboards and we have extraordinarily talented and dedicated friends playing bass, (Leo Nobre); drums,(Quentin Dennard); and percussion,(Munyungo Jackson) who make the sounds full and lush.
You’ve experienced a lot in life and in music. Give us a life lesson thought.
My life lesson is whatever I choose to do, whenever I choose to do it, I’d better give it everything I have right then and there. I might not get another chance and I want no regrets.
No doubt you are a fine, upstanding lady, but tell us, what is your favorite cuss word and why?
I don’t have a favorite. Where appropriate, I like them all.
Any closing thoughts? This is your moment to share anything you’d like to be heard via thelevityball.com. Let it fly.
I LONG FOR PEACE IN THIS WORLD. WHAT IS WRONG WITH FOLKS? WE ARE RAMPAGING ALL OVER. WOULD WE ALL BE BORED TO DEATH IF THERE WERE PEACE AND EVERY PERSON HAD A ROOF OVER HIS/HER HEAD AND FOOD TO ENJOY? MARVIN GAYE SAID IT IN THE ‘70s….’WHAT’S GOING ON?’ Thank you so very much for inviting me. It’s been an honor.
http://www.thelevityball.com/beauty-talent-grace-smooth-jazz-cheryl-barnes-levity-ball-interview/
-Mark Rapp
Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
Mon, 17 February 2014
A lot of CDs cross my desk, and an unusually large number of female vocalists. While some stand out, most are fairly generic treatments of the Great American Songbook. Enjoyable, but not really worth repeated listening.
And then I heard Cheryl Barnes.
For several decades, Cheryl’s versatility has encompassed many musical genres. Singing in four different languages, Cheryl has performed around the world (including shows with Wynton Marsalis, J.J. Johnson, Quincy Jones and a guest member spot with the Clara Ward Gospel Singers), and has recorded with the likes of Azar Lawrence, Billy Mitchell and Cathy Segal-Garcia. Her sixteen years of Operatic training have brought her to the stage as a featured soloist with the Denver Symphony Orchestra, the Florida Orchestra and The Lawrence University Orchestra in Wisconsin, and she has toured extensively throughout South America, nurturing her love for Samba, Bossa Nova, Salsa and the riches of Latin and Afro-Cuban Music.
After all that singing, it might come as a surprise that Listen to This is her recording debut. Backed by a strong band featuring Brandon Fields on sax, John Hammond on piano, and Rickey Minor on bass, she has chosen songs that could serve as a series of musical souvenirs from the many places her career has taken her. . From original jazz tunes like “Afternoon in Harlem”; to reinterpretations of pop tunes by Joni Mitchell (“Come in From the Cold”); to gospel-influenced and classical material (“When I Am Laid in Earth”) there is no shortage of great material. Add in orchestration by John Beasley and this is a wonderful listen
Podcast 411 is my conversation with Cheryl about the making of the CD, her choice of songs, and how she sings such a wide variety of styles. Musical selections include her cpver of Joni Mitchell's "Come in from the Cold"; "Afternoon in Harlem" and "Listen to This".
