[img]583|left|Eric L. Wattree||no_popup[/img]Since this is political column, I rarely use it to discuss anything else. But when I come across excellence, I feel obligated to bring it to your attention. In this era where glaring mediocrity has become the standard we expect. Unfettered excellence is a political statement in itself, and Ms. Rita Edmond speaks volumes in that regard.
Several weeks ago I was in Leimert Park when a friend and fellow sax player came up to me. “Man,” he said, “you’ve just got to hear this singer. She’s going to blow you away.” We went to his car, and he played the CD. He chose the tune, “You’d be So Nice to Come Home to,” from her CD, “Sketches of a Dream.” He was right about her impact on me. She literally blew me away.
I’m cynical when it comes to music. While I should have known better, considering the taste of the gentleman who brought Ms. Edmond to my attention, I was expecting just another of the hordes of singers with a pleasant voice.
Before this lady got through the first chorus of the tune, it was clear she wasn’t just another good singer. This lady is special. The experience of hearing her for the first time can only be compared to the first time I heard, and really understood, Ella, Sarah Vaughan or Dinah Washington. The only difference was, this time I understood the importance of what I was hearing. It was an experience I never will forget. This is not hyperbole. I am dead serious.
Before Rita could get to the first bridge of the tune, I told my friend I’ve got to have this CD. He started telling me where I could pick up a copy. He didn't understand what I was saying. “No, you don’t understand. I want this copy.” Fortunately, being good natured, he caved and sold it to me.
A musician, he understood instinctively I didn’t want to share the experience of my first encounter with him or anyone. Immediately after purchasing the CD, I went to the park, positioned myself under a shade tree and listened to it in its entirety. That is when my musical love affair began.
A Different Choice
It turned out the tune that first got my attention wasn’t even my favorite. I can’t tell you which is my favorite. There are no fillers on the entire CD. Any tune could have served as the title song.
The CD is flawless. For weeks I woke up listening to it. Night creature that I am, I’d take a sip of dinner out on my patio and listen to it from 3 a.m. until the dawn. Once I was sure my neighbors were awake, I would take out my horn and play along with it until I became exhausted. Musicians will immediately understand while I am sure the civilians among you will think this a bit excessive. I am not exaggerating one bit.
Now Ms. Edmond has come out with another CD, “A Glance at Destiny.” It is just that. I love this one more than the first. Hearing her sing “Sonny,” “You’ve Changed,” “Gentle Rain,” “Just Friends,” and “You Don't Know What Love Is” will be a delight for every committed jazz fan. The songs remain true in the depth, feeling and artistry of the originals in every way.
This CD is not just a walk down memory lane for us old fogies. Ms. Edmond is extremely contemporary. “A Glance at Destiny” will serve as an excellent primer for those who simply love beautiful music but don’t understand what jazz is about. If that is you, pick up this CD and broaden your horizons. Be schooled by one of your own. Ms. Edmond is of the hip-hop generation, so she understands and appreciates hip hop as well, but jazz just happens to be her thing.
One more word to the jazz purists. This is not one of those takeoff CDs where you have studio musicians doing their interpretation of what jazz is to sound like. This is the real deal. Rita is accompanied by Ricky Woodard on sax, Nolan Shaheed on trumpet, Z. Sean Johnson on flute, Greg Poree and Jacques Lasure on guitar, Llew Matthews and Joel Scott on piano, James Leary and Edwin Livingston on bass, and the illustrious Tootie Heath, of the world-renowned Heath brothers, on drums. You don’t get more legit.
Tootie Heath’s presence alone should say it all. He and his brothers, Jimmy and Percy, are as much a part of the jazz aristocracy as Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Ricky Woodard’s solo on “Gentle Rain” reminded me why I’m sitting here writing and not playing sax for a living.
Finally, I mentioned that Ms. Edmond’s excellence also represents a political statement. Nothing is more representative than her rendition of “Here’s to Life.” Rita Edmond is a relatively young woman, probably young enough to be my daughter. But the artistry, passion, and sensitivity she brings to that tune simply has to involve the hand of a higher power.
I’m not very big on metaphysics. While my common sense tells me Rita wasn’t even born during the struggles of the 1960s, my stubborn heart says, “Don't be a fool, Eric. Listen to that woman. She’s been here before. Case closed.”
I feel a little silly, but the more I listen to Rita sing, the closer I come to caving in to that argument. I say again, Ms. Edmond’s rendition of “Here's to Life” is THE most passionate and heart-wrenching performance I have ever heard. By anyone. Ever:
“No complaints, and no regrets. I still believe in chasing dreams and placing bets. Yet I’ve learned that all you give is what you get, so give it all you’ve got.
I’ve had my share; I’ve drunk my fill. And even though I’m satisfied, I’m hungry still. To see what’s down another road beyond the hill, and do it all again.
So here’s to life, and every joy it brings. So here's to life, to the dreamers and the dream.”
Has Ms. Edmond been here before? I don’t know. But she sings with a vision, polish, and a smooth matter-of-fact delivery far beyond her years. Give her a listen, then tell me if this is her first time around. You may be surprised at your own answer.
Mr. Wattree may be contacted at wattree.blogspot.com or Ewattree@Gmail.com
Religious bigotry: It’s not that I hate everyone who doesn’t look, think, and act like me – it’s just that God does
