Clairdee

For Clairdee, inspiration is about the breaking down of barriers and walls, starting with the barrier between musician and audience, and she does it with ease. She speaks to her listeners, making gentle jokes, telling stories about the music, referring-with obvious sincerity-to her pleasure at being onstage and sharing her music, creating an atmosphere of participation, of inclusion, that makes any Clairdee performance a special event.

Of course, the foundation of Clairdee's power as a performer is her talent, her musical instincts, the feeling with which she imbues each number and, above all, that honey rich, sparkling voice. Clairdee makes each number her own, offering up imaginative interpretations of familiar jazz, R&B and even holiday numbers. For example, in Clairdee's capable hands, "Winter Wonderland," becomes a sizzling samba warm enough to break winter's icy grip. (This Christmas 2003)

"I want my listeners to be surprised," Clairdee says. On her forthcoming release, Live at Yoshi's, she has created a spirited homage to Count Basie, Joe Williams, Les McCann and Eddie Harris, combining tunes presented at a pair of historic jazz events, the 1957 Newport Festival (by Basie and Williams) and the 1969 Montreux Jazz Festival (by McCann and Harris), mixing and matching the styles of these musical greats to create an exciting new arrangement.

"I imagined what it might have been like to have this powerful foursome perform together on stage," she says. "So, I used Eddie Harris' incredibly funky 'Cold Duck Time' as a groove-based backdrop for the song 'All Right, Okay, You Win.' When you put those two together, you get a very sensual statement about surrender."

Clairdee's soulful roots are revealed in a funky arrangement of "Summertime," inspired by her love for the music of Donny Hathaway and Al Green, which also appears on Live at Yoshi's. Her mix of old-school sensibilities and relaxed earthiness bring a lively down-home energy to this timeless wonder of a song.

She's also just as capable of playing it "straight." Either way, every number has that special Clairdee touch, swinging or funky, alive with a sprightly clarity of articulation and narrative integrity that reveals a strong love of lyric, a powerful passion for finding the true essence of every song.

And this power has twice been translated wonderfully to CD. The 2000 release, Destination Moon, is a luminous collection of beloved standards, including Benny Carter's "When Lights Are Low" and the Gershwins' "They Can't Take That Away From Me." Down Beat, Billboard and Jazz Times contributor, Dan Ouellette, wrote of the CD, "Clairdee delivers an exquisite reminder that classic tunes with their timeless beauty last forever." Clairdee's 2003 release, This Christmas, is described by Glenn Whipp of the LA Daily News as "one of the best new Christmas albums in years."

When asked the elementary, and elemental, question, "Why are you a musician? Why do you sing?" Clairdee answers simply, "I can't not do it. For me, it's not just about singing or performing. It's also about making people feel good. I have no choice. It's who I am." With every performance Clairdee gives, more and more music lovers are glad she knows who she is and is willing to share.