EDEN ATWOOD DISCUSSES HER NEW RELEASE ON GROOVENOTE RECORDS
WAVES: THE BOSSA NOVA SESSION IS LABEL DEBUT
Interview by Paula Edelstein
Cover photo by Terry Cyr
The lovely Eden Atwood invites and holds her listeners captive on the 11 songs that structure WAVES – THE BOSSA NOVA SESSION. This highly entertaining record spotlights the quiet beauty of the Brazilian art form while subtlety easing Eden’s Atwood charming voice under your skin. Accompanying Eden are several highly respected West Coast musicians including guitarist Anthony Wilson, who is also a jazz educator and leader of several small big bands; arranger/pianist/composer Bill Cunliffe; Joe LaBarbera on drums, Pete Christlieb on tenor sax and flute, among others. Among the many great highlights the CD has to offer are the new lyrics written by Eden to Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Waves” (Caminos Cruzados) and Eden’s sensitive rendition of “A Quiet Thing” the culmination to this artistic session and creative process.
Many singers have inspired Eden but one particular person got into her soul and helped her to find her voice. “I owe a debt of gratitude to the great Jimmy Scott, she states. “Listening to him for the first time gave me inspiration, hope and a path to follow. Hearing him now feels like home.” Home is now Montana and Eden is happy with a new musical family at GrooveNote Records. Feeling fine, positive, and looking just as great, Eden is happy. Happy singing and realizing the fun of it all and looking forward to her second project for the label, which should be released in Winter 2003. We chatted with Eden toward the end of Summer 2002 and here’s what she had to say!
SOTJ: Congratulations Eden on such a beautiful record. It’s just as lovely as you are. WAVES – THE BOSSA NOVA SESSION is filled with the ambience of Brazil – fun, sunny and the quiet beauty that we all appreciate. In other words the glow of success is written all over it! Let’s talk about how the concept for the CD came about.
EDEN: Thank you for the kind words. The concept was GrooveNote Records owner Ying Tan’s idea. He and Joe Harley, my producer, listened to many CDs and tapes of singers and they heard me on Jeremy Montiero’s CD that Ying had heard about in Singapore, where he lives. It was a bossa record that I had appeared on. Ying wanted to do an all bossa record and they decided they wanted me. Ying found an email address for me and that is how it all started.
SOTJ: That’s always a good e-mail to get and had to be fun! Many of our readers aren’t aware of the difference between a bossa and a samba. Please tell your online buddies about some of the Brazilian bossa nova influences you’ve studied or listened to.
EDEN: Well, to be frank, I just listened to Astrud a bit and then Frank’s Jobim collaboration and Ella’s Jobim collaboration. This was not my original concept even though I love the music. I approach this music from a jazz singer’s perspective rather than someone that has studied Bossa seriously. The two idioms fit together so nicely…the sense of playing behind the beat and swinging and interpreting…I was kind of winging it. And it was a ball.
SOTJ: Many music journalists are saying that this is possibly your finest recording to date and I agree. What are your thoughts on this collection of songs at this point in your career? In other words has it inspired you to enjoy the creative process and the fun of singing even more?
EDEN: Again, thank you. I agree that this is my best so far, thank God! I went through a period where I lost my sense of fun about singing. I got caught up in some insecurity and colleague bashing and narrowness that didn’t help me enjoy music. Moving to Montana and singing for people that just wanted to hear some music and were forgiving and kind of starved for music allowed me to get back to what music had started for me as…a way to connect people and to connect with people. I stopped taking myself quite so seriously and the music became more fun.
SOTJ: “Once Upon A Summertime” is gorgeous. What are some of the secrets of your singing, i.e. mastery of the low voice, achieving the power of an open throat, phrasing and diction?
EDEN: Well, you kind of said it there. The open throat is key and the focusing of the sound in the facial mask to help direct the sound. I try to get the most resonant tone possible while giving equal time to all the words so that nothing is taken for granted and every word is understandable. Also, really shifting all tensions to the abdominal area for diaphragmatic singing. The low singing came about as a response to singing a hotel gig in Singapore where I was singing in a smoky joint six nights a week…four sets a night (a scene I would do for over a year in Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Shanghai). I lowered everything and liked it. It sounded more natural and less “singer-y”. I encourage all my students to develop the low range.
SOTJ: Wow! That second hand smoke must have been a bear but it didn’t seem to affect your voice because on “Girl From Ipanema” your languid phrasing and sensuous vibe is just as lovely as you are. Did you realize that Astrud Gilberto’s rendition of this song was a last minute addition to Stan Getz’s classic 1964 album of the same name and was responsible for launching her stardom?
EDEN: This I did not know, but I can assure you it will now be in the stage patter in between songs. Sometimes I say the dumbest stuff in between songs…I appreciate having something to say!
SOTJ: Just a tad of Brazilian bossa nova trivia there! (Smiles) Eden, you’ve included some really great musicians on WAVES – THE BOSSA NOVA SESSION including Anthony Wilson, who is one of our favorite guitarists and jazz educators; Bill Cunliffe, Joe LaBarbera, Pete Christlieb…some very cool West Coast musicians. From the sound of the CD, it sounds like you all had a lot of fun. What was it like working with them and can you share a few highlights of the sessions?
EDEN: The scene in the studio was wonderful. I cannot say enough good things about Bill Cunliffe and Joe Harley. The vibe was light and mellow and all the fellas contributed to that feeling. The music was tight and great. We added and changed many things on the spot and so the feel of a flexible, interpretive, improvised scene was present and that is key.
SOTJ: Will you be in concert in support of WAVES – THE BOSSA NOVA SESSION? If so, where can your fans find the concert or touring schedule?
EDEN: I am getting www.edenatwood.com together now. I will hopefully be touring.
SOTJ: Eden thank you so much for this interview. I enjoyed chatting with you and here’s to much success with WAVES-THE BOSSA NOVA SESSION.
EDEN: Thanks Paula for the interest and the space and the kind words. I have a ballad record to be recorded in the Winter and I am very excited about it.
SOTJ: That’s great …keep us posted and we’ll let our readers know about it!