Mar. 31, 2010: Jazz singer Lizz Wright

WHEN SINGER LIZZ WRIGHTS CD
ARRIVED IN OUR OFFICES ALONG
WITH NEWS OF HER UPCOMING
CONCERT AT THE BILL WITH YOUR
THEATER, OUR STAFF SAID BOOK
HER.
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS SONG AND
YOU'LL SEE WHY.
ß MY HEART IS TURNING, I WANT
TO SHOUT, YOU'RE COMPLICATED I
DON'T WANT TO COMPLAIN, THE
WAY YOU'RE WRITING, CAN YOU
EXPLAIN.
CAN ALL I WANT IS TO BE NEAR
YOU, BABY.
ß

>> AND SINGER AND SONGWRITER
LIZZ WRIGHT IS HERE.
WELCOME, IT SUCH A PLEASURE TO
HAVE YOU HERE.

>> THANK YOU, JARED, GLAD TO
BE HERE.

>> THE "NEW YORK TIMES" HAS
EVEN REMARKED ON WHAT THEY
CALL YOUR ASTONISHING POISE
AND MATURITY, SORRY FOR
BOBBLING THAT A LITTLE.
ARE YOU AN OLD SOUL?

>> I'VE HEARD THAT A LOT.
I'VE HEARD THAT A LOT.
MAYBE SO.
ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS AND
WRITING PARTNER SAID I'M 800
SOMETHING YEARS OLD.
I DON'T KNOW.
THERE ARE PARTS OF ME THAT
OBVIOUSLY ARE, YOU KNOW, JUST
20 AND TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT
TOO.

>> YOU'VE BEEN COMPARED TO
NINA SAME MONE AND YOU WERE
TELLING ME THAT YOU JUST
PERFORMED BEFORE HER DAUGHTER.
WHATS AN EXPERIENCE LIKE THAT?
DO YOU GET NERVOUS WHEN YOU'RE
WITH THESE LEGENDARY PEOPLE?

>> YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOMETHING
ABOUT THE VOICE AND SPIRIT OF
NINA SIMONE ITSELF AND THE WAY
IT TOUCHES ME.
SHE SOUNDS LIKE A LOT LIKE THE
WOMEN WHO SANG IN MY FATHER'S
CHURCH SO, I FEEL COMFORTED
AND I FEEL CLOSE TO THE SOUND.
AND I JUST FEEL VERY BLESSED
TO PAY MY RESPECTS TO IT.
I DO IT AS MYSELF, BUT IT IS A
REALLY BIG HONOR.
AND HER DAUGHTER IS A
BEAUTIFUL PERSON, AND IT'S
BEEN GREAT TO FIND SUCH A GOOD
FRIENDSHIP WITH HER AND THE
OTHER SINGERS.
IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE.

>> WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT
YOURSELF AND PEOPLE COMPARE
YOU THAT WAY, DO YOU SEE
YOURSELF IN THAT REALM?
MAYBE IT'S GETTING BACK TO THE
FIRST QUESTION I ASKED YOU,
BUT DO YOU FEEL THAT'S MORE
YOUR TIME, YOUR ERA AND
SENSIBILITY?

>> I THINK MY LIFE REPRESENTS
LIKE A CROSS SECTION THAT'S
REALLY TOUCHES BACK IN THE
PAST.
BUT IT BELONGS TO ME.
IN OTHER WORDS, I STILL WENT
TO A COUNTRY CHURCH, BECAUSE
MY FATHER WAS A PASTOR IN THIS
LITTLE CHURCH IN SOUTHWEST
GEORGIA, AND I STILL HEARD
REALLY OLD GOES TELL, --
GOSPEL.
I'D GO TO A CHURCH ON THE
COAST WITH MY AUNT WHERE
PEOPLE WOULD STOMP ON THE HARD
FLOOR AND JUST SING IN HARMONY
WITH EACH OTHER AND THERE WERE
NO INSTRUMENTS.
SO SOME OF THESE SONGS REALLY
BELONGED TO MY LIFE.
AND NOW THAT I REALIZE THEIR
PLACE IN HISTORY, I REALIZE
THAT IN MY 30 YEARS I'VE
PICKED UP PIECES THAT HAD BEEN
AROUND A LONG TIME.

>> AT THE SAME TIME YOU HAVE
THIS GOSPEL BEGINNING, BUT
YOU'RE COVERING LED ZEPPELIN
AND NEIL YOUNG.
SO HOW DOES THOSE ROOTS, THE
GOSPEL ROOTS, HOW DO THEY LAND
YOU AT NEIL YOUNG AND LED
ZEPPELIN?

>> I LOVE SONGS.
AND IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON
HOW A SONG IS INTRODUCED TO
ME.
THE LED ZEPPELIN SONG, THANK
YOU, MY FRIEND JUST SANG IT TO
ME SITTING ON A COUCH WITH A
GUITAR.
AND I HEARD THE WORDS AND I
SAID THAT'S SO POWERFUL AND
BEAUTIFUL.
AND IN A WAY, BECAUSE I DIDN'T
KNOW THE WEIGHT OF WHAT I WAS
DOING, I WAS ABLE TO DO IT AND
JUST BRING A LOT OF LOVE AND
APPRECIATION FOR THE CRAFT,
THE CRAFTSMANSHIP FOR THE
WORDS.
AND THEN I WAS LIKE OH MY GOD,
LED ZEPPELIN.
BUT I HAD ALREADY RECORDED IT
SO THAT KIND OF WORKED OUT IN
MY FAVOR.

>> IT WAS INTERESTING TO READ
ABOUT YOUR LAST CD AND HOW YOU
HAD A VERY LITERAL
INSPIRATION.
YOU WENT BACK TOUR HOLE TOWN
IN GEORGIA, YOU TOOK
PHOTOGRAPHS AND YOU WORKED
FROM THAT.
HOW DOES THAT INSPIRE YOU, HOW
DOES THAT HELP YOUR PROCESS?

>> THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT
MUSIC, JARED.
IT CREATES THIS REALLY CLEAR
LANGUAGE, OR IN FACT MAKES IT
SO THAT WE DON'T NEED WORDS SO
MUCH.
AND WE START TO UNDERSTAND
OURSELVES AND EACH OTHER, OR
MAYBE WE DON'T NEED TO.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
BUT ALL I KNOW IS THAT I
NEEDED TO GO HOME, AND I
NEEDED TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT
MY PEOPLE.
BUT THE STRANGEEST THING IS WE
LIVE IN SUCH A WAY WHERE WE'RE
SO BUSY, MY GRANDMOTHER AND
GRANDFATHER ARE WORKINGS, MY
GREAT UNCLE, I DON'T GET TO
SEE HIM AS OFTEN AS I WANT.
BUT SOMETHING ABOUT SINGING
AND HEARINGING WHAT COMES OUT
OF BODY, WHAT COMES FROM YOUR
BONES, IT BRINGS ALL THIS
STUFF TOGETHER AND PUTS NEW
CONVERSATION WITH EVERYONE,
WITH YOUR FAMILY, YOUR
ANCESTORS, WITH PEOPLE YOU
DON'T KNOW.
AND IT'S JUST SUCH A WILD
SCIENCE TO ME.
I DON'T EVEN REALLY UNDERSTAND
IT.
ALL I KNOW IS THAT I NEEDED TO
GO HOME AND LET HOME MAKE AN
IMPRESSION, AND THEN SING.
DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHY.

>> YOUR NEW CD IS FORTHCOMING.
DID YOU MAKE THE CREATIVE
PROCESS FOR THAT AS
DISTINCTIVE?

>> YOU KNOW, I TRY TO SING THE
SONGS OR THE MESSAGES THAT ARE
NEEDED.
I'M LISTENING ALL THE TIME TO
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING AND TO
HOW THEY FEEL.
I THINK, I WAS TALKING TO MY
UNCLE YESTERDAY BECAUSE I
THINK I WILL TAKE A MORE
SACRED APPROACH TO MUSIC THIS
TIME, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE
THAT'S WHAT'S NEEDED.
PEOPLE NEED ENCOURAGEMENT.
THEY NEED TO BE RECONCILED
WITH THINGS THAT ARE BEAUTIFUL,
NOT JUST THAT SAY YOU SHOULD
DO THIS OR YOU SHOULD DO THAT.
AND I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE
HEALING.
SO BRINGING WHAT'S NEEDED AND
SAYING WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO
SAY IN THE MOMENT, FOR ME THAT
DETERMINES WHAT A RECORD IS
GOING TO BE.

>> HOW IS IT FOR YOU TO SHIFT
FROM THE SONGS THAT YOU HAVE
WRITTEN THAT REALLY HAVE COME
FROM WHO YOU ARE, THE CORE OF
YOU, TO COVERING SONGS?
IT MUST BE A VASTLY DIFFERENT
EXPERIENCE.

>> YOU KNOW, AS A SONGWRITER I
HAVE TO BUILD MY STUDY INTO MY
WORK, YOU KNOW.
I REALLY ENVY SONGWRITERS WHO
HAVE TIME TO GO TO ALL THESE
FANTASTIC WORKSHOPS AND REALLY
HONE IN THEIR CRAFT.
FOR SOME PEOPLE THAT'S ALL
THEY DO.
BUT BECAUSE I'M A PERFORMER I
FEEL LIKE IT MY RESPONSIBILITY
TO SURROUND MYSELF WITH REALLY
GREAT WRITING, SO THAT I GET
EXPOSED TO JUST REALLY GOOD
CRAFT MAN SHIP.
AND THAT WAY I CAN EXPECT IT
TO COME UP OUT OF ME SOME
TIMES, BUT THERE'S LESS
PRESSURE AND I'M JUST BEING
EXPOSED TO WHAT CAN BE DONE
WITH WORDS, YOU KNOW.

>> WHEN YOU'RE UP THERE ON THE
STAGE, IS THERE A FEELING THAT
YOU'RE TRYING TO CREATOR IS
THERE A RESPONSE THAT YOU'RE
HOPING THE AUDIENCE WILL HAVE?

>> TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, THE
FIRST MOMENT OF BEING ON STAGE
IS ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT LIKE
AWKWARD, LIKE WHAT IS SUPPOSED
TO HAPPEN HERE.
BUT I KNOW THAT I'M THERE FOR
A REASON.
AND I KNOW THAT I'VE COME INTO
THAT ROOM WITH MY OWN NEEDS,
AND I KNOW THAT SOMETHING
HAPPENS EVERY TIME THAT TAKES
CARE OF ME AND EVERYBODY IN
THE ROOM.
AND IT JUST KEEPS HAPPENING.
AND I DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHY.
I KNOW HOW TO LEARN SONGS AND
I MOW HOW TO REHEFRS AND SHOW
UP ON TIME, AND THE REST IS
THIS OTHER THING.

>> LIZZ WRIGHT IT'S SUCH A
PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU HERE.
AND I MEAN IT, WHEN YOUR CD
CAME INTO THE OFFICE,
EVERYBODY WAS SO MOVED BY IT.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR
PERFORMANCE NEXT WEEK AT THE
WILBUR.
LIZZ WRIGHT PERFORMS NEXT
THURSDAY APRIL 8.
TOMORROW NIGHT EMILY IS BACK.
HOUSE SPEAKER DeLEO WILL BE
HERE EXPLAINING HIS
LEGISLATION TO ALLOW CASINOS
IN MASSACHUSETTS.
THAT AND MORE TOMORROW AT
7:00.
I'M JARED BOWEN.
GOOD NIGHT.