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Article Reprint from the October 2000
BluesNotes
- Article by LynnAnne Hyde
For those of you who are new to Portland, or just new to the Blues scene, a long overdue introduction to Lily Wilde is in order. For the rest of us, right now is a great time to catch up with Lily.
I had been talking with Lily for a few months about writing a cover story on her and her wonderful aggregation, THE JUMPIN' JUBILEE ORCHESTRA. After many hours of conversation, I realized that Lily does not want to re-hash old info about her career (even though much of it is extremely impressive!) and would like to focus on her current ensemble, and let folks know about Lily Wilde, "the person".
Suffice it to say, Lily Wilde is a multi-award winning vocalist, has been featured on dozens of regional recordings and has also performed with several international stars in the music industry. Sitting in
Lily's and (husband / partner) Tom Royer's lovely home, I was treated to a very candid and intimate interview.
How does one go about interviewing the "Grand Dame" of Jump / Swing? We started at the beginning .......
(BN BluesNotes): Lily, how long have you been performing in the Northwest, and where did you start?
(LW Lily Wilde): The truth is, I had a boyfriend who was drumming in the house band at Sun Valley's premier Blues club back in 1982. 1 went there for a week's visit from Santa Monica (CA), and by the end of that week I was a part of the band! I stayed there for a few years, and moved on to Seattle in '85.
It was during my stay in Seattle that I really began to focus more on Blues. I worked with some of the best musicians in the Seattle area, and performed at all the clubs, festivals and events in a variety of ensembles. But, I had already been singing for many years at that point, and was really thinking about where I wanted to go with my music. I moved to Portland in 1992.
(BN): I know that you've fronted many Blues bands here. What gave you the idea to form a big band?
(LW): I was already thinking about a different direction for my music back in Seattle. I was doing a gig in Pioneer Square, and Mark Hummel (a worldwide touring Blues harmonica player) was playing next door. During the breaks we would run next door to catch each other's band. On our last break, Hummel's drummer, Willie Panker, invited us for an after-hours party. It was there that Willie gave me a cassette tape of Buddy and Ella Johnson. I performed a couple of their songs in various groups. A few years later, my husband and I rediscovered that tape and stayed up all night dancing in our basement. The inspiration for the Jumpin' Jubilee Orchestra (JJO) was born that night.
(BN): When you talk about inspiration, who else are you. referring to?
(LW): The three Ellas! Ella Fitzgerald, Ella Mae Morse, and Ella Johnson. Of course, I could always amuse myself by imitating someone on a record, but at some point early on, I started focusing on my own voice. The Ellas are each unique vocalists, and not only have they provided me with wonderful material, but also inspired me to develop my own distinctive style in this musical genre.
(BN): How do you respond to some of the many things written about you that describe you as a Diva?
(LW): (Lily is laughing as she hands me a review from The Scanner that begins with the phrase "Resident Blues diva Lily Wilde makes it seem she was actually present in the era when Jump music resounded from jukeboxes all over Portland ......... Dick Bogle).
First of all, I prefer not to be called a "Diva". I like "Empress" myself. (Laughs) Seriously, the meanings of words change with the times. The word Diva originally referred to opera singers who were the best in the world. Everybody's a Diva to the media these days. They are even calling fashion models Divas! The word is in danger of losing all meaning. If, by "Diva", you mean someone who is the absolute best in her class, who, over the course of her career, has always been the highest standard that all others strive for, then, in my opinion, Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin embody all it takes to be a true Diva.
(BN): That's interesting that you feel so strongly about that. Can you give us some background for your feelings?
(LW): I was 17 years old when I sang in my first band where I was the "chick singer" who shook a tambourine (which in turn would shake your titties!). I have been paying "Dues" for three decades as a professional vocalist and entertainer. You know, the public often doesn't see all that goes into making a great performance. They don't recognize the long hours of work, the years of minimal pay and the hardships all that brings on. They see the finished product after a lifetime of development and refining, and sometimes take it for granted.
I am very happy to make a living doing what I love. I would not have been able to continue if I didn't believe in Myself, and love music. Portland is blessed with a large number of very talented musicians for a town it's size, which can result in apathy on the part of musical consumers. When we feel the love coming from an audience, that makes it all worthwhile. It pleases me to see more women out there doing their thing. The stigma of being a woman musician (or "chick singer", if you will) is not as prevalent today as it used to be. Still, I hope people will show more care in their terminology, and only refer to someone as a "Diva" if she actually is one!
(BN): Along those lines, how can folks better show their appreciation for your art?
(LW): I would like to see more music lovers at our shows! We have a great band, and put on a great performance! We have many wonderful dancers that come out to each show, and we have a unique play list that is fresh and compelling. You don't HAVE to take dance lessons and be an accomplished swing dancer to enjoy what we do. I want folks to know that it's ok to come out and enjoy our music whether they dance or not.
The genre of "Swing" is not as narrow as some might think. Our repertoire encompasses Blues, Jazz, R&B, Jump-Swing and popular music from the late '20s through the mid-'50s. We strive to present this music as authentically as possible, to offer the same sort of instrumentation, arrangements, and vibe found in the originals. Besides, watching the dancers is a thrill in itself!
(BN): You mention your play list as unique. How do you go about choosing your material?
(LW): Tom and I have a kind of criteria songs must meet. They must be clever, have musicality and merit in the respect that they are good examples of a specific form, and on my end, they must have a great melody line. I love strong and beautiful melodies.
(BN): Speaking of Tom, what is his role in the band, and how do you guys put it all together?
(LW): Tom is our bandleader, and arranges all of our music. I think he can tell you more about that than I can.
(TR Tom Royer): I start by trying to transcribe the music as accurately as possible from the original recordings. I've learned a lot since I started doing this, but so far, I've only scratched the surface of the vast knowledge of the arrangers I'm trying to emulate. I write out all of the charts for the orchestra (at this point, Tom smiles and adds) except drum charts, because I can't "read" (ba-dump-bump). Not only is arranging a brand new endeavor for me, but this is a new kind of music for me to play as well. I had never played in a big band before the JJO.
When we started this project, I had to have a staff with the notes written on the staff lines and masking tape with the ranges of the different horns taped above the keyboard. I really love doing this and I guess it proves you're never too old to try to learn a new skill.
As the drummer, I am in a position to direct the band at the moment we are performing a piece, and as the arranger, I have a deeper understanding of how to better direct the band from my role as drummer.
(BN): This leads me to ask you, how did "Insect Ball" evolve from a collection of live performance songs into a recording that literally has shaped the sound of Swing in the Northwest?
(TR): Well, that's mighty kind of you, but the sound of Swing was shaped long before I was born. We've just tried to do our best at recreating something that we're too young to have witnessed. We intentionally tried to replicate the production sounds on our CD that we heard on the original recordings. ("Wilde and her orchestra recreate not only the sound, but the scratchy, rich feel of America's Analog Golden Age ... .", Zach Dundas, Willamette Week). We also tried to be faithful to the arrangements and the FEEL of the songs we covered. I'm not interested in "updating" this music.
(LW): Tom was into the "sound" of the old recordings, and I agreed that we should try to get that "feel" from the analog recordings. We really did not want to over-process our sound, and we are dedicated to the authenticity of the music. Our friend Craig Brock, who engineered and helped produce the project, understood that we wanted to attempt to replicate the exact sound of the era, and I think he did a good job of it.
(BN): Apparently the rest of the world does too, based on the great reviews you guys are getting for "Insect Ball"! With the sort of critical acclaim you are receiving, are any big gigs in the works for you?
(LW): (Lily's entire face lights up as she laughs out loud.) Well, with a band of this size, EVERY gig is a big one! We've been playing at The Viscount Ballroom and The Crystal Ballroom on a regular basis, and I will be performing with the Oregon Symphony as part of their Jazz concert series next February. (Lily will be sharing bill with internationally famous Jazz singer, Shirley Nanette at the Arlene Schnitzer Hall on February 24th, 25th & 26th. Norman Leyden conducting.)
Look for us at the Museum After Hours concert series during the winter. We play a lot of private events and we have a smaller version of the JJ0 called "Lily and her Swingin' Boyfriends" that plays everything from weddings to venues too small for the big band. You can check our web site for information about upcoming shows or to contact us about a booking.
(BN): Is there anything you would like to share with us concerning future plans?
(LW): Currently, we're seeking representation in order to expand our reach. The CD is being played on radio stations all over the country and the next step is to take our show on the road. We're also very interested in going abroad. And, to just keep on swingin'!
After reading, and re-reading the interview notes from several conversations with Lily, I think it's my DUTY to express my own observations of Lily Wilde. Lily is a charming, intelligent woman with a great sense of humor. S he is well read, articulate, and absolutely GORGEOUS! Lily is an avid animal lover, enjoys literature and art, and has very diverse musical interests.
Lily and Tom have their own production company (Lil Tom Tom Inc.), as well as a web site (www.lilywilde.com) and CDs out in most mainstream music stores, and music stores that specialize in Blues and Jazz. You can order CDs directly from Lily and Tom from their web site, but you can a so purchase their wonderful CD, "Insect Ball", at their gigs.
Lily and Tom have performed at almost every event and festival of note in the region, and their CD has been touted as one of the best examples of Jump and Swing produced in the Northwest.
Lily Wilde and Tom Royer express deep love for their music, and thank their many fans and supporters. Before I took my leave, both Lily and Tom expressed heartfelt gratitude to the many fine musicians that have been performing with them, and that helped to record "Insect Ball". Lily and Tom are both quick to point out that they feel blessed for the opportunity to perform with stellar musicians, and endeavor to compensate them well for their contributions to the shows.
When asked about the name Jumpin' Jubilee of their orchestra, Tom explains that they took the name from a Louis Jordan song entitled, "Jumpin'At The Jubilee". I looked up the definition for jubilee in the dictionary, and it says: From Hebrew, meaning trumpet, celebration, JOYOUS SOUND. Then I looked up the word diva, which is derived from the Latin term for Goddess, and literally means "of God". I think that sums it up nicely.
© 2000 Cascade Blues Association