Multi-talented singer/songwriter Laury Shelley discusses her upcoming concert “My Life With Legrand” which is a tribute to her friend and mentor, composer Michel Legrand.

 MJR (Michael J. Roberts): Congratulations on the success of your show “My Time With Legrand”, how did your association with Michel Legrand begin?

LS (Laury Shelley): It started with an album called “Jack Jones Sings Michel Legrand”.  One day my brother in-law played this album and as they say, ‘I was gone’!  I was very young and pretty much ahead of my time musically.  I was listening to music most kids my age weren’t even interested in.  I was mesmerized, hypnotized and thoroughly taken in by the magic of some the most beautiful music I had ever heard !

Of course I would then go on to learn and sing his songs whenever and wherever I was singing, not realizing at the time that it was the unusual rangy melody’s that I was drawn to, which explains why I had such a passion for the avaunt guard and unexpected music of Legrand.

So with each year I learned more of his music and was growing as a singer, always singing his songs.  I started to hang and jam with several musicians, one I became very friendly with, a pianist named Randy Waldman. One particular evening I was leaving my apartment. As the heavy door was closing the phone started to ring and I ran back to answer the phone. It was Randy asking me if I wanted to go to Mr Kelly’s, a famous and well known club in Chicago that artists from Barbra Streisand to Sarah Vaughan performed at, and see Michel Legrand perform.

Well of course I changed my plans and said yes and met him there. So we go in and there was Michel about to go up and perform. I remember the minute I heard him play and sing. Everything else around me disappeared and I was completely enthralled with every note and every word he sang. It was so magical and beyond anything I had ever experienced musically.

When the first set was over I kind of went up to him as he was walking by and said hello, introduced myself and told him I was a singer and loved singing his songs. He asked if I had anything he could hear of me singing, so I mentioned Randy and I were talking about recording something soon. (BTW, Randy is a very well known pianist arranger who has worked with the many artists in the business including arranging and accompanying Barbra Streisand on albums and her concerts).

Funny how I don’t think I got an address, phone number or gave him one, which leads me to going back the next night to hear Michel again with a group of jazz musicians I knew.  Did I mention Michels band?  On piano, Michel Legrand; Bass- Steve Gilmore;Drums- Bill Goodwin;Trumpet- Marvin Stamm; Alto Sax- Phil Woods and a String Quartet from the Chicago Symphony. The best and it was glorious!  So I get to the club for the second night to hear Michel, walk in and most of  his band, were all sitting at a table.  He saw me and motioned, “Did I bring the Cassette recording on me for him”? Of course I said no, walked over to the table and asked Michel “Why don’t you play and I’ll sing for you”?  Well there was complete silence.  Everyone looked at me like who the hell is this kid! Michel then looked up at me and said “o.k.”, come to the club tomorrow and he’ll play and I’ll sing. I couldn’t believe it, I was going to sing the next day for Michel Legrand !

Michel Legrand

Before I knew it, the next day I was having lunch with Marvin Stamm, one of the most renowned Trumpet players in the music business, who would then walked me over to Mr Kelly’s for me to sing for Michel Legrand. We get there and Michel is working on the piano and having it tuned up. So Michel played for me as I sang the first song, Bye Bye Blackbird, sang it once through then scatted.  The next song I sang was his Pieces Of Dreams. I couldn’t believe I was singing that song that he wrote to him.  Michel seemed very pleased and that was enough for him to hear. I really wanted to singYou Must Believe In Spring one of my favorites, so when I mentioned that song he said “yes” to sing it, probably because it’s a very difficult song to perform.

After I sang, Nat and Michel were talking about being interested in me singing with Michel. Within a couple of weeks I was sent Michel’s demo album so I could start learning his songs. Soon I would started touring with Legrand.  I was singing and performing with one of the greatest composers in the world !

 MJR: How did you go about choosing songs from the Legrand songbook for your show?

LS: As you know, I’m working with Ralph Lampkin, who is producing, writing and directing this show with me. Choosing what Legrand’s songs to sing is a bit challenging since there are so many of his songs I love. I wanted to really personalize the show so every song is picked for a specific reason and meaning and there are stories that connect personally with the songs too from my 5 1/2 years of touring as vocal soloist with him. Of course there are some favorite and well known songs that are a must to do. Then, while working on choosing other songs, Ralph introduced me to some very obscure and not so well known Legrand songs that I couldn’t resist the minute I heard them and had to add the list.

 MJR: What song means the most to you personally and why?

LS: There are a few or maybe even three. But the one that grabbed at my soul the first time I heard it, then sang it to the maestro himself the day after I met him and is very near and dear to my heart, is “Pieces Of Dreams”, which has become a signature song for me and for years I had the honor of singing a duet arrangement of the song with Michel while we toured and performed concerts. The live recording of the duet, which is on the album Michel Legrand and Friends was just re-released for CD on RCA this last Oct 2012. ”Pieces Of Dreams” to this day, still holds it’s own as one of the most important Legrand songs in my life.

 MJR: Growing up, who were your biggest musical influences?

 LS: There are more than a few, in fact a variety I love and enjoy singing many different genre’s of music. I listened to lots of jazz, though I listened to many Sarah Vaughan was one of my biggest influences as a singer.  I was very drawn to her, still am. I always listened to many musicians in jazz, think the reason is because I think like a musician not just a singer so my mind set is all the elements that make up singing a song, melody, lyrics and how you approach the music is all important. When I was a child I listened to Gospel a lot and of course a lot of R&B and Rock and Roll..Aretha, James Brown, Beatles and country, classical,  etc.  But I’m saving the most important musical influence for last, I must say is Barbra Streisand. The connection was there right away, I think mainly because what I wasn’t given as child I could express through music and listening to Barbra, although I didn’t know it at the time because I was young, inspired me to do something I could feel free and good about, SING, and so I did !

MJR: What do you want the audience to take away from your show and what do you want them to know about Mr. Legrand?

LS: I want the audience to experience an evening hearing some of the most beautiful, passionate music ever written, hear the heart warming and fun stories I share of the years touring and singing Legrand’s haunting and brilliant songs and to be moved.  What do I want the audience to know about Michel? That he is one of the most important composers in the world and how important his music is, forever!

MJR: What other projects are you working on?

LS: After this show I will be writing more of my own original music and recording it. Also, I am working with Ralph on many other projects that will be announced soon.

Lampkin Music Group is proud to present singer, Laury Shelley, in “My Time With LeGrand”. Saturday November 17th at 8:00 pm. Music Director/Accompianist/Arranger: ViJay Tellis Nayak. Drums: Bob Rummage. Bass: Jim Cox. Direct from New York, Laury takes you on a journey through the music and memories she shared with Michel LeGrand. Laury toured with LeGrand for about 6 years, appearing at Carnegie Hall, St. Regis Hotel and many others concert halls and nightclubs cross country and in Canada. Laury’s New York solo debut last month was attended by critics and singers, who made note of her stunning vocal instrument. We are thrilled to be home in Chicago and to share this newly written show with you. Songs include The Way He Makes Me Feel, I Was Born in Love With You, Sweet Gingerbread Man and The Hands of Time. Tickets are $20.00. Available atwww.stage773.com. www.Chicagojazz.com/LauryShelley.

For ticket information, call the Stage 773 box office at 773.327.5252
or click here to purchase tickets online

Podcast With Rachael Sage from Michael Roberts on Vimeo.

Indie singer/songwriter/producer Rachael Sage is honored to have caught the eye of one of music’s legendary artists, Judy Collins. Collins has hand-picked Sage to perform at New York’s renowned Café Carlyle, on September 22nd. The 10:45pm show by Sage will be a stand-alone concert following Collins’ residency performance, which will take place earlier that evening.

Rachael Sage at Café Carlyle
35 East 76th Street
Saturday, September 22nd  — 10:45pm — $30
For tickets and information on pricing: 212-744-1600


For Sage, a long-time New Yorker and a singer-songwriter of growing acclaim, her burgeoning relationship with an artist of Collins’ stature is a dream come true. In addition to the high-profile Carlyle invitation, Collins has recently presented Sage on a series of U.S. tour dates, and an itinerary of upcoming joint appearances follows below.

Judy Collins has shown a long-standing love for singer-songwriters.  She was one of the first to bring the works of Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Webb and others to the forefront of pop music, and she continues support legit up-and-coming artists such as Rachael Sage. Collins praised:

“Rachael Sage is a marvelous young artist – and I am a fan! “Haunted By You” has a beauty that shines through her lyrics and melodies– poignant, tender and tough. These are stories from the heart that will lift you up and carry you to places you had never dreamed.” Judy Collins


As for what to expect at her Café Carlyle debut, Sage is likely to embrace the room’s legacy of elegance, and place her focus on the power of her songwriting. She is known for an engaging theatricality all her own, and, while not a Broadway/Cabaret artist, Sage is no stranger to the impact of the genre and has great respect for the Carlyle’s history of notable performers.

Sage’s two Edinburgh Fringe Festival one-woman shows, her Joe’s Pub appearances (including the holiday-themed “Tchatchkes & Latkes”), her acting background (she studied at The Actors Studio and The New York Shakespeare Lab at The Public Theater), all combine to create a singer-songwriter with a compelling stage presence. She has been covered by THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE HUFFINGTON POST, TIME OUT NY, AMERICAN SONGWRITER, M MUSIC & MUSICIANS MAGAZINE, ALL MUSIC, iTUNES EDITORIAL, GAY CITY NEWS, and more. Visit her Press Page to read key coverage:http://rachaelsage.com/press-kit/press-clips


More about Rachael Sage:
A soulful vocalist and innovative keyboardist, singer/songwriter and producer Rachael Sage has become one of the busiest touring artists in independent music, performing 150+ dates a year throughout the US, UK, Europe and Asia.

She has earned a loyal following for her infectious melodies, poetic lyrics, and often-outrageous, colorful stage banter. Sage has shared stages with Sarah McLachlan, Colin Hay, Marshall Crenshaw, Marc Cohn, The Animals and Ani DiFranco.

MPress Records released “Haunted By You” in May 2012. With special guest appearances by Dar Williams, Mike Visceglia (Suzanne Vega), David Immergluck (Counting Crows), Doug Yowell (Duncan Sheik) and more, it was produced by Sage and mixed by Kevin Killen (U2, Elvis Costello).

Upcoming Rachael Sage tour dates include:
Date                  Venue                                                   City, ST                         Special
Sep 8th                Shalin Liu Performance Center                      Rockport, MA                  with Judy Collins
Sept 9th               Shalin Liu Performance Center                      Rockport, MA                  with Judy Collins
Sept 14th             The Stephen Talkhouse                              Amagansett, NY               with Jann Klose
Sept 22nd             The Carlyle                                              New York, NY at the invitation of Judy Collins
Sept 23rd             Live In Your Living Room NYC Festival            Brooklyn, NY
Oct 4th                The State Theatre                                      Ithaca, NY                       with Judy Collins
Oct 5th                Phleps Mansion Museum                             Binghamton, NY
Oct 6th                Fargo Theater                                           Fargo, ND                       with Judy Collins
Oct 7th                Babcock Theater                                       Billings, MT                     with Judy Collins
Oct 12th              Belle Mehus Auditorium                              Bismark, ND                    with Judy Collins
Oct 17th              Rockwood Music Hall                                 New York, NY            MPressFest CMJ 2012
Oct 19th              Tupelo Music Hall                                     Londonderry, NH              with Al Stewart
Oct 21st              Infinity Music Hall                                                 Norfolk, CT                     with Al Stewart
Oct 24th              Club Passim                                             Cambridge, MA                with Al Stewart
Oct 27th              Island Arts Centre                                     Lisburn, N-IRL                  with Judy Collins
Oct 28th              The Lyric Theatre                                      Belfast, N-IRL                   with Judy Collins
Oct 29th              Down Arts Centre                                     Downpatrick, N-IRL           with Judy Collins
Oct 31st              City Winery                                              New York, NY                  with Al Stewart
Nov 3                The Birchmere                                          Alexandria, VA                 with Al Stewart
Nov 7th               The Castle Hotel                                       Manchester, UK
Nov 8th               The Elgin                                                London, UK
Nov 9th               The High Barn                                          Great Bardfield, UK
Nov 10th              The Railway Venue                                     Bolton, UK                   with Never Forever
Nov 12th              Kitchen Garden Café                                  Birmingham, UK
Nov 20th              CC Muziekcafe                                         Amsterdam, NL
Nov 25th              Club Barinton                                          Cologne, DE
Dec 2                 Mocha Maya’s                                          Shelburne Falls, MA
Dec 3                 Town Hall Theater                                     Middlebury, VT                 with Judy Collins
Dec 4                 Radio Bean                                              Burlington, VT
Dec 5                 The Flying Monkey                                    Plymouth, NH                  with Judy Collins
Dec 10               The Wood Theatre                                     Glen Falls, NY                  with Judy Collins
Dec 15               The Museum at Bethel Woods                      Bethel, NY                       with Judy Collins

Stockton Elementary School

“You should treat others the way you want to be treated.”

Diamond, Jacques, and Elizabeth were the backbone of an entire eigth grade class that was dedicated to building tolerance and fighting injustice. The three were actively involved in creating an anti-bullying and LGBTQ awareness assembly at Stockton last winter. As they move on to different high schools, they will bring with them the leadereship and activism they have learned while at Stockton.

The Chicago office of international educational nonprofit Facing History and Ourselves announced today the 12 individuals and groups honored in Upstanders: Portraits of Courage—a featured local component of the organization’s acclaimed multimedia exhibition Choosing to Participateduring its Chicago engagement at the Harold Washington Public Library’s Winter Garden, 400 South State Street, August 27-November 11, 2012. Upstanders: Portraits of Courage features photographs and narratives of the unsung heroes behind 12 initiatives making positive changes in communities across Chicago. Among the remarkable individuals are professionals, volunteers and students such as Nikki Jarvis, a Deerfield High School graduate and active member of the NAACP chapter at Loyola University whose work confronts issues of race and privilege; and former eighth grade classmates Jacques Agbobly, Diamond Lenoir and Elizabeth Adebiyi, who created an anti-bullying and LGBTQ awareness assembly at Chicago’s Stockton Elementary School. 


"Choosing to Participate is a catalyst for conversation about civic participation in our community, our nation, and across the globe,” said Bonnie Oberman, the Chicago director of Facing History. “The dedicated individuals honored in Upstanders: Portraits of Courage are living proof that through the choices we make each day, each of us can make a positive impact on others and help to build more inclusive communities.”


The Chicago-area honorees featured in Upstanders: Portraits of Courage are:

• Nikki Jarvis (Loyola University, Chicago): Confronting race and privilege is not easy—though for Nikki, it was made easier through guidance by her Facing History teachers at Deerfield High School. Now Nikki has moved the conversation from classrooms and community meetings in her hometown to the Loyola University campus, where she is an active member of the NAACP chapter, and to the Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago, where she volunteers to teach English.
  
  
  
• Jacques Agbobly, Diamond Lenoir and Elizabeth Adebiyi (Stockton Elementary School, Chicago): Jacques, Diamond and Elizabeth were the backbone of an entire eighth grade class that was dedicated to building tolerance and fighting injustice. The three were actively involved in creating an anti-bullying and LGBTQ awareness assembly at Stockton last winter. As they move on to different high schools, they will bring with them the leadership and activism they learned while at Stockton
  
  
  
• Chiye Tomihiro (Chicago): Though born in the USA, Chiye and her family were placed in the Mindoka Relocation Center in Idaho in 1942, along with thousands of other Japanese Americans. When she shares her experience with young people, she addresses the humiliation of the experience, stressing that the internment camps violated Constitutional rights, and emphasizing the importance of speaking up in the face of injustice.
  
  
  
• Sara and Mazher Ahmed, daughter and mother (Chicago and Batavia, IL): For the Ahmeds, the commitment to building and teaching tolerance and compassion is an intergenerational value and part of a family inclination to help others. Mazher started interfaith work in the family living room, founded a mosque, and helped inspire Sara to become a teacher. At Burley School in Chicago, where Sara has taught for eight years, the language of Upstanders and Bystanders “permeates the school,” and Upstander Awards are granted to exemplary students.
  
  
  
• Zoey Bond (Glencoe): After learning about the Holocaust in her eighth grade Facing History class at Glencoe’s Central School, Zoey wanted to do more: “I felt like if I didn’t do anything about the issue, I would be a bystander too.” After interviewing survivors, she decided theater was the right medium to communicate their stories. The resulting play, Raining Season, has been performed for more than 4,000 people at schools, synagogues and churches, bringing together young people and survivors. 
  
  
  
• Henry Henderson (Natural Resources Defense Council - Midwest, Chicago): Henry came to environmental law through St. Augustine and St. Ambrose. Inspired by the transformational thinking and social concerns of those religious thinkers, Henry says, “Practicing law gives me the ability to participate in the public language of my time.” Environmental law ripples from backyards to entire geographical regions—it can empower entire communities. 
  
  
  
• Howard Rossman and Adar Cohen (Civic Leadership Foundation, Glencoe): An after-school mobile music production studio. A school greenhouse. A program to increase physical education in the community. All run by students, with support to succeed from the non-profit Civic Leadership Foundation (CLF). Helping to provide programs in schools and after-school that connect education, economics and social engagement, CLF director Adar and founder Howard emphasize how such projects help students “attain and retain personal investment,” empowering them as effective actors in their own lives. 
  
  
  
• Student Ensemble and Artistic Staff (Albany Park Theater Project, Chicago): Albany Park Theater Project’s youth ensemble gives voice to the thousands of members of the Albany Park community who have something to say but may not speak the language. “We’re committed to amplifying the voices of people who often don’t control how they’re represented in mainstream media,” says founder David Feiner.
  
  
  
• Tiffany Childress (North Lawndale College Prep High School, Chicago): The non-violent conflict resolution practiced by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired Tiffany to find the potential for peace in her school. Peace Warriors was born, incorporating lessons and readings about peace into student leadership meetings and in-school suspension time. Now, Peace Warrior students are an active presence at North Lawndale, mediating conflicts, actively combating harassment and training students and teachers in other neighborhoods.
  
  
  
• Zio Perez (Nettelhorst School, Chicago): Zio knows she was meant to be a teacher. “What I love doing is helping them fall in love with school,” she says of her pre-K students. Building partnerships with families, she extends her classroom into the community. Innovative co-founder of SwaziKids, a non-profit that provides books and educational materials to children in Swaziland and other African countries, Zio has built a connection in her students’ minds and lives to their peers abroad.
  
  
  
• Scheherezade and Salamishah Tillet (A Long Walk Home, Chicago): A multi-faceted program for victims of sexual assault, “A Long Walk Home,” is a phrase from a poem written by organization president Salamishah as part of her own healing after surviving sexual assault. Her sister, executive director Scheherezade, notes, “Salamishah started this walk alone. Then it was me and her, and now others, through the schools and communities we work with.”
  
  
  
• Tony Wasilewski (Schiller Park): Tony paid little attention to America’s immigration debate until May 2007, when his wife Janina was deported back to Poland, uprooting a marriage, a family and a thriving small business. Their story captured the attention of filmmaker Ruth Leitman, who created the documentary film Tony and Janina’s American Wedding to share their story with others. Now reunited with his wife and their son Brian, Tony is an activist for immigration rights.

Choosing to Participate examines the impact and history of bigotry and injustice, and inspires conversation about the choices we can make every day to foster civic engagement, tolerance, and mutual understanding in our communities. Central to the exhibit are five installations telling stories in the first-person about people and communities that have experienced racism and injustice, and how courage, initiative, and compassion are necessary to protect democracy. In addition to Upstanders: Portraits of Courage, another featured local component of Choosing to Participate is pARTicipation: Young Artists Speak Up, a display of original artwork from Chicagoland students in grades 7-12 that illustrates the importance of choices we make in our daily lives and the value of choosing to participate.


The Honorary Chair for Choosing to Participate in Chicago is Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Co-chairs for the initiative are Greg Case, President and CEO of Aon, and Jim Reynolds, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Loop Capital, and Al Grace, Co-Founder and President of Loop Capital. The national Honorary Advisory Committee for the exhibit includes filmmaker Steven Spielberg, Congressman John Lewis, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and other internationally recognized leaders who have made significant contributions to building and strengthening civic life. For a full list of the Honorary Advisory Committee, please visitchoosingtoparticipate.org. The Walmart Foundation is the national sponsor of Choosing to Participate’s current multicity tour. Aon is the lead local sponsor of Choosing to Participate in Chicago.


Since the Chicago office of Facing History opened in 1990, more than 3,000 local educators have participated in Facing History's professional development programs. These teachers annually reach more than 300,000 middle and high school students in more than 725 public, religious and independent schools in the Chicago metropolitan area. Training provided by Facing History enables students to deepen their knowledge of history, their understanding of the origins of hatred and violence and their ability to relate history to their own lives. A strong alliance with Chicago Public Schools and growing partnerships with suburban, religious and charter schools enable a critical and significant impact to be made.


Visit choosingtoparticipate.org to learn about local sponsors, view a full event calendar and preview resources that include a resource book available in English and Spanish. To schedule a tour, contact Andie Thomalla at andie_thomalla@facing.org or 312-345-3234. 


FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES is an international educational and professional development organization whose mission is to engage students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice and antisemitism in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry. By studying the historical development of the Holocaust and other examples of genocide and mass violence, students make the essential connection between history and the moral choices they confront in their own lives. Facing History has provided in-depth seminars for more than 29,000 educators, and its active teacher network reaches nearly two million students annually. For more information, visit facinghistory.org and watch a video at facinghistory.org/video/face-it.


THE WALMART FOUNDATION Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and The Walmart Foundation are proud to support the charitable causes that are important to customers and associates in their own neighborhoods. Through its philanthropic programs and partnerships, The Walmart Foundation supports initiatives focused on enhancing opportunities in education, job skills training, sustainability and health. In 2007, Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and The Walmart Foundation gave $296 million to communities across the United States. To learn more, visit walmartfoundation.org.

Podcast With Wade Schaaf from Michael Roberts on Vimeo.

Chicago Repertory Ballet will produce it’s premiere performance at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts on September 21 and 22nd. Both performances will be at7:30pm. The premiere performance will feature three world premiere pieces of choreography by founder and artistic director Wade Schaaf, including “La Vie en Rose” a luscious and playful duet for two dancers and a long train of fabric. Also on the bill, Autumn Eckman (Artistic Director of Giordano Dance Chicago’s second company) contributes a warmly whimsical world premiere trio. Jacqueline Stuart will contribute her A.W.A.R.D. show winning duet “It’s not enough to close your eyes” to the program, along with Schaaf’s Shostakovich Piano Concerto, and “Tres Hip: A love story”.

Chicago Repertory Ballet will host a sneak peek performance Friday, August 24th at6:30pmat the Reva and David Logan for the Arts, at theUniversityofChicago. The performance will include sneak peeks at choreography in the works, video footage, a lecture demonstration, and question and answer with the dancers. Following the performance there will be a reception including live music, food and and drinks, and a silent auction featuring original Chicago Repertory Ballet costume renderings. This event is open to the public.

Chicago Repertory Ballet includes a roster of phenomenal collaborating artists. Artists include John Cartwright, Charlie Cutler, Autumn Eckman, Jennifer Goodman, Elizabeth MacKenzie, Kathleen McCann, Joshua Manculich, Kalin Morrow, Phillip Ollenburg, Dori Santarsiere-Vasquez, Danielle Scanlon, Jacqueline Stewart, and Matthew Wenckowski. The artists are all local to theChicagoarea, and have extensive experience performing nationally and internationally. Information about the company, events, dancers, and performances are available at:

www.chicagorepertoryballet.com

www.facebook.com/chicagorepertoryballet

Twitter: chirepballet