Daria Interview

Listening to DARIA as she wraps her silky, sensuous voice around her latest tunes is like taking a drive on a summer day, cruising with the top down as the warm breeze blows through your hair, jazz flowing from radio. It's a journey that celebrates the vast richness and musical diversity of Latin and world cultures. With perfect intonation, fresh interpretation and pure musicality as her trademarks, DARIA carves a new path on her latest CD, "Feel the Rhythm" Her compelling vocals move easily between jazz, fusion, pop and world styles, seamlessly blending the sounds into a colorful, pulsating whole.

I think this CD presents a new kind of sound in jazz, " says DARIA. my voice is definitely stronger and I felt like taking chances and venturing into some new territory. My range has
also increased so the way I approached phrasing and rhythm is different." The result is jazz standards and pop tunes spun into something unique. Flowing through a range of Latin rhythms, each arrangement highlights the innovative talents of DARIA and her producers. “On Stevie Wonder’s ‘Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing,’ producer and arranger Wayne Wallace gave it a Take Five influence with a cha-cha beat. I also captured a bit of Carmen McCrae and Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, coming up with an interesting mix on that tune. It just turned out that way and I’m very happy with it.”

DARIA’s three-octave range and distinctive, powerful voice are the culmination of years of study with acknowledged masters of jazz, classical and popular music. Continuing to incorporate her love of Latin styles of music and world rhythms with jazz, her latest offering showcases her impeccable voice. Her passion for the music she’s chosen shines through as she fills each tune with life and energy. She builds on her solid jazz foundation and deftly breaks new ground, satisfying listeners of all persuasions.

DARIA also brings her songwriting talent to this CD, recording three original songs that she co-wrote with other musicians. In addition, she experiments with African, Rhumba, Samba, Fusion and Pop sounds. “Each song on this CD has its own special rhythm and tempo. I wanted to do something unusual with a blend of all of these diverse influences.” This fresh approach to standards creates a much more varied and interesting recording. Each song paints a different picture, leading the listener through a palette of subtle moods and images. “With some tunes I was attracted to the melodies and others the lyrics. I wanted to have a wide range of colors to play with.”

As on her previous CD, DARIA has enlisted the talents of some of the world’s most accomplished musicians. “Producers and arrangers Frank Martin (producer, arranger, pianist, composer) and Wayne Wallace (producer, arranger, trombonist, composer and triple Grammy nominee) are amazing and their contribution helped to fulfill my vision for this CD.” Her new offering also features Alex Acuna, Jose Neto, William Kennedy, Marc Russo and members of the Turtle Island String Quartet, to name a few.

In 1998 DARIA released her CD "Just The Beginning" to high critical acclaim and national airplay. This CD featured an extraordinary lineup of musicians. Many of them had previously recorded and toured with such luminaries as Flora Purim, Carlos Santana, Sarah Vaughan and Zakir Hussain. A glowing review was featured in Jazz Improv Magazine, Vol. I, #2 (distributed worldwide). A compilation disc that accompanied the review included jazz giants Clifford Brown, Joe Henderson, and Randy Brecker and featured “You Stepped Out of A Dream,” a track from DARIA’s CD. "Just The Beginning" reached number 5 on the charts of WNOP radio in Cincinnati and DARIA enjoys the notable distinction of being chosen several times as favorite artist of the week on various Internet radio programs worldwide. As Jazz Now Magazine quotes, "It doesn't require a crystal ball to predict that you'll be hearing much more from DARIA."

Born and raised in San Francisco, California, DARIA grew up in a family of artists. Her father, a former classical violinist in the symphony, and her novelist mother, supported her creative endeavors. DARIA’s own musical journey began at the age of 6 when she started studying classical piano. As a child, her father taught her how to read symphonic scores, giving her a foundation on which to build her skills in reading music. She sang in choirs and madrigal groups while attending grade school through high school. “I knew that I wanted to be a singer when I was a little girl,” DARIA shares. “At home I was constantly surrounded by musicians and artists and I grew up listening to all kinds of music. I fell in love with jazz when I was a teen and my parents definitely encouraged me to follow my path. When I first heard jazz I was instantly hooked. I was also drawn to popular styles of music as well as music from other cultures.”

DARIA’s interests followed many directions: she was a member of two Bay Area Eastern European dance troupes, she earned a degree in Foreign Languages and a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from New College of California, with an emphasis on early childhood music education. Many wonderful voice teachers, including two notable vocalists Bobby McFerrin and Mark Murphy, instructed her. She also studied Brazilian music with the talented and innovative Celia Malheiros, creator of Carnival in San Francisco. Some of DARIA'S influences include Sarah Vaughan, Shirley Horne, Diane Reeves, Anita O'Day, Annie Ross, Mark Murphy, Elis Regina, Dory Caymi, Djavan, Stevie Wonder, Sting and Holly Cole.

DARIA has performed internationally and locally at venues and festivals including Yoshi's, Mr. E's (Pete Escovedo’s nightclub), Noe Valley Ministry, Freight and Salvage, Pearl’s, Empire Plush Room, Sweetwater, 142 Throckmorton Theatre, The Vic For Jazz (L.A.), concerts sponsored by Jazz In Flight and the San Francisco Jazz Festival,† Union Street Fair, San Anselmo Fair, numerous wineries, clubs in Nagoya, Brussels and Berlin. She has appeared on KGO, KPOO, KCSM, KKUP and KPFA radio and has been a featured artist on radio programs such as Sunday Night Suites and I'm Talking Jazz (KCSM). DARIA has recorded backup vocals on various projects and voice-overs for radio commercials. She is a member of Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks and the female a cappella trio, Dangerous Divas. The internationally known Bread and Roses charitable organization recently presented her with a fifteen-year award of appreciation for her outstanding performance contribution. DARIA teaches at her studios in Marin County, California, offering classes, workshops and private instruction in technique, style and performance.

DARIA’s passion for music flows through her blood and fills her heart and soul. “Singing’s a natural high for me. It takes me to another realm.” When everything is clicking musically she feels energized and happy. “Those are the feelings I want my audience to experience too. I want them to be moved through my music, to feel transported.” That’s what DARIA’s voice will do to you: warmly invite you in, take you on a new journey and inspire you to embrace your passion. Be it via a sassy Latin jazz tune or a moving and poetic “Luiza,” once you’ve arrived in DARIA’s world you will want to linger. Bring your passport and get ready for the ride.

----------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Rick Holland/JR247: Thank-you Daria for taking some time to spend with us at JR247. Daria, I first want to say I was really impressed with your latest disc, “Feel the Rhythm.” It has many varied colors, textures, and grooves. When was this album conceived in your mind? And how long did it take to come together?

Daria:   The ideas had been percolating for a long time. It took about 3 years from start to finish.  2003-2005. I actually had the concept brewing in my mind for a couple of years before that.  There were a lot of musicians involved and 2 different producers so it took some time to put all of this together.

JR247: Daria, I see recordings like this as an natural evolution for jazz music, it’s as if Jazz an underlining creative force combining with world cultures. Do you have any feelings in this regard?

Daria:  Yes, definitely.  Jazz is so vast and encompasses so many different styles of music. From Blues to Swing to Latin, Brazilian, African, East Indian, etc.  and then of course there are so many sub-categories under those umbrellas.  For this latest project I took a more Latin/World  approach.  We wove a wide range of influences together to give it a unique spin and using different rhythms and textures to create a palette of sounds, while keeping jazz the underlying theme.  

JR247: I’m taken with the beauty of Brazilian music, beautiful melodies, and it has a joy to it that is so special. Can you talk about some of the styles you selected on this recording, and the effect of the borrowed and blending of the music?

Daria: Each tune on the CD has an entirely different rhythm and feel to it.  We borrowed from pop, blues, afro-brazilian, rhumba, tango, etc. and blended it with jazz and latin styles.

For example, we took Antonio Carlos Jobims’ tune, “Luiza” and instead of doing a traditional rendering with piano, bass and drums or guitar and vocals, we used the Turtle Island String Quartet, percussion, drums and piano and created a lush, almost classical piece, very slow moving and dreamlike.  Then we took a popular standard, “All or Nothing at All” and Frank Martin did an arrangement in 15/16 combined with a Brazilian Partido Alto rhythm which resulted in a hard driving, funky beat.

Each tune on the CD has a different flavor, yet it blends into a coherent whole.  I wanted the listener to be transported to a different place on each tune.  Sort of like a travelogue!

JR247: I noticed you are also a talented lyricist. What’s the process for you, in bringing an effective lyric to a given melody?

Daria: Well, it depends.  Sometimes the lyrics come first and then the melody. If I hear a great melody and it moves me then the lyrics start to flow.  When I wrote  “Dreams of a Tango”, the lyrics came first and then pianist Jonathan Alford set the music to it.  On “Feel the Rhythm”, Frank came up with the melody and rhythm, 7/4 Samba and I set the lyrics to it.  I got the inspiration for the lyrics through my love of Brazilian music and the Samba and the music just felt so joyous and high energy so I wanted that to come across to the listener.  Sometimes I see a picture in my mind and similar to a painter I try and paint a picture with words and tell a story and the music creates the mood.

As jazz musicians we need to expand and stretch in order to grow. I’d like to see more Latin and World music programs in schools. It exposes students to music from other cultures, different rhythms and polyrhythms and  provides a wider palette of colors to choose from.

JR247: I noticed arranger’s Frank Martin and Wayne Wallace really showcased you so nicely on this disc. They showed remarkable understanding from a conceptual standpoint. Can you share what is was like to work them on this project?

Daria:  It was an honor and a real treat to work with both of them.  Wayne Wallace added the Afro-Cuban/Latin side of things and Frank Martin added the Afro-Brazilian, funky hard-driving rhythms.  They’re both so different yet the whole CD really flowed together beautifully.  Wayne is more laid back whereas Frank is more high energy and I think that it blended so well and made the project so fun and interesting. They both understood what I was trying to achieve conceptually and brought their talents to the table.

JR247: Your instrument is so clear, in tune, and most of all expressive! That is what I always listen for --an authentic way of expressiveness. It helps me to hear the story communicated in the lyric. Can you elaborate how this has matured and blossomed in your style and communication as a singer?

Daria:  The experience of recording and performing for many years, plus my teaching has helped me to mature as an artist.  I think all these things work together and make one a better musician. My comfort level has increased greatly and this in turn has enabled me to explore new territory, to  find new ways of approaching phrasing and convey subtleties of emotion.  I hope I never stop growing as an artist.  I always want to learn more and gain new insights.  It’s a never-ending path of discovery.

JR247: I noticed your use of lyrical improvisation, it really grooves and catches my attention. It’s authentic and true. How do you approach improvisational practices?

Daria:  One of the things I love the most is improvising.  It’s an important component of jazz singing and there are so many directions you can go in.  Scat singing is one way and the other is to improvise using lyrics.  Under the Moon and Over the Sky had a lot of lyrical improvisation at the end. The song builds and has the African chant going in the background while I floated on top of that with words and rhythms that I improvised to add some drama and intensity. I think when you improvise with the words it makes the song more colorful and it’s also more accessible to the listener. You can convey a wide range of emotions with the lyrics by playing with rhythms and melody.

I approach scat singing much like an instrumentalist would. I use my ear and incorporate different scales. I like the sound of whole tone scales and the different minor and blues scales the different modes as well.

JR247: How important is beauty in music to you?

Daria:  Very!  When I hear a beautiful melody I immediately feel transported and moved.  That’s why I love Brazilian music so much. It has so much beauty and intensity.  There’s a lot of imagery there. Very poetic and deep stuff.

JR247:  What other passions do you have in your life, other than music?

Daria:  Lot’s! Studying languages, Art, Wine, Cooking, Dancing, Film, My Cats, Family, Friends, Traveling, Spirituality, Health, Comedy, Love to laugh and make people laugh!

JR247: Do you have any goals in entrenching the ideals of your music in Higher Education? I feel there is so much influence by Latin American music’s on Western Music. Do you feel more of this music should be exposed to college grads?

Daria: Definitely.  I think it’s an important part of our culture.  As jazz musicians we need to expand and stretch in order to grow. I’d like to see more Latin and World music programs in schools. It exposes students to music from other cultures, different rhythms and polyrhythms and  provides a wider palette of colors to choose from. It just makes musicians more well rounded and versatile. Luckily we have some schools like The Jazz School in Berkeley, CA and Berkelee School of Music in Boston that offer classes in Brazilian, Afro-Cuban and World music.   

JR247: What’s on your horizon? Creative projects, tours etc?

Daria:  Right now I’m touring a good part of the year with Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks. I’m working on a duo project. I’m also working on setting up some tours of my own.  I’d love to do another CD at some point in the future. I have several different concepts in my mind. I’ll probably do a more pared down project with a trio. I definitely have a lot of ideas and directions that I would like to go in!

JR247: Thank-you for sharing your project with us. It has intrinsic beauty and a beautiful creative flow.   Thank you Rick!

For more information about Daria’s music, please visit:DariaJazz.com