Interview With Diana Perez JR247: Diana, can you speak to the messages you're trying to convey to your listeners in your music, especially on Sunday Sketches. There is some deep and penetrating dialogue in your music. DP: Sunday is the day where most people unwind; take a break from the work week and other social events. I wanted the session to reflect that mood throughout. The summer that I active in producing this session was a difficult one for me, I was going through a divorce. In the tune Something Cool I wanted to reflect an eerie part of the single scene. I wanted it to be a bit dark and uncomfortable. A story about watching your spirit when you are going through something difficult. Something cool came out in the 50’s and the lyrics still carry their weight as great classics do. With Do I dare and Pretty World I wanted to convey the fun part of seeking a new relationship. With Black Orpheus and Useless landscape, both about desire, so strong an emotion. JR247:Diana, you selected some very interesting personnel for Sunday Sketches. This album reveals a lot of musical ideals. For example, Ron Horton at times takes the music to 3rd stream category, very expressive. How did you meet some of the people and bring them together for this project? And what was the goal for the final outcome musically? DP: I am fortunate to work with these amazing musicians. I had seen Ron Horton play in Ben Allison’s group as well as with Frank Kimbrough. Bill Gerhardt, who I have collaborated with for years going back to my days in Amsterdam, had introduced me to Ron. Ron is on my first session Seventh Ave South. When you have a group of musicians, composers like Bill, Ron, Jed, Tony, Masa the session takes a life of its owne.Something Cool was done in one take. As for my goal musically, first I wanted this session to reflect a unity with in the musicians and myself a vocelest, second a reflection of different emotions that might go through you’re head on a Sunday when you are still. JR247: Can you speak to the emphasis of storytelling in music. This is a jazz ideal in my mind. Sometimes your prose when you sing is like the spoken voice. Do you feel lyrics often get lost in sung performance? DP: I don’t feel that lyrics get lost in a sung performance. I think it is a direction a vocalist must choose. I admire greats like Abby Lincoln and Nina Simone, Shirly Horn, Carmen Mc Ray Chet Baker. They, in my opinion, they are more of a vocal tone oriented artist. I dig that. Artist like Ella and Sara that have much more vibrato are also amazing storytellers. I think it is a matter of what your personal vision, passions are. I just saw Mark Murphy live this Saturday ,a amazing artist, truely a storyteller. As for me, I want to sound like a horn. JR247:How lyrical writing do you like to do? What inspires you to do it? DP: I was on the subway and the melody to Do I dare came to me. I went to my appointment later on, over the next few days I worked on the Lyric. I did have a huge crush on someone at that moment so it flowed out of me. Bill, has in the past played a composition, where after hearing it I asked’ can I write some lyrics to that. Eva’s Tune on my first session is Bill composition, my lyrics about my foster mother, who took great care of me as a child, who to this day has given me strength. Life inspires me to write a lyric. I hope to collorbrate with other pianist /composers and write more lyrics. JR247: You said, "Music is a place where there should be few boundaries", can you elaborate on this? DP: I find it really fascinating. that you can go to any room, a jam session and interact, play and create moment’s .Where else can a group of people, who hardly know each other, produce unity. When I was in Amsterdam I hosted a weekly session at the Bimhuis. It was fun to see musicians from Japan, Finland and Germany get up, call a tune and key and play it, like they had been in a group together for years.  JR247: Diana, please tell us more about your experience in Amsterdam. You spoke earlier to how this stop was life changing with your music. Who were some of the people and places that influenced you musically?
DP: I was fortunate to become a member of the Bimhuis. The Bimhuis is the Jazz improvisional venue in Holland. I was able to see Jaki Byard, Benny Golsen, Cedar Walton, Ray Brown.I was fortunate to host a weekly session there for a spell. I also had an attic where I housed a lot of jazz musicians who were in between houses. Curtis Clark a piano player was one of them. Randy Greer, Jan Ponsford. All in turn gave me musical guidance. Bill Gerhardt I met there in Amsterdam a talented composer , piano player. To this day he influences me.Anita Wardell a vocal talent and lyricist that i met in Amsterdam, we are close friends to this day. I also use to go to the Alto Café on Monday nights to hear the trio, listen to solos. Hein Van Der Graff on piano he had the gig every Monday and it was like going to school. I would listen to this trio every Monday. He had done it for year’s it was tight, fresh. So much to learn and I will continue my education until I am gone. The older jazz artist have it all to give. So I listen. JR247: Are there some Jazz musicians that inspire you in today’s scene? DP: Cedar Walton, Christian Mc Bride, Dave Douglas, Jason Lindner, Ron Horton, Helen Sung, Adam Birnbaum, Bill Gerhardt, Giacomo Gates, Anita Wardell, These artists are so active with in the composers’ scene, and have amazing musical textures. Jason has a big band and Ron is part of composers collective. Bill has stared a collective in North Carolina. In the case of Anita, and Giacomo they are active within the scene of taking the hip compositions and solos from the past and setting lyrics to them. Modern and I am truly inspired by this. On both of my sessions I have written lyrics. I feel that modern day vocal artist have something to say too. The sprit of creativity comes out of experiences that we have, and it’s good to share that with others. JR247: Who are the artists that influenced you? DP: Bill Evans, Charles Mingus, Chet Baker, Nina Simone,Mr. Parker. Just to name a few. JR247: Can you tell us some of the many things you do to support yourself, and come up with the funds to finance your sessions. DP: I almost called my first session Swollen ankles … When I came back to NYC after being in Europe for 10 years I had enough money to buy a keyboard and do a couch tour …I stated doing catering events …great you get to eat gourmet food and wines, and made some connections that now hire me to sing at the events. These days I work days in the Fashion world by day ….jazz it up at night. I am blessed with energy.Recently I read an article about working jazz musicians and was impressed that Shelia Jordon had a day job for many years until she retired. JR247: What do you do to relax? DP: My favorite thing to do is listen to jazz, and cook. Cooking relaxes me. I often have jazz cook in’s with some jazz friends, then the session begins after the food. I also collect jazz films Ballad in Blue, Pete Kelley’s Blues, Sweet smell of success …have some jazz cats come by and watch a jazz film. Anita Odays live in Tokyo 63 is amazing too. JR247: As an independent artist, what is it like producing your own recording projects? DP: Everything. I really love the process .I first think about what I want to project in the session, and then the Song selection comes next that is fun. I am a theme kind of person Sunday Sketches is a mood session. My next session ‘IT’S HAPPENIN’’will also be theme oriented .Happy modern Cuban Bee bop feel to it .Romance is back and i want this session to make you feel that.Then the selecting of the musicians that will help and convey that mood. Terribly exciting. JR247:What are your thoughts on the music business today?. DP: Its had become harder and harder to create art. To create forms of _expression, but it’s not impossible. I have always said for every problem there is a solution. The Internet has opened a great world for independent artist .Look at artist like Maria Schnider and Brian Lynch...both are successful within the artist share program. I am also thankful to some of the main stream artist ,like Michael Buble, that have brought jazz standards to a younger generation.Jazz is a select taste, we must keep it alive. It is Americas gift to the world. JR247: Photography was your first love, jazz you’re lasting, what made you decide to go from a visual artist to a verbal one? DP: I have always been involved in music. It was said at the age of 4 I was able to hear a song and repeat it. It was a gradual change, but after I moved to Europe …it took over me. I was surrounded by some amazing jazz musicians in Amsterdam.Curtis clark,Clarence Bection and Bill Gerhardt. I had mastered the art of printing, I still have a keen eye, but I felt the need to be a part of music world, it is truly magical. You can see an image and it can grab you, but if you can move people with a musical moment, that’s for me the greatest feeling. Coming from a visual background, having a keen photographic eye has helped me in discovering my voice and vision as a jazz artist. I feel that music is one of the few places where there are few boundaries... I see that the word is very turbulent, prejudice, fear all around, which is why we need keep on creating music to bring people together. Music is one medium to unite all ,reach all, heal all .Music is the main thing that all races, all people have in common, everyone wants to take a moment and enjoy the rhythm and beat, and that is why I want to be part of this amazing scene. For more information about the music of Diana Perez, please visit: DianaPerezMusic, myspace.com/dianaperez | 
