Dee Alexander Feature Interview

Dee Alexander Feature Interview

Date Posted: November 11 2009

Written By: chicago jazz

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Chicago singer Dee Alexander is riding a wave. In just the past few months, armed with her new CD, Wild is the Wind, she has headlined at the Chicago Jazz Festival, been named Chicago’s Best Vocalist by Chicago magazine, had at least three separate tours in Europe, including stints in France, Italy and Switzerland, performed for the First Lady, headlined a Ramsey Lewis project at Ravinia, and worked several clubs and events around Chicago––all while maintaining a day gig at UIC.

An AACM member, Alexander’s talents span every music genre, from gospel to R&B, from blues to neo-soul. Yet her true heart and soul are experienced in their purest form through her performance of jazz. From a soft, sultry traditional ballad, to a contemporary jazz-funk groove; from a high-flying swing to a scat-filled romp; Dee Alexander delivers each style with a passion and love of music that comes across in each and every note.

Alexander sat down with Chicago Jazz Magazine to discuss what it’s like being an up-and-comer, and her approach to balancing her life with her passion for music.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: How long have you been singing?

Dee Alexander: Well, as long as I can remember. I first got interested in music as a young child growing up on the West Side here in Chicago, thanks to my mother. Actually, to this day she plays her albums––you know, vinyl—every Sunday. As children, my brothers and I were awakened to the classics: Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, King Pleasure, Eddie Jefferson, so on and so forth. Billie Holiday is who I really remember.

I remember asking my mother, “Why is that woman whining and singing about her man. She sounds like she’s in such pain.” [laughs] So those are some of my fondest memories of getting my feet wet in terms of getting into music. I sang in grammar school and high school and throughout college. I was always involved in some type of music, glee clubs and talent shows, you know.

At first, I always worked in groups because I was kind of shy, which surprises some people. In fact, I was so shy I would always be a background singer. It was a good experience learning about harmony, pitch, blending and tone. That was the beginning.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: Were you ever involved with instrumental music?

Alexander: I took piano lessons at Lyon & Healy when I was a child, but unfortunately we didn’t have a piano. So that was a downside, but I’ve always had an interest in music, both vocally and instrumentally.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: Have you had formal voice training?

Alexander: Oh yes, I had great voice training with Shedelle Farriar. The last I heard of her, she’s in California––she’s the vocal coach to the stars now. I also trained with Phil Cohran and the AACM School of Music.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: What do you learn in vocal training?

Alexander: The correct way to use your voice––what to do and what not to do: to never scream and yell; breath control, the correct tongue placement and how to properly use your mouth; that your body and your voice are your instrument, and the proper way to take care of them; learning your exact range… those types of things.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: When did you decide you wanted to be a full-time professional musician?

Alexander: Let’s see, when was that? [laughs] Some time ago. I always loved the way music and especially singing made me feel. No matter what kind of a day I had––if it was a bad day or if I wasn’t feeling well––music has always uplifted me. So I thought, Hmmm, I’d like to feel like this as often as I can! And then finding out that what it does for me it also does for other people.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: Was there a particular time when you said, “I can make a go of this”?

Alexander: I remember very well. There was a club on 55th Street called the Silver Shadow––it was a little hole in the wall––it is no longer there. It was my first solo performance. My whole family was there and I was scared to death, but it was thrilling at the same time. I learned these tunes––they were cover songs, and believe it or not, it was R&B––I started off doing that style.

It was such a thrill to just get out there and do it. The response I got from the audience was overwhelming. I thought, Wow, maybe I’m heading in the right direction! But I’ve never felt very comfortable singing R&B as a lead vocalist––I loved background vocals. But I’ve always loved the freedom of jazz and the chances it allows you to take. Perhaps that’s why jazz chose me.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: Along the way you’ve done some commercial work, club work and even choir work. Is it necessary for singers today to work in a number of different styles and venues in the hopes that something good emerges from one of them?

Alexander: Well, I think as an artist it rounds you out to have as many different types of experiences musically as you can: to be able to work in a gospel group and to work with different voices; to do commercial work where you are in an enclosed environment, in a room with a microphone and a producer, and to be able to take direction.

I think those experiences are very, very important, especially because in order to be a good leader, you need to be a good follower. I think those things have really helped me along the way and still do to this day.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: You are one of the youngest people interviewed by Chicago Jazz Magazine, so you don’t have a long history to draw from, so you aren’t going to regale us with stories about the night you played with Miles.

But on the other hand, your career seems to be on a fast track, so we can learn first-hand from a jazz artist who is in the process of developing a career right here, right now. For starters, you seem to take a different approach to your jazz career. While most singers are out there working the clubs night after night, you seem much more selective about the gigs you take and where you play.

Alexander: I have a long enough history! [laughs] I have had my share of the club scene and what an experience it was and is! I had fun, I met a lot of great people and had an opportunity to work with some of Chicago’s greatest musicians. I worked with the Ken Chaney Experience for a number of years, and working with Ken taught me the value of being a great leader and being very fair as he always was. He was always someone that I could trust and he always looked out for me. It is a blessing that now I can be more selective about gigs, but I still like performing in club.

There’s nothing like being close to the people––after all they support you and purchase your music. I don’t work the clubs as much as I used to, but I would not trade that time in for anything. It was invaluable! I was recently at the Green Mill and was told that the line was wrapped around the corner. I think it’s a great thing, though, to get out there and get that experience and try things out, to work and perform in front of an audience. Don’t underestimate an audience, because they will let you know if you are doing something great and otherwise!

Chicago Jazz Magazine: Unlike many singers in town, you don’t have a steady at any particular club. Is that a product of a lack of venues in Chicago, or have you consciously decided to go a different route?

Alexander: [laughs] My preference is to perform at clubs sparingly to avoid overexposure! Occasionally I will get a call from Dave Jemilo of the Green Mill and he’ll ask me, “Hey, you want a gig?” and I say, “Yes.” The Green Mill has always been a great place for me––the people are right in front of you, so what they see is what they get, and I always aim to give my best! I’m also fortunate to work at the Velvet Lounge with my quartet, as well as my other group, The Evolution Ensemble.

The Velvet Lounge is home to me, thanks to Baba Fred Anderson, who always has words of encouragement and provides a platform for me and my fellow musicians to perform our compositions. There’s no place like home at the Velvet Lounge. Recently the Evolution Ensemble performed at Katerina’s. It was my second time performing there, and it is a warm and inviting environment, thanks to Katerina. I’m fortunate enough to have a following and I’m grateful to have a pretty broad audience that comes out and supports the music wherever I’m performing.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: Talk about your musical influences.

Alexander: Well of course I’ve listened to all the great vocalists: Sarah, Billie, Betty, Nina, Dinah, Ella so on and so forth. But my greatest influences have been musicians, especially horn players, such as Edward Wilkerson, Ernest Dawkins, Ari Brown, Douglas Ewart, Mwata Bowden… but my greatest influence of all was “Light” Henry Huff, a multi-instrumentalist who died in the early nineties.

He made an indelible impression on my life: musically and in other ways as well––spiritually. He was my mentor. He encouraged me to take not be afraid to take chances vocally, musically, rhythmically and otherwise. He formed a group called Breath. Why Breath? Well we were all air signs: Yosef Ben Israel, bass player, and I are Aquarians; Avreeyal Ra, drums, is Gemini; and “Light” was Libra. It was indeed an interesting group in that we performed Light’s original compositions and I did interpretive dance.

He advised me to think outside of the box: Don’t worry about what people think of you, and don’t be afraid to take chances. That has been my mantra and I follow that. It has worked well for me. I’ll try something: if it works, Oh, that’s good, if it doesn’t I say, Oh well...Next! Before Light made his transition, he asked me to “get his music out there.”

With the assistance of his family I took the necessary steps to get his music published and copywritten, and I knew that my career would not advance until I kept that promise and I am happy to say that I have been on an upswing since the release of my CD “Wild Is The Wind on BluJazz. One of Light’s compositions, “You an I,” states “Speak to God on my behalf” and I know that it has been done!

Chicago Jazz Magazine: On your new CD, Wild is the Wind, your voice takes on many different colors. Do we detect some Dinah Washington influence?

Alexander: Yes. Dinah’s voice has always been one that cuts right through to your soul, right to your very being. I was fortunate enough to have the experience of doing a tribute to Nina Simone and Dinah Washington in Millennium Park in ‘07. Miguel de la Cerna, my musical director, and I labored over the material.

Both Nina and Dinah did so many songs that I loved and we had to decide which songs to do in a seventy-five-minute presentation split between two artists. I wondered, How am I going to do this? Is this the right thing? Is this the right material?

Am I paying the proper homage to these icons? While preparing this project, it was Nina and Dinah’s spirits whispering in my ear letting me know that I was doing just fine. My mother would tell me stories about Dinah and how feisty she was. One story in particular: My mom went to see Dinah at the Club DeLisa, and she talked about how Dinah was performing and the audience talked throughout her performance.

Dinah asked the audience to keep their voices down or she threatened to shut the club down. Well, needless to say, the audience kept up the reverie and Dinah cussed everyone and threw them out of the club. She was a firecracker, and I love that. As a woman, you have to have that fire to survive in the world of jazz. It can be tough, so you have to be thick-skinned.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: You did a Dinah tune with Orbert Davis and the Jazz Philharmonic at Millennium Park.

Alexander: Oh yes, “Relax, Max.” Oh, I loved that! I had never heard that particular song before. The first time I heard it was on a commercial on television. I know Dinah’s voice, and I asked my mom and she was familiar with the song. She knows all of Dinah’s songs. I was really flattered when Orbert asked me to sing that at Millennium Park. At first I thought it was out of place, because we were doing a tribute to Nelson Mandela, but Orbert simply said, “Let’s do it. Well, we’ve just got to have a little fun.” And we did. It was a lot of fun.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: And just like on your album, where your song selections run the gamut, you went 180 degrees the other way and followed “Relax, Max” with a South African song.

Alexander: Yes, two South African songs, “Little Boy” and “Liwawechi” by Miriam Makeba––oh my God. Both of these South African songs are so beautiful. “Little Boy” was in English, but the challenge came with “Liwawechi,” which was in Ms. Makeba’s native tongue, Xhosa––and I had to learn the songs in less than two weeks before performance. Orbert really likes pushing the envelope, which was good for me, as always. Obviously he knew that I would come through.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: What’s your thought on this? Some people say that if you don’t scat you are not a jazz singer.

Alexander: I wouldn’t necessarily say it like that, but scatting helps. Some of the greatest jazz vocalists do not scat. Interpretation plays a big part in being a jazz singer, and each voice is unique.

I remember during my first attempts at scatting I felt like a bumbling idiot. I can recall advice from “Light” Henry Huff, because he recognized I was struggling. He told me to go out and buy myself a Charlie Parker record. And I did. I went down to the Jazz Record Mart and I bought this Charlie Parker record, The Best of Charlie Parker, I put it on and I sat down. And I listened to the whole album. And afterwards I said, I can’t do that, it’s impossible. Charlie Parker––I mean, the way he plays! Of course, that was Bird’s way, Bird’s voice. So, I’m a strong believer in making your own cake and putting your own icing on it. So I decided I would take a little bit from Bird, a little from here, a little from there, throw in a car engine to add a little rev [makes a revving engine sound], add a bird call. Create my own little vocalese style.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: One of the songs on your CD is called “Rossignol,” which you describe as an African bird…

Alexander: It’s a nightingale. A friend of mine, Chieck Bala Samb, came down to hear me perform at the Backroom one night. Afterwards, he said, “Dee Alexander, you sing like a rossignol.” And I said, “What’s that?” And he said, “You sing like an African bird that sings at night.” So I went home and wrote that song that night. I have adopted the Rossignol as my personal icon. It has become my signature song, because Chieck calls me Dee “Rossignol” Alexander.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: On that tune you use your voice to mimic a violin. Earlier on the disc you were mimicking some horns. Do you consider that to be scatting?

Alexander: Well, I would call it “vocalizing.” As stated earlier, I am influenced by musicians and I try to emulate some of the sounds of the instruments, like guitar, violin, harmonica, saxophone, trumpet, trombone. I am always searching for new sounds. I was in Italy a couple of weeks ago, and Jerome Croswell, one of Chicago’s young lion trumpet players was practicing a tongue exercise.

He was making the “deedle deedle” sound rapidly [sings a pattern], and he was also doing this little bird whistle, and I asked him, “How do you do that?” And he gave me a quick little lesson, and I’ve been studying that and adding it to my sound. And I realized that Ella Fitzgerald does that a lot. Well, she was the vocal master of them all––oh my God!

Chicago Jazz Magazine: Do you think she’s the prototypical jazz singer?

Alexander: Absolutely, I would say yes, especially as far as scatting is concerned. I am sure that all vocalists that choose to sing jazz have studied Ella. You name it, she’s done it––you name the song, she’s done it. As far as I know she has recorded more songs than any other vocalist. But then there’s Betty Carter, and every time Ms. Carter came to town I was sitting up front and center with my notebook and pen taking notes. But you had to pay very close attention, because she was quick on her feet and quick with her vocal styling. I was like a little kid in a candy store.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: Some people don’t consider her to be a jazz singer.

Alexander: Ms. Carter was a stylist and she followed the beat of her own drum. I have to say, I got it. I got where she was coming from. She was adventurous, and her distinctive interpretations had me coming back for more. Her approach to the same song was always different from the previous time!

I like that. She always challenged her musicians to go where they had never gone before––in, out and with the music. That is why she always recruited young musicians: she could mold and train them the way they should go.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: Another person who’s often considered to be the greatest jazz singer is Billie Holiday.

Alexander: Yes, Lady Day––and she didn’t really scat, but she had her own style. Billie was also influenced by jazz instrumentalists, and her approach to the music was, I feel, very personal. You can feel the tragedy and pain within the lyric and her voice gave me chills. You knew she lived a tough life. You could feel the pain. A great vocalist that has lived and experienced the ups and downs, the joy and pain of life, love, hate, racism, criticism…need I go on? That is the best storyteller. But one must get beyond the tragedy of Billie’s life and concentrate on her genius.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: Ella lived a tough life as well.

Alexander: Yes she did. All of the vocalists that blazed the trail for me had it tough. That is why their stories, their songs were so heartfelt. Being an African American woman as well as a vocalist during the forties was tough enough because of the blatant racism, drugs and tumultuous relationships that they endured.

Ella was often put down because of her weight and her appearance. She did not fit the Barbie doll image, but, boy, when she sang a song none other could compare. Her voice was pure, she could give any musician a run for their money in improvisation and scatting, and her career spanned almost six decades, and with a myriad of awards under her belt. She was possibly the envy of most recording artists. Through it all she tried to keep herself lighthearted––she rose above it. I could tell she was at her happiest when she sang... I could hear the smile in her voice!

Chicago Jazz Magazine: In a way, Billie and Ella’s lives are like the difference between, say, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. To some degree it’s about how you react to the hand you are dealt.

Alexander: Agreed! But with genius there are demons lurking close by. It’s important to have a strong spiritual base and surround yourself with people that can assist you––keep you grounded, and help you fend off those demons. You really need help, because those demons are close by and are out for you, especially if you are striving to walk down the right path––and the decision is yours as to whether you give into those influences.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: In your liner notes, Neil Tesser says you’re on the straight-and-narrow, indicating that you aren’t going to go off and do something wild and crazy.

Alexander: It depends on what you mean by wild and crazy! [laughs] Now if you mean experimenting with drugs or having an alcohol binge, no, that is definitely not me. But if you mean going on a wild and crazy shopping binge, now, there my friend, might be an issue! [laughs] Seriously, I have had my share of wild and crazy scenarios. I thank God I survived some of those scenes. God takes care of babies and fools. Well, let’s say I was a little bit of both, and I am still here to talk about it.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: There does seem to be this attitude in some circles, that unless you’ve been strung out, unless you’ve been in the gutter, you haven’t lived enough––you haven’t suffered enough––to truly understand or be in complete tune with jazz or with blues. Do you buy that?

Alexander: No. I mean, I’ve had my share of joy and pain just like the next person, but there’s varying degrees of it. Fortunately for me, I’ve got a cluster of great people, including my family and friends, that are around me all the time. And even if I thought I wanted to do something crazy, I’d have somebody there to pull my coat and say, “Girlfriend, what do you think you are doing?”

A journalist I met in Paris said to me, “Your music is filled with so much joy! And I’ve heard you sing Nina and Dinah, and you can sing about tragedy, but I get the sense that you haven’t lived that type of tragedy.” I’ve had my share of life’s ups and downs! There are some things that have not changed during the days that Nina and Dinah were young women that I am still exposed to today. Poverty, racism, murder, and unemployment are still at an all time high. I’m not walking around in a box or with my head in the clouds.

I try to rise above those painful things that we go through in life. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. And I’m going to make darn sure that I survive and concentrate on the positive because that works for me! [laughs] I’m really happy right now in my life, despite the outside negatives! They will always be there––you must decide whether or not you will let the negative in.


Chicago Jazz Magazine: Compare and contrast the various styles you’ve performed––gospel, blues, and R&B––with jazz.

Alexander: All of the styles are relative! It all starts with Africa. It is “the root in de blues,” although the profile of each is different. Yet they do overlap. There are similarities and differences. It’s a very sensitive thing. There is the freedom of jazz, with the saxophonist and the vocalist trading fours in a sweet improvised manner... It all comes down to the feel, the groove of each. Then there is the funk in the blues––the guitar wailing while the vocalist moans.

They each swing, but in their own way. The manner in which the group––whether it is a gospel choir singing in four-part harmony with the organ bumping in revelry––a trio, a duo or a soloist traditionally constructs the groove that is essential to recognize and understand. Then one is able to find one’s place in that structure and the conversation that is taking place. From the perspective of a vocalist it could simply be a matter of just one or two appropriately placed notes or tones, whether they are short or long tones. There is the freedom in all genres to weave and interweave different ideas to create a sound that makes you shout, tap your feet, snap your fingers, or clap your hands.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: Do you think you’ve had any big breaks?

Alexander: Oh yes. When I performed the “Sirens of Song: Tribute to Nina and Dinah” in September of 2007––thank goodness for Lauren Deutsch and Mike Orlove––that was a big break. The first time the concert was scheduled was in August, but it was cancelled due to a serious summer storm, and I mean a deluge––it was like locusts coming from the sky.

We got rained out that night, but fortunately the City asked me to come back and do it again, on September 11. In the words of my mom, “It was magical.” And it really was. There were about five thousand people there, so I was exposed to a broader audience. It was kind of the pinnacle for me, just branching out. Then I met with BluJazz, thanks to Neil Tesser. He talked to BluJazz and told them to give me a chance.

And we met and talked and went into the studio, and in two sessions we did that record. It’s been getting national and international airplay, and I’ve been getting a lot of responses from people all over the world about it. And it’s that old saying, Be careful what you wish for, because you might get it. Some people say it’s about time, but everything happens in due season, when it’s supposed to happen. I think God is seeing it fit for me to go through certain things in life to make sure I’m grounded, because if you are not, it will just take you away. As I mentioned to you earlier, I’ve been selected as Chicago’s Best Singer in Chicago magazine––that’s a gas. I was also selected in the Critic’s Poll in DownBeat magazine in the August issue as the Rising Star in the Female Vocalist category.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: Who selects those?

Alexander: The critics. I didn’t even know about it until. Lauren Deutsch called me and said, “Dee, why didn’t you let me know about DownBeat?” Now Michael Jackson did a review on my CD in an earlier DownBeat issue, so I thought she was talking about that review. And she said, “No, you’ve been selected as the Female Singer Rising Star in DownBeat––August 2009.” So I called DownBeat, and they sent me a couple issues, and I gave one to my mom, because she has a scrapbook of everything I do. [laughs] But I’m very grateful for all this––very grateful. In the words of Benny Powell, I have “the attitude of gratitude.”

Chicago Jazz Magazine: When you look forward, where do you see your career heading?

Alexander: It’s interesting, because when I look back at the choices I’ve made, it’s not really me––I’ve been getting help from The Supreme. Sometimes the ideas I run by the musicians are met with a perplexed look, but once we do it they go, Okay, we get it. My thing is, take a chance––don’t dismiss something without trying it first. That’s basically it for me. That is the way that I go through my life. It’s pretty simple. Everything is just happening and coming in to place in its own way and God’s time. I’m a firm believer of that, and that’s how it’s happening now.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: How do you choose your musicians?

Alexander: I choose musicians, first of all, that I love. And, of course, musicians that have open minds and have musicality. For example, Miguel de la Cerna is my musical director. He’s like my brother––he calls me everyday to see what’s going on with me, and we have this kind of volleyball game with ideas.

Even for the Nina/Dinah, we really worked hard on that project. We had only seventy-five minutes to squeeze in all these ideas and songs, but we managed to do it. And the same thing with the Jazz Festival––we got together and we said, Okay, we’ve got sixty minutes, so we have less time than we had at Millennium Park. And I’m saying, “I want to do this, this, this, this, this, this, and this.” Sometimes my ideas got ahead of me, but Miguel grabbed me and said, “We only have so much time, so you’re going to have to narrow it down.”

Chicago Jazz Magazine: So as musical director Miguel works with you on charts and arrangements?

Alexander: Yes. He transcribes charts, he gets the musicians together, he’s arranging and scheduling the rehearsals. I really appreciate what he does. It’s hard getting all those busy people together and transcribing all the charts.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: Are you able to do this full time?

Alexander: I have a job. I work right now at the University of Illinois. I’ve been there since 1990, and people are always asking me, when are you going to quit that job? When the time is right. They say we’re at the end of a recession, but I’ve been fortunate to have a job.

I have to have that to stay healthy and keep my head above water. And if God blesses me to where I can live solely off of music, then that will be great as well. And my boss knows what I do––they come out to my performances. I respect my job, I don’t abuse it or anything. They know I’ll show up on time and that they can count on me. I work hard at everything I do. And I play hard too. [laughs]

Chicago Jazz Magazine: It’s hard to keep your nightly and weekend activities secret when you are playing all over Chicago.

Alexander: Yeah, you can say that again! [laughs] I don’t throw things in anyone’s face, but one of the managers at my job saw Chicago magazine’s “Best of …” issue, in which I was selected the Best Jazz Vocalist. Once you start getting publicity, it’s difficult to avoid. One of my co-workers scanned it and sent it to the vice-chancellor, who is possibly sending it to the provost. I guess they want to know who’s working here at UIC.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: Do you have a booking agent?

Alexander: Not at this time. That will be the next move. Things have just been coming through me and my website, which has been a blessing. But I can only do so much. That is the next marketing move. It’s about time––I’ve traveled and performed in Europe, but it will be good to have more performances in the States.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: Touring Europe has given you some exposure to jazz fans there. Do you notice a difference in the audiences between the United States and Europe?

Alexander: Let’s say it is wonderful to do three and four encores. Jazz is so well respected in Europe. If I’m performing in a European club and someone is talking, they will be shushed by another person in the audience. They respect the artists and the music.

I consider myself a griot—a griot is an African bard or truthteller, somone who has an insight into life—and when the griot speaks, everyone wants to hear the message and they want to be a part of the story and the experience. The European audiences really listen.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: How did they know who you were?

Alexander: In 2007 the Jazz Institute of Chicago did a concert in partnership with Estrada Poznaska in Poznan, Poland, called “Made in Chicago,” in which fourteen musicians from Chicago consisting of members of the AACM––Fred Anderson, Douglas Ewart, Ed Wilkerson, Art Hoyle, and Robert Irving III, to name a few––performed in various venues and groups.

The Director of Estrada Poznaska, Wojciech Jusczcak, whom I absolutely love, had never heard of me, but on the word of Lauren Deutsch decided to take a chance and invite me to Poznan. As part of that series I performed at the Blue Note, and was taken aback when I walked on the stage and the audience started screaming. It was my first time performing there, but they treated me like a queen, and without even singing the first note I received a ten-minute standing ovation––simply because I was there and from Chicago. Now that’s love!

Chicago Jazz Magazine: Walk us through the process of putting together a CD.

Alexander: The first step: the musicians; the second step: the material; the third step: the studio. Another very important thing is the engineer. Steve Yates, my God––I call him the mix-master, I always tease him, “Are you going to bake me a cake now?”

He’s got such big ears––he has an ear for jazz, as opposed to going into a studio where you have a guy who’s a rocker. He was very sensitive with the mixing. I was very pleased with the end result, and I believe everyone else was too.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: It’s not grossly expensive to make a CD, but it’s not cheap either. As a performer, do you have to raise the money yourself or does the record company take care of that?

Alexander: The record company took care of it. That was such a blessing. They took care of everything. I didn’t have to do anything but be calm and relaxed and be in good voice. So that’s what I did.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: Did you sit in the studio while Steve was doing his mixing?

Alexander: I wasn’t there. We did a couple pre-mixes, but I think that it’s good to let them work alone and not be distracted. I like to let the genius do what he does.

Chicago Jazz Magazine: How about things like the song order and liner notes?

Alexander: I like a recording to be a series of events that leads to a complete story––to have continuity. You start off with a good up-tempo song, then maybe a Latin and a ballad and then take the listener back up. It’s an ebb and flow: up and down and up and down and up. You like to start up and end up. I actually follow that same thing for set lists.

Then, when Neil Tesser sent me the rough draft of the liner notes, I was bawling at my computer. It was just so amazing that someone thinks that way about you; it was so beautiful. I just love that man. He and Mark Ruffin were constantly asking me where the CD was: When are you coming out with that CD? I just said, “It’s coming, it’s coming. It’s like wine––you can’t rush the grapes.”

Chicago Jazz Magazine: So once you’ve got your CD what do you do with it?

Alexander: BluJazz sent it to all of the major radio and college stations from coast to coast. Many of the music directors responded to us to inform us of the airplay and rotation. I also sell them on my gigs, and it is distributed throughout Europe. BluJazz is in partnership with, Plus Loin, based out of France, and they did all the artwork. I provided the photographs...

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