Friday, December 7, 2012

Haley Reinhart Answers Her Jazz Calling

Haley, Keith and Courtney slaying some bossa-nova jazz

After her uneasy ride with Interscope Records mercifully ended two weeks ago, Kenny Poo has been hoping Haley would now turn her focus to the one true calling as an artist for which she's gifted above all others: Jazz singing.

Looks like my dream is now becoming a reality.

Last night at the Chandelier lounge in the swank new Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas, Haley and her band mates Keith Phelps (keys) and Courtney Leonard (bass) began their three night residency gig. A super-fan by the internet username "Tusk" has become Haley's unofficial videographer, and is comprehensively recording the first two nights in HD quality. Thus far, he has uploaded two songs to YouTube, with many more to follow.

Fan reports on social media are indicating Haley heavily incorporated jazz into her show, and even included a full 25 minute jazz standard set in which she just brought the house down. One of the very best songs from that set is Song For My Father (see above). There ain't nobody more perfectly suited to sing sultry, sexy, silky bossa-nova jazz than Haley Reinhart, and as you can see she absolutely killed it.

The phrasing, the restraint, the instinctive finesse to know when to dial it up and tone it back down, the natural, seamless scatting and general "feel" for the flow of the song, and guiding it with deft aplomb... it's sheer poetry in motion to behold.

So, Haley, if you're reading this, Kenny Poo would like to request Girl From Ipanema by Astrud Gilberto. It's a must cover for you.

Not to be outdone, her pianist extraordinaire, Mr. Keith Phelps, demonstrated his incredible jazz chops with a magnificent solo that Haley herself can be seen getting lost in the trance of. Like Haley, Keith is versatile and can play a variety of music, but when it comes to jazz piano a very special light goes on that separates him from the field. In fact, Haley and Keith make such a perfect jazz team, I'd love to see them build a long term chemistry both live and in the recording studio.

Also noteworthy from the Vegas show is Haley's single Free, but it's nothing like the version she recorded on the album. Though I liked the original, this was far superior as Haley flipped the mid-tempo pop song with the tinny piano intro into a bluesy-jazz number with artistry. She also performed it like she really felt the conflicting emotions of a difficult, roller coaster relationship coming to an end rather than being forced to portray the vampy, campy temptress like Interscope prescribed. For the first time I truly believed Free was HER song, not the label force feeding her a hand-picked track. It was authentic, and I loved it.

Free from Interscope, Haley makes Free her own

So, let's raise our glasses of scotch (or Jack and Coke if you're Haley) and toast cheers to Haley as she begins her jazz journey. We've all seen how brilliant she's been when taking on jazz during her run on Idol, and after the show with Irvin Mayfield Jr, and now we can excitedly watch the little jazz prodigy actualize her destiny. I see nothing but sweet jazz labels and Grammys awaiting on the horizon.

~Kenny Poo

18 comments:

  1. OMG, she's AMAZING!! I so, so hope she does a jazz album, and I'm not even a jazz fan. Thank you for posting this! :-)

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    1. You're welcome, Carrie. Nothing beats Haley jazz, eh?

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  2. Are you kidding me, dude? She's not even possible. Wow, is she good. Thanks for sharing this. So, she was dropped by her label? What idiots. I guess she's not Top 40 type music, but I bet she makes it real big in jazz.

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    1. Unreal, isn't she? Nothing like the first time seeing Haley sing jazz. You're right about her not being Top 40... and I think Haley understands that, too. She was born to sing jazz/blues with a bit of rock mixed in for flavor.

      Then again, if jazz comes back to mainstream popularity like folk rock did, Haley could capitalize on it. Regardless, musically she's now in the right place and that is ALWAYS the right approach for an artist.

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  3. Hi Kenny Poo, I was in Vegas and saw Haley, also saw her at Lolla. She does seem to be starting to find her way. I hope she can continue and make a living singing - hard road especially these days.

    Found your blog and also found the AI and the Haley Fans forums ...don't think I'll be hanging over at those two sites. Have you read any of that crap? She's got a few seriously freaky fans - the video guy especially! Do you know if she's got some security? That's a scary guy. He seems like he's gonna want some serious recognition from her at some point, yikes!

    You have a good fan blog here, and you do a great job. You have your scotch, I have my vodka ...cheers!

    -icedvodka

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  4. Thanks for the props, IcedVodka! Every well known artist has some "Stans" that can be a little creepy, and I'm sure Haley understands that. They tend to congregate at fan forums, but usually are harmless. I've seen no reason to believe any of these "Stans" are dangerous, except that reading their endless, mind-numbing deification of her can induce nausea.

    As far as Haley's career, I think she's found herself now and the future is now very promising if she seizes the jazz opportunities that await. I think she learned a lot from the Interscope era, good and bad about the biz and herself, and the most important lesson was realizing who she is as an artist. She is a jazz singer, and potentially one of the best to come around in generations, who can also sing a variety of other genres.

    Before this, she struggled with decisiveness on her musical identity, and thus was just a variety artist stuck meandering like a ship without a rudder. Jazz is her rudder.

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  5. About the stan thing, I am a healthcare professional (and female), and one or two stans do worry me. It's the martyrdom-tinged postings, "I didn't eat or sleep and spent money and time for you" - that's my tip off. These few fans are adults and have means to follow her. She needs to nip that in the bud.

    Lets toast to her ever-increasing fan base, bigger audience (greater gene pool is good, just what she needs).

    Hey, do you know if she is she going to the Garden to do the Sandy benefit thing? Seems really big names, so it doesn't seem she'd be going, but I'll try to watch the show if she is performing. Seriously, they usually trot out Stevie Wonder, etc. again and again, kinda tired of those kind of shows unless they freshen them up a bit, if you understand :)So much unheard good talent!

    -icedvodka

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  6. I don't believe she's doing the Garden Party. Seems she has a private gig on Monday with the band. Hope it also involves inking a deal with a label that's jazz oriented.

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  7. I really don't care about any label signing - all they would do is take all her money, and own her music forever even after she pays them back. She can try to work with people like Irvin Mayfield, and others as well as do something like PledgeMusic to get a CD or few out there.

    I just want her to get lots of paying gigs!!! These artists are the silent geniuses of the music industry -and a happy group!

    Happy Holidays to you Kenny Poo! Btw, I am half Jewish by osmosis (due to where I live, LOL).

    -icedvodka

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    1. Thanks, Vodka. Guessing you're from NY? LOL. So, when you say you saw her in Vegas, do you mean you saw her this past weekend or a previous show? If this show, please share some of the memorable moments. :)

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  8. I saw her this past weekend, the area where she sang was kind of a crossroads area, people on their way from one place to another. Other shows in the other venue areas have paying customers filling them - her show was kind of more large area piano bar atmosphere for the passers by, and was free. I figured the few people stage-side were her stans, and frankly we didn't want to hang out there :) So we enjoyed Vegas, the number one reason we were there was to enjoy Vegas of course! Cosmo is such a nice place to stay. But we made sure we caught parts of her show on each of the nights.

    She fits in well in that type of open atmosphere, but I don't know if she'd draw enough people as a paying concert. I don't doubt that she might get asked to do the same kind of gig again there, though. She does have a long way to go - really hit home, seeing that although people enjoyed her music, the vibe didn't feel like they were going to "find out about her", etc. do you know what I mean?

    I didn't think that people knew who she was at all, they just glanced over at her as they enjoyed their night, and they did enjoy her singing. There is something to defining herself that needs to happen - it feels almost as if people need that or they don't know what to do with her. She's there, but just "there" at this point, not vastly different than the other musicians they have nightly. Don't know what she's gonna have to do to.

    Now, don't get me wrong, she's a great singer, I would not have wasted time seeing her with all the other things Vegas has to fill your time there. I guess I felt that "slipping" feeling. Do you remember the movie "Fargo"? There was a scene in a hotel nightclub with José Feliciano singing a gig, way out there in nowhere snowland, that pops into my head ...depressing. Hope she gets a boost soon!

    -icedvodka

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  9. Thanks for your perspective, Vodka. I'd caution you about jumping to overly depressing conclusions about her playing the open lounge with passers by. The intention of this gig was to begin her transition from Interscope recording artist and Idol finalist to jazz artist, and she seems to have done a perfect job of accomplishing that on this residency.

    Also, being in that open lounge atmposphere with an unpromoted free performance is going to lend itself to passers-by who aren't familiar with her. Just the fact that she was so positively received by unknowing onlookers says a lot about how good her sets were.

    As far as being able to draw, keep in mind Taylor Hicks has his own headlining show at Bally's and is apparently doing very well with it. Haley has a larger fan base than Hicks, and would undoubtedly be able to have her own full time show if that's what she wanted.

    At this point in her career, being just 22 with only one album released, establishing herself as a successful recording artist is the priority, not earning a mid-to-late career cash cow gig as a Vegas act. Jazz and blues are her area of specialty, her niche, where she is most gifted, and doing the small shows and gigging is how she can hone her chops with her band, tighten up their chemistry, and get to the next level. I think this was a very positive experience, and am beaming with pride at how Haley is grabbing her career direction and going for it.

    Finally, regarding the "Stans", I think you're being way to judgmental on the people who sat up front and cheered. These people are fans, some even super-fans, but the fact Haley invited several of them to join her for drinks and celebrate after the show on Saturday night is telling. If these were psychos or crazed maniac fans that scared her she would never have wanted to hang out and have a few drinks with them. By all accounts were extremely respectful of her, and never inappropriately pushed into her personal space.

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  10. Oh, she's gonna just do jazz then. We weren't able to find anything about any kind of plans/direction for her, you know, other than the fan stuff - nothing real. Maybe someone soon might help her in the professional promotion department. That's good news. I hope she shows up in some jazz/blues clubs soon. Thanks for the update on plans and such, we'll watch out here on your blog then for info.

    Oh, ha ha, I had to look up Taylor Hicks - don't follow American Idol at all, I really drew a blank there :)

    -icedvodka

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  11. Well, not being a fan of American Idol but being a fan of Haley makes you a most excellent chicka, Vodka. BTW, you reference "we"...have you got another Haley fan in the home? A friend?

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  12. We aren't really big "fan" types so to speak. I guess that is why I'm scared of "stans" LOL. I guess we are mostly into rock, have friends in bands ...so first heard of Haley via the Ali performance ;)

    I see you as your background pics, enjoying a drink in the pool, enjoying music, that's our level, with some added benes of music friends, every so often.

    -icedvodka

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  13. Could go for a drinky poo in the pool right now, actually! lol Truth is, I'm a fan of many artists. Being a fan shouldn't be considered a bad thing. We all have our faves.

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  14. Kenny Poo, you just crack me up. Was looking back at some of your earlier posts and almost spit out my vodka! Too funny. I'll have to visit to keep up on the goings on for sure.

    -icedvodka (a most excellent chica, some say)

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    1. Well, now ya gotta keep reading regularly, chica. As you can see, I may be a big fan of Haley and many others, but I never lose my objectivity or my sense of humor. Always call it like I see it, in a nice way, and try to make people laugh whenever possible. Cheers! :)

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