For thirty years now Professor Maggie Scott has been a leading force in the Berklee vocal community, enriching students and peers every year.
For 30 years now Professor Maggie Scott has been a leading force in the Berklee vocal community, enriching students and peers every year. Her former students are some of the most well-known voices in the music scene today. Esperanza Spalding, Lalah Hathaway, Antonia Bennett, Robin McKelle, and Nadia Washington return to Berklee to pay tribute to their mentor, Maggie Scott, and celebrate 30 years of Jazz Vocal Night.
The Concert
The Greg Hopkins Sextet kicked off the night with an exuberant up-tempo swing tune. The group, made up of a rhythm section, trumpet, trombone, and tenor saxophone, quickly jumped into improvising. The Sextet’s playing was majorly diatonic, with occasional extensions thrown into the changes. Overall, their style of playing was a brilliant start to the evening.
Karen Bell was the emcee for the night and ushered out several people to speak, including Berklee President Roger Brown and one of Scott’s long time friends. At this point in the show, a short video was shown with each performer reflecting on their individual studies with Maggie Scott. Afterwards, each performer sang two pieces, usually of contrasting style; every performance garnered outstanding audience responses.
Pop/jazz artist Antonia Bennett was first to perform, singing “Taking A Chance On Love” and “Embraceable You.” She displayed beautiful tone and exceptional control throughout her tunes, without deviating too far from the melodies. Nadia Washington was next; her tunes were “My One And Only Love” and “Have You Seen My Lover.” The purity in her tone and the vibrato in her high register had audience members yelling, “Sing!” Nadia’s performance showcased influences from both jazz and musical theater.
Robin McKelle performed “Cry Me A River” and the up-tempo “Let’s Fall In Love,” where she employed drastic embellishments of the melody and words. With her creative and original vocal, McKelle effortlessly won over the hearts of audience members.
Lalah Hathaway was the next performer. Many vocalists garner attention for how long and how high they can belt; for Lalah, the lower she sang, the louder the audience grew. Her rich low register was a refreshing turn in the evening’s program.
The last vocalist to perform was Esperanza Spalding. Out of all the performers, Spalding remained truest to the jazz tradition in her style of singing. Her scatting was alive with accidentals and extensions, and her bass lines brought people right out of their seats.
Finally, Maggie Scott took the stage. At the microphone, she jokingly stated, “When there’s a tribute, usually the person has gone to the other side!” The audience laughed and applauded. It was an honor to witness the stunning performance by a woman who brought such prestige to vocal jazz at Berklee for so many years.
At the close of the evening, Scott called her former students back to the stage for one last tune: “Billie’s Bounce”. The singers all scatted in unison and went on to trade eights with the Greg Hopkins Sextet. The finale was a wonderful conclusion to the concert. As a tribute, this show was a heartwarming experience for jazz lovers, faculty, and students of Maggie Scott.
The Clinic
Earlier in the day, students and faculty made their way into the BPC for what was to be a memorable clinic at Berklee. The headliners were Esperanza Spalding, Lalah Hathaway, Robin McKelle, and recent Berklee graduate Nadia Washington.
Karen Bell briefly welcomed the audience to the clinic and introduced each performer one by one. As each performer spoke about their own history and their experience under Maggie Scott, the collective message was clear: be open to everything you hear and see and let it affect your music in the best possible way. The attention then turned to Ms. Scott herself. When questioned as to why she started Jazz Vocal Night she responded, “I found that there was very little outlet for students singing the jazz standards…to get up and perform…something was lacking there.” She reiterated that she always wanted to bring a voice to those who sang in the jazz tradition and not just in contemporary pop music. After Maggie was done speaking, the students were encouraged to ask questions.
Below are some of those questions and answers with Maggie Scott and each of the singers.
Q&A
Q: How were you able to articulate your artistic ideas?
Bennett: “I still haven’t gotten there yet. I had my hand in a lot of bags here at Berklee. You keep trying to find the way and it never really ends.”
Hathaway: “I told Herbie (Hancock), I can’t seem to connect what is in my head to my voice or hands,” and he replied, “well join the club”
Scott: “You never know everything; keep working as long as it may take.”
Q: What were some of the classes or workshops you wish you took when you were here at Berklee?
McKelle: “Business classes!”
Hathaway: ‘Take something that is completely outside of the box in which you operate.”
Scott: “Never forget the basics. Know the keys you sing your songs in. Know how to count in your songs. Always memorize your lyrics so you are able to interpret them. Go back to school and learn how to read…learn the basics.”
Q: Do you think that incorporating singing in your music and instrument playing has made a turn for the best?
Esperanza: “Yes…if you are a real serious instrumental player, you already know many things that singers have to go the other way to learn. Don’t sing just because you think it will boost your career…only do it if you have something to share sincerely.”
Scott: ‘To play and sing will get you hired faster than just playing an instrument in many ways. Tape yourself. Know what you sound like, and decide if your voice is something you want to share.”
Q: How did you transition from Berklee to the real world of music?
McKelle: “That’s the most difficult part…I was gigging when I was 13. That made the transition easy because I was a working musician already. The hard part was transitioning to being an artist.”
Scott: “You have to love what you are doing. You have to go with the ups and downs with it.”
Washington: “I’m in that moment right now…you have to be determined and motivated. Don’t be afraid of who you are. Maybe you’ll like it maybe you wont.” “Figure out what you want to say, and who to say it to.”
Esperanza: “You have the rest of your life to hone in on unpacking your being. You gotta know what the hell you’re doing…all you really need to do, is do your homework.”
Q: How much focus should I put into marketing and branding myself?
Bennett: “You have to have the product first…be on Twitter and Facebook, constantly keeping people involved.”
Hathaway: “You have to develop your brand; then you win over one person at a time…get on the road to finding what you are creatively. That is what will sustain you.” “If you are really excellent, you won’t have to work that hard to brand yourself…nobody can do music like you can.”
Q: What is the biggest lesson the music industry has taught you?
Hathaway: “Not to wear white on TV.” (As the audience bursts into laughter).
Esperanza: “There’s something to be said about letting the experts do what they do best. Delegate certain aspects of your career to experts…keep your time for music sacred.”
Mckelle: “You are the American Idol generation…seeing so many disposable artists is discouraging. You are at Berklee to not be disposable.”
Scott: “There are things you can do, and things you cannot do…and you have accept that…you have to be realistic about your boundaries.”
Q: What is your formula for choosing a band?
McKelle: “Find great musicians…who respect you.”
Scott: “You need to have people playing with you who are on the same page…harmonically, they have to have the same ears and play with the same feel.” “Play with people who are better than you.”
Esperanza: “You are on the bandstand to fortify someone else’s concept. Being great at interpreting other people’s concepts is a skill.”
Q: What are some of the challenges you had getting your students to achieve their true potential?
Scott: “Encourage them to work, to do the basics and learn their craft…I don’t like to discourage them, but problems must be addressed. Hopefully they’ll realize I’m trying to help them and not hurt them.”
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