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Saturday, Nov 21, 2009
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the Music Lounge by Albert Rodriguez - SGN A & E Writer |
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| With the success of 'Ally McBeal' under her wings, Vonda Shepard is ready to hit the jazz-pop jackpot all over again | |
| With the success of 'Ally McBeal' under her wings, Vonda Shepard is ready to hit the jazz-pop jackpot all over again
by Albert Rodriquez -
SGN A&E Writer Followers of the 90s TV hit "Ally McBeal" are quite familiar with Vonda Shepard, the soulful pianist-singer who appeared in cameos on the series as its resident lounge entertainer. In total, Shepard was part of the show for five years. Since then, she's made albums and toured but has kept a relatively low-key profile. Her biggest role these days is playing mommy to an adorable little boy, who squealed "mama" in the background when Shepard phoned into the Seattle Gay News very recently. The jazz-pop artist is ready to again make audiences swoon with an upcoming album scheduled for a holiday release date and a mini-tour, which brings her to The Triple Door in Seattle for back-to-back performances on August 31. For reservations, call (206) 838-4333 or visit www.thetripledoor.net. To purchase Shepard's music or get updated information on her forthcoming CD, visit www.vondashepardonline.com. On a warm and sunny afternoon, here's what Vonda Shepard revealed when she checked into "The Music Lounge". Albert Rodriguez: A lot of people recognize your name and face from "Ally McBeal". How did that door open for you? Vonda Shepard: I have been friends with Michelle Pfeiffer since I was about 19. Her husband is David Kelley, who created the show. I invited them to a show one night and he had the proverbial light bulb go off while he was listening to the show. It was really through our friendship, but completely unsolicited. Rodriguez: On "Ally McBeal", did you have the freedom to do what you wanted to? Shepard: David Kelley chose the songs, but there were two great aspects to this job. One was that he gave me total free reign in the studio. I'd read the script and would have to stick to the tone of the script, but somehow we had this kind of connection where I could interpret what he was wanting from the music. I was producing all the music as well. The other aspect was that he used tons of my own original material, which I didn't have to change at all. I just lifted them from my albums, basically. Which was such a unique and fortunate experience. Rodriguez: Did you keep in contact with anyone from "Ally McBeal", aside from David Kelley, whom you're friends with? Shepard: Calista (Flockhart) and I will always be connected in some way. Whenever I see her, it's as if it was yesterday and we give each other a big hug. She always gives me two bottles of the best wine I've ever had over Christmas, even though I don't see her that often. And Greg Germann is the other one; he and I stayed in touch the most. Portia (de Rossi, partner to Ellen DeGeneres) and I were out of town and we ran into each other. We gave each other a big hug because she was on the show for four years and I was on for five. For a while, I would see Peter MacNicol now and then. Jane Krakowski organized a reunion dinner at The Palm in Beverly Hills one night and we all showed up. Rodriguez: Every album has a journey. What's the journey for your upcoming album? Shepard: Well, I got married a few years ago. And there are some pretty happy songs on this album celebrating that. There's a new song called "Ecstatic" and it's a funky, uptempo, exciting song about my husband. And, of course, I've got the usual heart-wrenching ones that I conjured up from the past. The new batch, the last three or four songs I'm writing at the moment, are about having a baby - the constant awareness that there's this human being you're totally responsible for - and channeling that sort of ethnicity into the songs. You kind of feel like you're hanging on a cliff sometimes, and these songs capture that somewhat. Rodriguez: When you come to Seattle, is it part of a tour or a one-off show? Shepard: It's like a mini-tour. We're doing Seattle, we're doing Sausalito Arts Festival, then we come home for a couple of weeks and we do Santa Barbara and two other local gigs. Rodriguez: At The Triple Door, will you give a solo performance or will you have a band? Shepard: I have a trio, including myself, which doesn't include a drummer. It's an unusual setup. It's a guitar, bass, and me - I play piano and sometimes a little guitar and a little percussion. But the three of us can make a big noise, if we want. So we go from doing intimate songs to the full-on R & B, sweet-inspiration, Aretha Franklin portion of the show where I get to completely wail. Rodriguez: Do you listen to a lot of music on your own time? Shepard: My husband is a record producer, and he has to stay on top of it. He introduces me to a lot of music. My stepdaughter is 21 and she's in a band called The Like, so Charlotte - she's the bass player - knew Amy Winehouse before she broke, and Franz Ferdinand. She introduces us to all this new music. I try to stay on top of it. I love hearing new music. Rodriguez: When you see Seattle on your tour itinerary, what comes to mind? Shepard: I just have so many memories of coming up there. Before I had success on the show, I toured and traveled in a grass roots way - driving a van. I played there a few times. One of my favorite things is getting into the hotel, taking a walk on the streets, going to a coffee place, and writing in my journal. I also played Bumbershoot with Jackson Browne one year and it was completely pouring that day. But everyone was there anyway, with their umbrellas and their brightly colored jackets. I love Seattle. I love the fresh, crisp air. I remember walking on the pier and having lunch. Rodriguez: With your husband being an album producer, does he bring home any bands to hang out there? Shepard: We have a home studio. I see everyone he works with. They're hanging out at our house all day long. Rodriguez: So you get front row seats for some great intimate shows. Shepard: That's right - lots of good shows! It's pretty cool to have these incredible artists coming through our house. When I have time, I'll cook dinner for everybody and we'll sit outside. Rodriguez: During your shows or afterwards, do you ever have Gay couples or Gay fans come up to you and say hello? Shepard: Very often, yes. Rodriguez: I imagine you would have a Gay fan base. Shepard: Definitely. And that makes me very happy. I'm straight, but there's something about Gay couples and Gay people - they happen to be so honest with themselves and open. There's something I find completing refreshing about that, it's a bit of openness and a realness that I connect with. There's a loyalty also from the Gay community. Rodriguez: We certainly look forward to welcoming you back to Seattle. It's great to know you're still around and going strong, and have a new album coming out. Shepard: I'm going to rock Seattle! |
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