Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and producer Paula Cole has always been surrounded by music and art. She grew up in Rockport, Massachusetts.
One of the artists who deeply touched her early on was Miss Peggy Lee.
"She's been with me in my life since I was in college. I was singing "Black Coffee" at the Boston Airport Logan Lounge on my jazz gigs on Thursday nights."
Cole, who won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1998 and is currently on a 2024 tour, says she jumped at the chance to be a part of the upcoming NJPAC tribute concert (February 8) honoring the friendship of Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra.
"They asked me early on to be a part of the concert and I immediately said yes. Just honoring Peggy Lee, that's important. I don't hear of that too much. So I loved the opportunity to honor her and her work. I'm accompanied by Christian McBride who is one of the most beautiful people and bass players on the planet. I also heard that I think we're going to be utilizing some of the original arrangements from the Peggy Lee estate and that's exciting."
Cole spoke with WBGO's Doug Doyle about the tribute evening that also features all-star vocalists Aloe Blacc, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Bettye LaVette, Rachael Price and Brian Stokes Mitchell — and the Christian McBride Big Band and Strings.
What drew Paula Cole to listening to Peggy Lee?
"Really it was her voice. I think it's sensual. It's breathy and yet there's power in it and it's always understated. Her songs like "Fever" and "Black Coffee" sparsely use instrumentation. It showcases her vocals so beautifully. Her vocal is like the entree and there's very little clutter. Yes, she sings big band and swing arrangements that are incredible too, however I think it was her idea for the arrangement for "Fever." It would make sense that if you have a voice like that. She can't necessarily improvise virtuosically like some of her peers did and she doesn't have a big range but that tone in the middle of her range is so exquisite. It's like this velvety fine wine."
Cole's voice has touched millions as well. Her eleventh studio album Lo contains all original songs that she wrote and produced. She was the first woman ever to be nominated for Producer of the Year in 1998 after recording hits like "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" and "I Don't Want to Wait."
"I didn't know I was cracking any ceilings. I just knew I was trying to advocate for what I felt was right for my musical expression. I realized that if I don't have a middle man who is a producer, I could just communicate directly and make the decisions directly. It was really hard to be taken seriously. I realized later when I was nominated for the Grammy that it just wasn't done very often. Usually young women were produced by a senior male and they were a liaison to the record company. It was an old-fashioned way of doing it. I'm proud I self-advocated. Some times it's hard, but you have to speak up yourself."
Cole was one of the artists who help create the fandom for what would become the Lilith Fair tour that featured all female artists during the summers from 1997 to 1999.
"I'm really proud to be part of its inception. I was opening for Sarah McLachlan in '95. I had come out with my first album "Harbinger' in '94 so I was touring that and kind of formulating ideas for my next album. It just became very clear that radio programming rarely played a woman back to back on certainly pop-rock stations and you rarely saw two women on a bill. Promoters just didn't want to put two women on a bill because they said it wouldn't sell. Sarah kindly asked me to open for her and it went fantastically well. The audience would just erupt. There was just this feeling that it needed to change and that the audience was behind that lightning bolt."
That desire to express herself has continued for Paula Cole. Not only does she continue to tour but she is also sharing her knowledge as an instructor at her alma mater Berklee College of Music in Boston.
"When I teach songwriting or talk about songwriting I try to give tips that are really just tips on humanity. Some time I feel the need to write more socially-politically. I just believe in that. The conversation of race is very important to me. I have biracial daughter and I think about it a lot. And someone who sings jazz you have to be incredibly humble and open and willing to have the conversation as well as learn with the spirit of humility from the masters. Social-political themes absolutely come into my writing. They have for entire albums like my Revolution album."
Cole's American Quilt album shows her jazz influences and some her most admired artists like Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong.
You can SEE the entire interview with Paula Cole here.
