All Photos: Alan Mercer Lighting: Eric V.
From the beginning, Brigitte Zarie has been as unforgettable as her music. Hailing from Toronto, Canada, she had the benefit of being raised in a home that thrummed with the rhythms and melodies that shaped her into the artist she would become.
With parents originally from Casablanca, Morocco—her father was a multi-instrumentalist while her mother was a singer—she was exposed to the world of jazz at an early age, and developed a love for classic artists like Frank Sinatra and Stan Getz. “I used to go to sleep listening to ‘Strangers In The Night’ or break up with a boyfriend and cry myself to sleep with the music of Stan Getz in the background,” she says.
As one of ten children, there was no shortage of other people to play and sing with. “My brother Joe used to play guitar and make me sing and make up words to everything he would play,” says Brigitte. “So I was writing songs since day one.” A defining moment for Brigitte occurred when her family traveled to Buffalo, NY when she was a child. “My parents had a big van so we slept in it one night, and across the street was a jazz club. I remember hearing this be bop music, and loving it while my folks were asleep. I was really stunned by what I heard. I tried to stay up and listen to every note that was played. I can still hear and see that night as clear as day. I know I was supposed to be in that exact spot, listening to that music for a reason.
From that moment on, Brigitte answered her calling, knowing exactly what she wanted to do with her life: devote it to creating the music that she was so struck by as a young girl. She kept singing and crafting songs, many of which were recorded by other artists. She played in bands and was a featured vocalist in films and commercials. She even explored other musical genres. But throughout it all, jazz remained her utmost passion, and soon she chose to focus exclusively on her own material.
Seeking to express the experiences of her own life, she penned the songs that would become her debut CD “Make Room For Me,” a searingly emotional collection that offers a freshness and originality uncommon in the world of jazz. With her second release, “L’Amour,” she follows up with an album that is just as unique and soulful, but also offers an emotional dimension that showcases her evolution into an artist not afraid to confront life’s essential truths.
Love in all its forms is the topic here, and Brigitte unearths stories of uncommon honesty and unforgettable resonance. Once again backed by a fantastic cadre of notable players, including Randy Brecker, Blue Lou Marini, Sean Pelton, John Tropea and other luminaries, Brigitte has created music both entertaining and timeless. “’Make Room For Me’ had a bold, raucous big band sound, while ‘L’Amour’ uses strings to evoke a more lush and passionate feeling,” she says. The music is polished, energetic, and just as powerful as before, only this time her singing has evolved into a more personal, reflective tone. One might call it soulful and even wistful at times, but one thing is certain: this is a deeply personal work that comes from the most meaningful depths of Brigitte’s heart.
Brigitte Zarie carries forth the classic jazz musical tradition in her own unique and distinctive way. She brings bold determination, sassiness, originality, and unwavering insight to every song she writes. The result is a listening experience that is warm and uplifting. And a work of art that is timeless. Brigitte Zarie. A songwriter who moves the heart, stirs the soul, and is the voice of whole new generation of jazz.
AM: Brigitte, I discovered you through facebook. After seeing a photo of you I wondered what you sounded like and I was so impressed by your talents, not only a singer but as a songwriter!
BZ: Thank you, yes I write my songs. That’s why I’m so weird. I am always thinking about the words I am singing.
AM: What inspires you to write?
BZ: First, it’s cathartic. I feel that standards have been sung so many times and with all due respect it’s because of those standards that I am writing my own stuff. Cole Porter and Johnny Mercer are great teachers. The thing is I have my own experiences and they have to come out somewhere. I have to talk about them, whether I was happy or sad. Those are my experiences.
AM: If you have the talent to write you should.
BZ: The great songwriter of the day who have passed on shared ‘their experiences.’ ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ and ‘My Funny Valentine’ were their broken hearts and happy days. So my songs are my moments.
AM: Did you always intend to write your own songs?
BZ: I didn’t do anything on purpose. I just do what I do. My songs are a great way for people to get to know me. That can’t happen the same if I sing somebody else’s song. People might say she has a great voice but this way they get to know my pain, my voice and my experience.
AM: That’s what I loved so much about your music and style.
BZ: A lot of people hear my music and think they know the song, but it’s my song. That is the biggest compliment. You know I’m writing off the classic writers coattails. They are amazing songwriters. I’m not an ingrate by any means. They made me who I am. I’m very grateful to be doing what I’m doing without discrediting these amazing people from before.
AM: Brigitte, I find you very unique and one of a kind.
BZ: Thank you, that’s a huge compliment.
AM: You are a lifelong artist. You will be recording when you’re sixty and seventy.
BZ: I hope so. As long as I’m writing my own music it’s a never ending process. I’m always having experiences so there is always something for me to write and sing about.
AM: Your music has a blend of the contemporary experience and a classic sound. That’s why people think they’ve heard your original songs before.
BZ: It’s difficult because the music can be embraced and accepted or it can be resented. People can wonder, what is she doing. Why isn’t she singing standards? I’ve had that happen. I’ve had radio people tell me I was getting poor advice and I should be singing standards.
AM: You don’t listen do you?
BZ: No, I can’t.
AM: Those people just don’t get it.
BZ: No, especially the original material.
AM: You’re a little ahead of the curve so you have to lead the way.
BZ: That’s exactly what it is.
AM: How is the new album coming along?
BZ: It’s great. It’s different than the first two. The first album was a little more big band, Vegas style.
AM: I love it! I love ‘Money, Money, Money.’
BZ: I wrote ‘Money, Money, Money’ when I was walking along Fifth Avenue and I looked up and saw Donald Trump’s building. I was thinking money, money and it just came to me.
AM: The melody comes to you like that?
BZ: Yes, and I wrote Vegas the same way. I wanted to go to Vegas and just started thinking how cool it is. I’ve been there a few times. These songs come to me, but I am being challenged at the moment. The new record is named ‘Marie’ after my Mom who passed away.
AM: You recorded ‘I Walk The Line’ for her didn’t you?
BZ: Yes and it was during that recording that she passed away. A lot of people didn’t understand why I recorded that song, but it was her favorite and I love Johnny Cash.
To learn more about Brigitte visit her web site http://brigittezarie.com/