The New Record Project

Rickie is completing her new record with sessions in New York (Right Tracks and Avatar) and Los Angeles (Conway). Joe Jackson, and a great group of players have collaborated on the new recording. Watch this page for further details as they become available.

March 19, 2000

On March 19, Rickie was in the studio (Conway in Los Angeles) at work on the new CD, joined by her longtime friend, and root/blues legend Taj Mahal. Good friend, and legend of his own, Dan Hicks, also joined the day's recording session.

Last year Rickie sang on Dan's new CD (to be released in the summer of 2000), a record that will include other guest artists such as Brian Setzer (guitar), and vocalists Elvis Costello and Tom Waits.

Grant Cihlar from 1171 Production Group (Los Angeles) dropped by to capture some of the session on digital video which will be included here on Rickie's site in the relatively near future. Grant and Bruce Martin from 1171 collaborated with Ethan Russell on his filmed biography, Naked Songs, the Life and Times of Rickie Lee Jones.

Ben Sidran's comments:

I heard Rickie do a small jazz gig a few years ago in Marin County and was instantly taken with her jazz approach. It's unlike anyone else's -- even though she herself has told me that she has to be careful not to wander too far into Betty Carter territory -- and even though it has a lot of classic elements (Billie, etc.) it is such a personal voice that she defines whatever space she occupies. She and I actually communicated a year or so ago about a jazz project -- at the time we were talking about a Sinatra tribute -- but nothing came of it. Then a few months ago, we were back at it.

I am a jazz producer with a lot of pop experience. I've produced jazz singers like Mose Allison, Jon Hendricks, Mark Murphy, Georgie Fame, Sarah Vaughan and Peggy Lee , but also pop vocalists like Van Morrison, Diana Ross, Mavis Staples, Chaka Khan, and Carla Thomas. (In some circles, I'm even best known for writing "Space Cowboy" with Steve Miller). But I've never come across such a broad, natural jazz talent as Rickie Lee.

For me, jazz is all about finding your own voice. Historically, the sound of your voice is your contribution to the art form, whether you sing or play an instrument. And Rickie is all about sound.

As we started talking about the material for this album, the list kept growing and growing, from jazz standards to obscure alternative music to better know pop songs. The interesting thing is that they all would work because Rickie's approach is large enough and personal enough to make any piece of music her own.

We decided to start with a more pure jazz approach, to go into the studio with musicians who are acoustic masters (no fusion players). After thinking long and hard about this, I put together a rhythm section including Richard Davis on bass (Richard has played with virtually all the great names in jazz, from Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Sarah Vaughan, and he also covers all basses, from avant-garde jazz records like Eric Dolphy's "Out To Lunch" to Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks"), Buddy Montgomery on piano and vibes (Buddy is the brother of famed guitarist Wes Montgomery and is one of the great accompanists of our era), Carl Allen on drums (he is currently the most sought after drummer on the New York jazz scene) and John Pizzarelli on guitar (who is a terrific singer as well and who backed Rickie up at the Carnegie Hall tribute to Carole King.

We took this band into Right Track studios on February 3, 2000. I chose Right Track studio "C" because it is a large open wooden room, which is perfect for capturing live performances, and I called James Farber to engineer. James has recorded much of the most important New York jazz of the past two decades, including Josh Redman, Brad Maldau, Joe Lovanno, John Scofield and Mike Brecker, and also has made many wonderful pop records (notably several for James Taylor).

You have to start somewhere, so this is where we started. The song list included classic standards ("I Can't Get Started", "On The Street Where You Live", "One For My Baby", etc.) and Rickie brought in a couple of great pop ideas, like Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man" and "Show Biz Kids" from Steely Dan. The trick was in keeping all this material in the same pocket, maintaining a consistent feel. For example on "Trouble Man", a lyric which seems just made for Rickie's voice and life story, she is playing the guitar herself, very loose and laid back, while Buddy Montgomery is playing a vibes pattern straight out of Miles Davis' classic "So What" recording and Richard Davis cops a hypnotic funk groove. The result isn't strictly pop or r&b or jazz. It's Rickie Lee Jones delivering the news.

The record is still an evolving mystery. More to follow.

Ben Sidran / 7 March, 2000

Rickie's been back in New York several times during the past six months.

She performed at the Carole King tribute. That was quite a night, if I have all my facts right. She had wanted to meet up with Mike Watt who was in New York that weekend, playing some hard-core venue across town. The Carole King benefit was someplace like Madison Square Garden. Rickie was performing one of Carole's songs, like Up On the Roof with Paul Schaffer doing arrangements for the orchestra. It was really kind of chic and kitsch all rolled into one gala event. Rickie did her song, quite nicely I'm told, and then crossed town to meet up with Mike who was, at the time, sleeping in his van.

I guess she didn't get to see Mike play, and went back across town to the Mercury Lounge to hear John Pizarelli. Rickie had a martini or two, and then she and John did two songs together. Rickie told me about it on the phone, "It was odd. The waiters all quit working while we played and came up front and watched."

Eventually, Rickie and Mike met that night after his set was finished. That led to their two nights in San Francisco on the Noe Valley Ministry stage (see poster!). There's been some talk about a collaboration of one kind or another.

Then there's been the preparation for this new record. Back in New York, this time with Joe Jackson and a few other great musicians.

Rickie's comments:

February 9, 2000

A few weeks ago I went down to L.A. to record a couple songs with my old acquaintance Dan Hicks. I have been a long time admirer of his music, I use to listen to Where's the Money a lot when I was a teenager and beyond, and practiced with that record. So it was fortunate for me to meet him so long ago at that bar in New Orleans, and then finally so many years later get to sing with him. He is sounding really, really good, and I believe, if they keep it simple, this record could be great. His writing is funny, his voice is in good form, if this brings him back into the public eye, that would not be all bad. I gotta tell ya, I love that kind of wry, slightly cowboy tinted swing he manifests. He is the real thing. He is a gentleman, old school, so quick and very tall. I hope I see him again. He's so funny.

Also about Mike Watt and Joe Jackson. In my life I have not been able to meet many people I heard about before I met them, not many famous people, I stay in, I am shy, I don't like the strain. But now in my life, either I have called or been called to, in a spiritual sense, many kind and generous hearts, men's hearts, and it is a very good year, to sit next to Joe as he sang One Hand/One Heart, and to watch Mike Watts' foot as he followed my leads, and you know, he plays so melodically, and those moments were hoped for and were found. Maybe one day I'll play with him again. I hope so.