Earlier this year, Cecilia Stalin, the Swedish born, London dwelling singer released her brand new album ‘Step Like a Giant’ into the digital marketplace. Although not strictly a jazz release in its traditional form (purists sit down!), it was Cecilia’s heartfelt homage to the late, great John Coltrane and features a number of emotive takes on some of his most famous compositions. Having had her vocals featured on many releases over the course of her career, most notably on the first two albums from nu-jazz duo Koop, as well as singing background vocals for the likes of The Cinematic Orchestra (on tour) and Jazz Meet favourites Emanative, Cecilia has travelled the world working with some of the truly great musicians of our time (both in a jazz sense, and in more contemporary circles). As such, we’re very pleased to welcome her to The Jazz Meet stage this coming Bank Holiday Sunday at Floripa as she brings us a live interpretation of her ‘Step Like A Giant’ project. Ahead of the gig, we thought we’d have a quick catch up to talk about the album, her beginnings as a singer and some of her earlier collabs. Check out her responses below…
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First off… let’s take it back. Can you give us a brief insight into how you decided you wanted to be a singer and what your first big break was? What drew you to jazz in the first instance?
It was not planned, I was studying business at university and someone asked me to sing with a big band for a show. I had no idea how to sing jazz but I pulled through pretty well and got the permanent position. My first big break was with a group called Koop in 1996 when they signed a single with Kevin Beadle and Clean Up Records and then went on to big things!
I have a lot to thank for my Dad who plays stride piano. He used to call me into the living room and ask me if I knew the songs he used to play, and then make me sing them. Great introduction.
Your new album ‘Step Like A Giant’ pays homage to the great John Coltrane and incorporates a lot of production on a hip-hop, broken beat and neo soul tip. Can you tell us a bit about how the project got started and how you came up with the concept?
The project came as an idea after I worked with Reggie Workman’s Coltrane Ensemble in NYC. I fell deeply in love with the compositions (more than before) and a couple of years later I felt an urge that I really wanted to do something with the music to show people how amazing the music is. I didn’t want to do a straight jazz album by the way I was feeling the songs, so I wrote a bass line or a groove or a full rework of the tracks and then passed it on to a chosen producer or went to the studio to record it. Hopefully people will check out John Coltrane as a result of it!!
On the record, you’ve covered not one but several of Coltrane’s classic tracks (The two versions of ‘Favourite Things’ really are divine!) which some would consider to be a pretty brave move. Do you still have a favourite composition from the man that you’d like to revisit, or one you think is so perfect it shouldn’t be remade?
Thank you so much!! I’m going to be honest and say that it wasn’t until I started to get a few songs together that I realized what I had done… haha… It is holy ground and that’s why I felt that I needed to do it my own way. Music has always been a mean of expression and this is my way of expressing my love for John Coltrane’s soulfulness and I feel that it’s important that we all speak up through music. The only song that I didn’t want to change the melody on was ‘Naima’, so I wrote an intro and did a vocal arrangement and a bass line to accommodate the song rather than to change it up.
The John Coltrane Quartet – Naima – Recorded in 1959 and available on John Coltrane – Giant Steps (Atlantic SD 1311, 1959)
Over the years, you’ve collaborated with many great musicians and producers. Is there one experience from the past that really sticks out in your mind, and secondly Is there someone out there now you’d really like to track down and record with?
Wow… that’s a hard one… But besides working with Koop I must say working and doing a gig with King Britt last year in Philly was an eye opener and a massive inspiration to me!!! I did an hour totally improvised set with King on machines and me with two mics and effects-amazing!!! My dream collab would be to do a big band album with Quincy Jones and Christian McBride… or more realistically work with the Robert Glasper Experiment group!!
Now the album is out and available, what can we expect from you next? Have you already got any ideas for a follow-up?
Well the album is only released online via my Bandcamp and I’m hoping to have a distribution deal in place by the summer… but for now you can pick up my album at my gigs and at a few selected record shops in the UK and USA (for the record that’s currently purveyors of the good groove United80 in Brixton and Soul Brother Records in Putney in the UK, and Dusty Groove and Moods Music in the USA). And yes of course, there is a ‘Alternative Takes EP’ of ‘Step Like A Giant’ that will drop for free in May and then two singles from LoveBug and Broadcite coming up!!
Interview by Rob Coley (@robcoley)
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Listen to the Cecilia Stalin’s ‘Step Like A Giant’ album…
And then come track her down in person, alongside her trio, at The Jazz Meet this Sunday 6th May at Floripa, 5pm-12am with DJ support from Jazz Meet residents Nik Weston and Rob Coley. FREE ENTRY.