Cadence Jazz World: What do you do to survive as a musician?
For several years I've had two full time careers, my day job and my band in order to have the resources to make the investments necessary to build my music career. Several other areas of my life have had to take a back seat due to the demands of both. It's been a challenging journey but well worth it. I also attending the ASCAP conference early in my career to understand how the business of music worked, with my sites on music becoming my full time career. Over the years I've built a strong platform on social media and in other areas in order to expand the visibility of my art , book my band and to continue to develop my skills as an artist. This has resulted in a six-year residency at Buddy Guy's Legends Jazz and Blues club in Chicago, 3 albums and 1 EP, opening for major artists and over 15,000 followers across social media platforms. This has all been a faith walk and my faith and confidence in my purpose has been a sustaining and guiding force in my musical journey.
Cadence Jazz World: What is your current project?
My current project is You Hit the Spot. It is a return to my roots as a traditional jazz vocalist and the music I've sang and enjoyed for years. It's a collection of Great American Songbook tunes that I felt connected to and wanted to sing and features performances by my trio as well as amazingly arranged big band selections by German and Chicago-based producer Thomas Gunther. In the past, I have explored the genres of soul/R&B, smooth Jazz, Gospel as well as traditional Jazz. This project is my sweet spot. It is music I've always loved and connects most to who I am. It is an homage to my father and a sweet homecoming. There are fabulous top Chicago-based jazz musicians on this project including my jazz trio that I perform with monthly at Buddy Guy's Legends and internationally acclaimed-some Grammy-nominated jazz musicians who fortunately reside in Chicago . I am very proud of this work and very excited about it. It really Hits the Spot!
Meet Tracye Eileen!
Tracye Eileen (Smith), Chicago, IL Tracye Eileen is my stage name. Tracye Eileen Smith is my legal name.
Cadence Jazz World: Were your parents musical?
I grew up on the South-side of Chicago and began singing at 8 years old. I would go on to earn a bachelor's degree in Marketing and an MBA in Finance while continuing to sing in my church choir and high school and university jazz bands as the lead vocalist and at Weddings and Funerals. My father was a jazz musician who performed until shortly before his passing at 75. He missed an opportunity to tour with Count Basie after being drafted to Vietnam. We had the opportunity to play several times together. He and my mother met in high school during band class. They were both drummers, but my father was the far more musical one and provided a great influence on the role of music in my life as a musician. My mother's love of recorded music gave me wonderful exposure to all kinds of wonderful artists, including those female singers whom I still admire today.
Cadence Jazz World: How did you learn music and what are your early memories
My parents also made sure we were exposed to music at an early age which included, piano and guitar lessons. I also played clarinet in grade school. My first vocal performance was at 8 years old as soloist in The Wizard of Oz in all three casts. I was too shy to get the role of Dorothy, but out sang everyone--so they put Dorothy to sleep, and I came in as a fairy godmother in her dream to sing Somewhere Over The Rainbow in all three casts. I grew up singing in my church choirs and I sang in my high school and university jazz bands and gospel groups. I did a 10-gospel tour in Switzerland several years ago. My play time included having my friends sing backup while I sang everything from the Stylistics to Michael Jackson in my hairbrush mike.
Cadence Jazz World: Recall a turning point in your life, either musically or personally.
I finally decided to pursue my dream as a professional singer and recording artist 11 years ago after a divorce. I made the decision to pursue the life I wanted vs the one I thought I was supposed to have. I began my career studying at the Bloom School of Jazz in a year-long course, which educated an artist to move from amatuer to professional on all levels from vocal training, scatting, song interpretation and band management. We performed at several of the main jazz venues in Chicago as part of the course and at the school itself. The owner of the school, David Bloom, was impressed with my singing and offered to manage me to assist in the development of my career. He put together my band, most of whom stayed with me for 10 years, although the management relationship didn't work out and ended shortly after its beginning. David got my first gig at the Hollywood Casino in Joliet, IL and I continued to manage the band and booking after that.
Cadence Jazz World: What was the first musical project that you were really excited?
I've been excited about all of them because they were the manifestation of doing what I love. However, my last two projects, "It's Time." a smooth jazz album and the album I just released You Hit The Spot were the first two albums to receive significant both domestic international radio airplay and wonderful music reviews. You Hit The Spot, I am most excited about because I've come full circle back to the music I started with and have always enjoyed. It's a part of me. This project is also an ode to my father, a noted jazz musician who would have been overjoyed to hear it. Finally, I just adored the song selection and the amazing musicians, producers and sound engineers I had the opportunity to work with on this project. My heart is full with the way it has been received thus far.
Cadence Jazz World: Who are your musical heroes and which albums are you excited about?
I love Ella Fitzgerald--The Best of The Songbooks
Nancy Wilson-- Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley
Nina Simone--I Put A Spell On You
Billie Holiday--Lady Day
Dinah Washington— Red Sails
Chaka Kahn-- CK
Dionne Warwick--Valley of the Dolls
I could go on and on but I'll stop here.
Cadence Jazz World: Describe your musical education and approach to creating music.
While in high school and college, I primarily took performance classes, Jazz Band, Choir and JSU Singers. At the beginning of my professional career, I studied for a year at the Bloom School of Jazz in Chicago--The Perfect Set, which was designed to develop singers to move from amatuer to professional. I would go on to receive vocal coaching and attend vocal boot camps in LA with Ms. Lyndia Johnson, on staff at USC Thorton School of Music and founder of Sterling Voice Coaching. My approach to creating music has been co-writing with either my producer or music director when creating original songs. On You Hit the Spot, I worked with two producers--Thomas Gunther and Sasha Dalton. In working with Thomas creating the arrangements for the big band tunes--I would sing accapella my interpretation of the song and we would go back and forth collaborating on style, tempo and key. Sasha and I worked on song research, interpretation and delivery. She provided great feedback on song selection, on my interpretations of the songs and the story I wanted to tell. My pianist Dennis Luxion and I collaborated on style, key and tempo on the trio tunes on the album; then my overall trio and I including Paul Martin, bass and Linard Stroud, drums collaborated on the nuances and delivery of the trio tunes on album, which was recorded at Piano Forte, Chicago. The big band tunes were recorded at Transient Sound Recording Studio.