Carol Welsman: Lucky to be her?

Carol Welsman: Lucky to be her?

JAKARTA (JP): "Ladies and gentleman, please put your hands
together for Sea Jamz recording artist Carol Welsman!"

From the left hand of the small and crowded stage of the Jamz
pub, a tall blonde woman with a beautiful smile suddenly appeared
on the stage, dancing along with the catchy tune played by her
accompaniment.

The woman opened her act with an upbeat song to get the
audience moving.

The woman, none other than jazz singer, pianist and Toronto
native Carol Welsman, is perhaps a stranger to many, but she's
less peculiar among jazz enthusiasts.

Welsman, who lives in Toronto, Canada, was born with music in
her blood. At the tender age of 12 she was already performing in
public and by the end of high school she had mastered the piano,
violin and double bass. She attended Berklee College in Boston,
U.S.A. in 1979 and majored in piano performance.

After college, she hit Europe to start her career. She toured
France, Greece, Spain and Italy and received praise from
reviewers anywhere she went.

Welsman, who speaks English, Italian and French, also
collaborates with other artists. She once worked with Romano
Musumarra, a songwriter and producer for Princess Stephanie of
Monaco and Celine Dion, on a song called Just Imagination, which
later reached number eight on the top single dance list. She then
became the English lyrist for Dion's compositions and also Dana
Dawson's New York/Paris CD and the Ray Charles 1995 recording Out
of My Life.

Perhaps her career highlight is a jazz performance in Paris
with George Benson, who later described Carol as "a sensational
singer with great promise".

Currently teaching jazz vocal at the Music Department at the
University of Toronto, Welsman has just completed her first CD
entitled Carol Welsman -- Lucky to be Me. According to critics,
the CD showcases Welsman's exquisite and expressive vocal
stylings and her magnificent piano playing.

With such an impressive background, only time will tell if she
will reach the Mt. Olympus of jazz's greats.

Performance, ballad

Wearing a white jacket and a miniskirt with black stripped
stockings, Welsman's dress was far from vulgar. Instead it added
to her colorful performance.

After an impressive opening with a great solo by the
guitarist, the crowd clapped furiously, hungry for more.

What followed was a scintillating piece from Brazil which she
sang in the original Spanish. Her fluency was surprising, and the
instrumental accompaniment was a sight to see. The drummer was
given a wonderful rickety-rack solo.

Perhaps thinking that the crowd were getting weary of the same
beat, Welsman tried to change the pace with ballads. She sang Out
of My Life, a slow, sentimental song with touching lyrics. But
she doesn't have the voice for it. Her fast and talented voice is
made for fast songs not slow, fixed tunes.

Welsman's accompaniment consisted of Mark Kelso (drums), Phil
Dwyer (saxophone) and Paul Novotny (bass).

Although the ballads were uninteresting, her improvisation of
Come Together by the Beatles was an instrumental feast. The
vocalist, the drummer, the saxophonist and the guitarist
harmonized so well that place launched into a fury of applause.

Welsman's strongest point is her improvisational skill on old
songs, making them more stirring for jazz fans. The Brazilian
song, The Girl from Ipanema illustrated how she catalyzed the
song and veiled it with a catchy tune, with the essential
instrumental solos.

Welsman's performance was enchanting. Her tunes were lively,
making the mainly middle aged fans comfortable. The audience,
mostly loving couples, enjoyed the relaxing but upbeat atmosphere
created by Welsman. Some sat quietly, transfixed with her
performance. Others clapped along and shouted the occasional
praise.

Welsman, unfortunately, didn't communicate well with the
crowd, perhaps being uncomfortable with her new surroundings or
the nowhere-near-full house. Her only comments were "Thank You
Very Much." If Welsman had talked more and tried to establish a
closer tie with the audience, the show would have been more
exciting.

Carol Welsman is definitely ready for the big time. With her
catchy songs, wonderful voice and excellent piano playing, it
would be strange if she didn't make it. Her album says Glad To Be
Me and, well, I am glad that she is.

-- Pandu Sjahrir