Live music fans in San Francisco have a rare opportunity to see a pop icon this week when Jody Watley arrives on the intimate stage of the Rrazz Room in Hotel Nikko.
She doesn't mind at all that some people don't realize Watley has been a chameleon in the world of music—gathering hit records since the '70s along the way.
Sure, it's easy to remember her '80s smash radio tunes—and iconic music videos—like “Looking for a New Love," the pop-rap hybrid “Friends," and “Real Love," but not everyone knows that Watley was a “Soul Train" superstar, handpicked by Don Cornelius to become part of the funk disco outfit, Shalamar, back in the day.
Since, the Grammy Award winner has explored everything from jazz to standards to electro, and Watley continues her musical journey with “Chameleon," which will be her first new release since 2006's “The Makeover."
Chatting with Watley, it's easy to see how she has remained vibrant and on the cutting-edge of sound—and how the 'A Return to Elegance' performances on March 15-17 are going to be another important part of her journey.
Corey Andrew: What kind of musical accompaniment are you going to have for these shows?
Jody Watley: I call it an electronic orchestra. I'll leave it at that. I'll also have horns, a traditional set-up as well.
Corey: I know you've been working on a new album and you've got a lot of material to pull from, so how does a show like this come together?
Jody: I always try to have a diverse show because it's really fun to take the audience on a journey, and I have so many different elements to my catalogue. I weave in the newer, groovy, ambient, electronic things I've been doing for the past decade. Also included in these shows will be some of my influences. It will have elements of jazz. People probably were surprised many years ago when I did 'After You' for 'Red, Hot and Blue,' which was one of the first music projects to raise HIV/AIDS awareness. I had an opportunity to perform any style I wanted to do because that was in the middle of my pop vibe, and I chose jazz because I grew up with jazz music. My parents listened to jazz. That's been in my blood, too, so the show is really one of the most eclectic shows that I think people will see. I always surprise those who have never seen me perform live.
Corey: Do you like to share stories on stage?
Jody: I do. Somewhere in me a bit of a stand-up comedian comes out, and I don't know where that comes from (laughs). Onstage, it's natural. My friends all say I'm funny. I'm very personable with the audience. One of the things I enjoy is there are a lot of spontaneous moments, where in a series of shows, what you see happen on Thursday night will be different than what might happen the next night or Saturday night. It's not rigid, like this is where I tell the audience, 'I love you,' every night. It's not like that (laughs).
Corey: That's great because it is kind of rare these days. I think the audience can sense when that honesty comes through.
Jody: The theme, 'A Return to Elegance,' that is really honoring that style of performance—real performers. Again, my music journey. With traditional artists going back many, many years ago, there was that level of the elegance, the chicness and also the honesty that really came through when you watch vintage clips of performers from a long time ago. Everything now is so over-the-top and theatrical and cartoon characters and this and that, and I just thought this will be really refreshing for the people that are missing that part of being entertained. Having a classy and fun night of music.
Corey: You embraced electronic music a ways back, and now we're seeing dance music and electronic music make its way back into the mainstream. Is it exciting for you to see a lot of that stuff on the charts?
Jody: I have mixed emotions about it. I think it's great on one hand, but the level of quality isn't what I love about dance music and electronic music. I think it's great dance music and electronic music finally are getting major exposure. There is a lack of diversity in the genre. You have to seek that out. There are producers other than David Guetta. He's great, but he's not totally representative of the range. Now that it's there on center stage, all right people, let's let a few more artists and styles come in. I get it. They have to go with what's the easiest thing to market. It's cool. In the Grammys they now have a section for it. It's growing. It's not like I'm a band wagoner on it. Dance music has always been very special to me. This genre is something that I started being passionate about back in '99.
Corey: When you're working on a new album like 'Chameleon,' how do you go about finding producers you want to work with?
Jody: It's all been coming together very organically. 'Chameleon' has taken many shapes. I stepped away from it for a while. With everything I do I make sure to live life. People are so accustomed to seeing artists and hearing from them all the time. It's like, 'Guys, go away for a while. Let people miss you and wonder what you're up to.' I've been taking my time with it, and really it's been a great thing.
It's ended up a different vibe than when I started it. Maybe the universe decided it for me. When I think about how long my career has been percolating and marinating and going back to the disco era as a teenager and starting out in Shalamar, a lot of it goes back to electronic music. Europe especially embraces it. They call it future disco. Elements of disco funk are on the rise. Then I thought, that's a part of my musical history. I was writing a song with these guys in the UK, 'Count the Money.' We came up with this great song, and I'll be debuting it at the Rrazz Room. It's got a very classic, funky disco vibe to it—future disco. So everything, you could say, comes full circle. The project has a respect and nod to my music journey, as will the shows at the Rrazz Room.
Corey: I'm getting excited just hearing you talk about it.
Jody: I don't want to toot my own horn, but it's so good, and I'm so excited. I think it's gonna make people so happy. That's one thing that you don't hear too much about in music, to make people happy. Not just make money and all that. To really create an environment with a live show and the music itself, that it's really about good vibes. It honors without recreating the past, but it's respectful of when people say they miss certain things about the music industry or the quality of artists or things like that. A lot has gone into my creative process, more than ever, this time around.
Corey: Do you dance onstage these days?
Jody: I still do it in six-inch heels, baby! Oh, yes!
You can visit therrazzroom.com to purchase tickets to Jody Watley's “A Return to Elegance," which she will perform March 15-17.
She doesn't mind at all that some people don't realize Watley has been a chameleon in the world of music—gathering hit records since the '70s along the way.
Sure, it's easy to remember her '80s smash radio tunes—and iconic music videos—like “Looking for a New Love," the pop-rap hybrid “Friends," and “Real Love," but not everyone knows that Watley was a “Soul Train" superstar, handpicked by Don Cornelius to become part of the funk disco outfit, Shalamar, back in the day.
Since, the Grammy Award winner has explored everything from jazz to standards to electro, and Watley continues her musical journey with “Chameleon," which will be her first new release since 2006's “The Makeover."
Chatting with Watley, it's easy to see how she has remained vibrant and on the cutting-edge of sound—and how the 'A Return to Elegance' performances on March 15-17 are going to be another important part of her journey.
Corey Andrew: What kind of musical accompaniment are you going to have for these shows?
Jody Watley: I call it an electronic orchestra. I'll leave it at that. I'll also have horns, a traditional set-up as well.
Corey: I know you've been working on a new album and you've got a lot of material to pull from, so how does a show like this come together?
Jody: I always try to have a diverse show because it's really fun to take the audience on a journey, and I have so many different elements to my catalogue. I weave in the newer, groovy, ambient, electronic things I've been doing for the past decade. Also included in these shows will be some of my influences. It will have elements of jazz. People probably were surprised many years ago when I did 'After You' for 'Red, Hot and Blue,' which was one of the first music projects to raise HIV/AIDS awareness. I had an opportunity to perform any style I wanted to do because that was in the middle of my pop vibe, and I chose jazz because I grew up with jazz music. My parents listened to jazz. That's been in my blood, too, so the show is really one of the most eclectic shows that I think people will see. I always surprise those who have never seen me perform live.
Corey: Do you like to share stories on stage?
Jody: I do. Somewhere in me a bit of a stand-up comedian comes out, and I don't know where that comes from (laughs). Onstage, it's natural. My friends all say I'm funny. I'm very personable with the audience. One of the things I enjoy is there are a lot of spontaneous moments, where in a series of shows, what you see happen on Thursday night will be different than what might happen the next night or Saturday night. It's not rigid, like this is where I tell the audience, 'I love you,' every night. It's not like that (laughs).
Corey: That's great because it is kind of rare these days. I think the audience can sense when that honesty comes through.
Jody: The theme, 'A Return to Elegance,' that is really honoring that style of performance—real performers. Again, my music journey. With traditional artists going back many, many years ago, there was that level of the elegance, the chicness and also the honesty that really came through when you watch vintage clips of performers from a long time ago. Everything now is so over-the-top and theatrical and cartoon characters and this and that, and I just thought this will be really refreshing for the people that are missing that part of being entertained. Having a classy and fun night of music.
Corey: You embraced electronic music a ways back, and now we're seeing dance music and electronic music make its way back into the mainstream. Is it exciting for you to see a lot of that stuff on the charts?
Jody: I have mixed emotions about it. I think it's great on one hand, but the level of quality isn't what I love about dance music and electronic music. I think it's great dance music and electronic music finally are getting major exposure. There is a lack of diversity in the genre. You have to seek that out. There are producers other than David Guetta. He's great, but he's not totally representative of the range. Now that it's there on center stage, all right people, let's let a few more artists and styles come in. I get it. They have to go with what's the easiest thing to market. It's cool. In the Grammys they now have a section for it. It's growing. It's not like I'm a band wagoner on it. Dance music has always been very special to me. This genre is something that I started being passionate about back in '99.
Corey: When you're working on a new album like 'Chameleon,' how do you go about finding producers you want to work with?
Jody: It's all been coming together very organically. 'Chameleon' has taken many shapes. I stepped away from it for a while. With everything I do I make sure to live life. People are so accustomed to seeing artists and hearing from them all the time. It's like, 'Guys, go away for a while. Let people miss you and wonder what you're up to.' I've been taking my time with it, and really it's been a great thing.
It's ended up a different vibe than when I started it. Maybe the universe decided it for me. When I think about how long my career has been percolating and marinating and going back to the disco era as a teenager and starting out in Shalamar, a lot of it goes back to electronic music. Europe especially embraces it. They call it future disco. Elements of disco funk are on the rise. Then I thought, that's a part of my musical history. I was writing a song with these guys in the UK, 'Count the Money.' We came up with this great song, and I'll be debuting it at the Rrazz Room. It's got a very classic, funky disco vibe to it—future disco. So everything, you could say, comes full circle. The project has a respect and nod to my music journey, as will the shows at the Rrazz Room.
Corey: I'm getting excited just hearing you talk about it.
Jody: I don't want to toot my own horn, but it's so good, and I'm so excited. I think it's gonna make people so happy. That's one thing that you don't hear too much about in music, to make people happy. Not just make money and all that. To really create an environment with a live show and the music itself, that it's really about good vibes. It honors without recreating the past, but it's respectful of when people say they miss certain things about the music industry or the quality of artists or things like that. A lot has gone into my creative process, more than ever, this time around.
Corey: Do you dance onstage these days?
Jody: I still do it in six-inch heels, baby! Oh, yes!
You can visit therrazzroom.com to purchase tickets to Jody Watley's “A Return to Elegance," which she will perform March 15-17.
