Tina Schlieske is the master of disguises from punk rocker to crooner to jazz artist. Each one is a perfect fit. Her new album, The Good Life, features new takes on jazz standards. Pour yourself a martini (or just pour water into a fancy glass), find a chose lounge and sink into a musical vacation to the past.
What inspired you to do a jazz album?
It was during the Trump years, it felt very dark to me and I just had this urge to sing these love songs by Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, and others… Those songs are all so simple and yet so complicated. There is a certain lightness about them through the melodies and the lyrics that I was drawn to. I wanted to be transported to a different time so I would put on a tuxedo and sing these songs on a Tuesday night in Santa Barbara at a little wine bar in town. To my surprise a lot of people felt the
same, these songs seemed to hit a nerve so I thought why not make a record!
How did you choose the songs for the album?
The songs on this album are some of my favorite standards. I’ve been listening to them for as long as I
remember.
Is there more pressure in singing your own songs or in performing classics? Or does one feel easier?
Interesting question because for me, there is always pressure in performing regardless of covers or originals. With these jazz standards, the pressure lies in making sure to pay tribute to the song but also pushing yourself to express the melody in a truthful way that is all your own. I also find singing jazz a different experience because the singer in the band is just that, the singer. You are treated as just another instrument up there so that makes it very interesting!
I like the pacing in your Them There Eyes, but it’s different than the Billie Holiday version I’ve heard or that I remember hearing as a kid. How long do you play with a song like that before you can venture from the original, find a nuance of your own and then own it? (Don’t tell Billie, but I think I like your version better.)
Well, thank you for that! We took that version from Billie’s repertoire. She would perform that version live with just a trio or quartet in her later years. I also prefer it compared to the more orchestrated Big Band style that most people are familiar with!
Please tell us about the album release.
It was amazing. When I ventured into this genre of music I wasn’t sure how people would react. I have been so humbled by how everyone has embraced this. It means a lot when you take a chance and follow some kind of inspiration, you look up and people are enjoying it, listening to it, and taking it all in, just as I am!
Mostly Minnesota 