By Ginny Haller

from The Morning Star

 
Melody Cooper is a complex mixture of singer; musician, historian and philosopher. As a musician and singer she performs at various venues around town, as a historian she creates cabarets that look back in time, and as a philosopher she thinks about music and its relationship to our lives.

 
Melody has lived in Key West for 28 years, and for about 15 of those years. she went back and forth while she studied piano, improvisation and sight singing in Manhattan. Until three years ago, Melody was the Motown inspired red headed "Krissy" of The Fabulous Spectrelles.
She is also well known as the jazz singer in her musical revue Torch!, which is her look at 20s jazz singers. In between songs, Melody tells the stories and history of jazz and the women who sang it. She shows the glamour, gowns, staging and choreography of the era. In 1997, she took the show to the 50th annual Theater Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland.

 
As Melody talks her sense of history weaves in and out of her thoughts. She highlights the importance in 1928 of the invention of the electric microphone and how it revolutionized the music business because people didn't have to shout anymore. It created a whole new style of singing. A singer didn't have to shout over the band, so they could take their emotions and share them with the audience. Melody says, Frank Sinatra could not have sung over a band without a mike, so singing became much more intimate with the audience. And the audience is the other half of the conversation... "As I sing, the band and I are having a conversation with them, and it is all one conversation. I like jazz because it is open to whatever conversation is happening at the moment. Yes, of course all music is like dialogue, but I think jazz really has a mind set for it. A dialogue is written into the form of jazz and you are supposed to improvise and listen and take off on what is going on."

 
She also understands the technical side of music. She is the second engineer at Private Ear Studio, where a lot of local musicians come to record. She works with her partner Dan on many projects and does some of her own.
And she sings for different community events and festivals, for instance this past week she sang for the Cuban Heritage Festival. She plays piano with the chamber ensemble Bach to Bossa Nova and plays piano and sings with Robin Kaplan on flute and Terry Ray on bass in thetas trio named Black Velvet Jazz.
Melody has taken the step into electronic sequencer, and is developing a new show with two keyboards. She states, In Key West right now there are a lot of solo and duos that use electronics, so I want to join the modern age with electronics. Sometime after Christmas the new show will be ready.

 
Her background is classical and jazz and this shows that she loves complicated, dramatic and intense music. Melody takes on what she says is difficult stuff because she loves the challenge of it, but it is also nice to get out there and have fun and let people have a good time.

 
So, where is her heart in all of this music, history, thought and theory? It's in the singing. Melody says she needs to sing for the release. Everyone needs an expressive outlet and singing and communicating with people is hers. So maybe within all our complex humanity it is the communication with others that matter.
Some people create music, some write, and some talk with their families, it is all very important to us.

First off, the new year starts on a happy note, all in good health and the sun is shining. Today I say, " Ain't life grand."

Many of you know that I've been looking around for a nice room for my piano and I to call home this season and, lo and behold, one found me. I am thrilled to begin playing on Friday nights, from 9-12, at Coco Bistro, 1215 Duval St. I start this Friday, January 26, so come out and help me kick off a new venue. I'll also be there on Valentine's Day, thank you Dan for being so understanding about my working on our 15th, wow, anniversary. This restaurant is so sweet, the owners 2 sisters originally from Paris, Anne and Marie, along with Maryann are very comfortable , confident women that I immediately felt just right with. They have a French, Moroccan, Key West eclectic menu with a super wine list and a full service bar that serves 6-11, great for before or after theater. And thanks to friend and chef Ron Rivietsu for bringing us together!

The Paradise Big Band, which I am so happy to be a part of, has been doing really well. We had a successful two nights at The San Carlos Theater with the 2nd Tribute to Duke Ellington concert. The Pigeon Key performance date has been changed due to the wet and cold we had this past weekend, the new date is Sunday, Feb 18. I love playing piano and singing with all these great musicians, it rocks.

The next Keys Chorale concert will be in performance with the Key West Pops. That's scheduled for March 4 at the Tennessee Williams Fine Arts Center. I know we're doing a bit of Carmina Burana and some opera choruses, and that Babara Conrad has sent us some arrangements for spirituals that she'll be doing. Should be a power packed night of music.

I've made a new publicity packet, and have been more or less working on the "lighter side" of Melody . Developing a type of jazzy Latin n' pop style that seems to be very me. I've been dropping by different venues in town and looks like I'll be popping up during happy hours and other nights during the week around town, so keep an eye out for me and as ever,

Love you madly-----------------------------------------------Melody