We sat down with Anne Sellick from Nashville Jazz Workshop who started out as a student but will be a feature performer at this year’s fundraiser JazzMania at the Factory on October 25th, 2014.
WS: How will the JazzMania fundraiser benefit the Nashville Jazz Workshop?
Sellick: The Nashville Jazz Workshop is more than just a school. I mean, it IS a school with six-week long workshops Mon – Thurs nights, but it is also a hub. There are performances and jam sessions and art openings, and lots of people volunteer for these events so it’s also a community. The central focus is what they teach at the school – jazz – but many have become aware of jazz, whether it’s listening, learning, practicing or performing it because of the school/hub/community. The Jazzmania event is an annual event and the biggest celebration of the year. It raises money but it also raises awareness. The high-calibre entertainment, catering and atmosphere excite numbers beyond what the school’s doors can hold. It’s fun to bring our jazz community together as well as welcome arts-appreciators at large.
WS: How did you become involved with Nashville Jazz Workshop?
Sellick: I was one of the first students at the jazz workshop two locations ago. Although I was already singing with a jazz band when I walked in the door, the Nashville Jazz Workshop taught me some very valuable things about how to communicate with other jazz musicians and handle myself so that I would be taken seriously. I learned about how to get deeper inside the music of which I was so passionate. They gave me the opportunity to gig more, record my first CD and become a part of that community I was telling you about through the work-trade. I have been a full-time jazz vocalist for 15 years, and have returned to occasionally teach and give performances…as well as jump in on a class or two from time to time. It’s fun and there’s always more to learn.
WS: What is one thing you would like for us to know about JazzMania?
Sellick: I have always thought it was neat how Nashville seems to want to help keep this niche music alive. The music stores, newspapers, and musicians of all the other styles all seem to appreciate what the Nashville Jazz Workshop is trying to do. Nashville recognizes its value – preserving and promoting jazz, an american-born music. We all come together and party in style at Jazzmania.
WS: You will be performing at JazzMania, what can you tell us about your band?
Sellick: Annie Sellick and the Hot Club of Nashville play some jazz standards with fiery guitars and swinging fiddle (add upright bass and snare drum to this description). Richard Smith, who’s won many awards for fingerstyle guitar, led the Hot Club of Nashville as an instrumental band. I started singing with them back in 2006 because I knew a lot of the repertoire. Over time we found original songs together and worked them up with special treatments for featuring different band members’ incredible soloing abilities. It sounds like 1930s-40s swing with a “Nashville” twist at times…and it makes people happy! It’s upbeat! Everyone loves it!
Other performers to note that evening, mo doubt people will be DANCING to El Moviemento, lead by Rahsaan Barber (he and I are both Nashville natives and grew up in the Jazz Workshop at the same time). He can do anything, but this band is latin-based and it is also upbeat and everyone loves it! Doyle and Debbie are emceeing! I love how the Workshop’s directors Lori Mechem and Roger Spencer are thinking this year – really reaching into Nashville and pulling together local treasures – and not strictly jazz treasures! – to make this Jazzmania particularly unique.
Thanks Annie! For more information about JazzMania, go here.
