Jazz artist, summer resident York looks ahead

By James Spica
Summer Intern

Libby York

Jazz vocalist Libby York has spent summers in Saugatuck for years. Her singing, compared often to that of Sarah Vaughan and Anita O’Day, can be heard on her recently-released third album, “Here With You,” which York produced herself. During this summer, she performs Thursday nights with accompaniment at the Everyday People Caf/ in Douglas.

Commercial Record: What is your relationship with Saugatuck? How did you first come here, and what do you like about the town?

Libby York: The first time I was here was when I was in high school and my family drove up from Chicago. I have this early memory of my sister and I, walking along the street having such a great time, and I thought, ooh, this is a cool place.

Then I didn’t return until about eight years ago. My connection is my partner, Greg Sergo, who is a wonderful jazz drummer—his family has had a place on Goshhorn Lake for 30 years.

They’re well connected with the Goshhorn community, and I have a place down in Key West, Fla,, so Greg and I figured out, this is great, we’ll spend our winters at Key West and summers in Saugatuck, and be in the cities when we need to be for work.

So compared to the people who have been here for many years, I’m a relative newcomer, but I just fell in love with (Saugatuck), with the natural beauty.

What do you enjoy here aside from singing?

I love to swim—we’re right on the lake—so we can jump in multiple times a day. We love to garden, hike and go to the big lake and swim and walk.

You’ve performed at Everyday People for the past couple summers. Have you performed elsewhere in the area?

That (singing at EPC) was just something that I thought, well, If we’re going to be up here all summer, it’d be nice to have a little gig, so I talked to Matt (Balmer, restaurant co-owner) and learned he’s a music lover too.

So I haven’t done much performing here because we’ve used it more as a getaway, but I know the Saugatuck Center for the Arts has a wonderful program. I sang once at the Saugatuck Woman’s Club when Lakeshore Jazz Connection hosted Greg’s band, Ellington Dynasty, but that was just me doing a few songs with his group.

The more I’m up here, the more I connect with the arts community (in the town). I’d love to do something at SCA or the Woman’s Club, but mostly for now it’s our Thursday’s at the caf/.

When you play there, who do you perform with?

I’m most often with Dick Reynolds, who a lot of music fans in the area know. Dick had a very successful jingle business in Chicago and has had a place here for many years. Last year I worked with Mike Hyde, a wonderful guitarist from Grand Rapids, but this particular one is a duo: just piano and voice, most often.

Describe your ideal jazz group to back your voice.

I think that’s what happened with my last two recordings—that was my forum to say I can pretty much get anybody I want. “Sunday in New York” had Renee Rosnes on piano and Frank Wess, one of the original tenor sax players from the Basie Band. That was a great group.

On the new one, I wanted to do a guitar sound, so I used Russel Malone, who was Diana Krause’s guitarist, one of the all-time greats, and Howard Alden, a wonderful New York guitarist, and Warren Vach/, who most people know from his work with Rosemary Clooney; when he was young, he did a lot of her recordings. That, to me, is the biggest thrill—to be able to work with great people that I love.

Talk a little about having self-produced the last album.

“Here With You” was the first one I totally produced myself; it was a real challenge, but I learned a lot. Before I planned it, some people I really respect said the music business being what it is, with downloading off the Web, record stores becoming nonexistent and big labels often in financial trouble, I should assemble my own little team.

I got a great company, Goove Marketing out of L.A., that did a lot of the Blue Note recordings, so it’s been played all over the country on radio. Then you get a good publicist. These are all things a label would do for you, but it’s do-able on your own. That’s kind of the business aspect.

Musically, I was lucky to have Howard Alden, who did the arrangements, but I like the freedom of planning it myself, choosing the songs myself, choosing the studio—it’s a million little details. It was a challenge, and there were times when I wondered why I ever started this, but those were fleeting moments.

Mostly I just feel good about it and I learned a lot. People think of my three recordings, this was the best and that’s gratifying. But ultimately you do it because you love to do it it, and hope that people will like it.

What do you like most about performing?

The main differences (from studio recording) are that there’s an audience there, and I feel like I’ve finally, after years of doing this, started to love my audience. I get wonderful requests from them ... you know,“try this”—we’ll often try things I don’t know well. Having the live audience just makes it a wonderful interaction.

Also, there’s the freedom to try new things. I’m not a big scat singer, because I have a lot of respect for the lyric and melody, but that being said, I do make a song my own. When you’re in a live performance, every night is different. I do try to constantly try new things—maybe phrase the lyric in a different way, etc. I love the spontaneity of it.

Who are your greatest influences?

Early on, June Christy was one of my all-time favorites. My parents played a lot of Sinatra around the house. Those were early influences.

I love all the arts. Growing up, even some of the musical comedy movies—Doris Day movies, or Calamity Jane or Billy Wilder movies. It’s hard to really pinpoint how it all meshes in, how it comes out in your singing, but it’s all there. Bill Evans, a wonderful jazz pianist, is an influence.

What are your plans for the next few years?

I’m still involved with “Here With You.” I have to admit, the last couple weeks, I’ve started thinking about what’s going to be the next recording project. It was four years between the last two recordings, and it may well be another four years before I record the next one.

I’d like to tour more—some possibilities on the west coast and Europe is a priority—and to just keep working in the best possible venues with the best possible musicians.

I tend to be spontaneous and let the spirit lead where it leads. That’s the best I can do about the future.