Ann Hampton Callaway: ‘I Am a Hybrid of Many Influences'

The American jazz vocalist talks about being a multi-faceted artist and what fuels her creativity

- Sunil Sampat

​​​​​

IT STRAINS ONE’S MEMORY TO remember when a jazz singer-song-writer last performed in Mumbai. Thus, the visit of Ann Hampton Callaway for a concert tour of India stirs up a fair bit of excitement and curiosity among the jazz community in India.

This lady is really multi-talented; she is a pianist, lyricist, arranger, actress and jazz educator apart from being a singer and songwriter. Callaway has written and sung the theme song for the television series, The Nanny, and starred in the Broadway musical Swing. She has composed over 250 songs for TV, Broadway and other theater. Her music and lyrics have been performed and recorded by the likes of Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Blossom Dearie and Carole King among others. A major achievement for Callaway was setting lyrics of the legendary Cole Porter song, “I Gaze in Your Eyes,” to music making her the only composer to collaborate with Porter.

The music from The American Songbook is thus close to Callaway’s heart and we had a chat with her to ask about her music. Her response was eloquent and far reaching and went from her music into the wider regions of painting, philosophy and life itself! Incidentally, her pianist and musical director, Ted Rosenthal accompanied her on the India tour.

Our conversation with Callaway was freewheeling and most informative. Here are excerpts from it:

We hear that you are dedicated to The American Songbook. While this is a very rich musical treasure, what part of it do you find exciting? Are you partial to any particular composer?