{"id":111199,"date":"2025-01-23T16:02:40","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T21:02:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=111199"},"modified":"2025-01-24T13:46:04","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T18:46:04","slug":"interview-vocalist-adi-braun-talks-cole-porter-singing-rose-orchestra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/01\/23\/interview-vocalist-adi-braun-talks-cole-porter-singing-rose-orchestra\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Vocalist Adi Braun Talks About Cole Porter, And Singing With The Rose Orchestra"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Vocalist
Vocalist Adi Braun (Photo: Eric Moniz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Vocalist and songwriter Adi Braun will be focusing on the works of Cole Porter for her upcoming concert with The Rose Orchestra in Brampton. The concert will take place on February 8 at the The Rose Brampton Theatre.<\/p>\n

Braun has released several albums, but Night And Day (The Cole Porter Songbook) is the first to be devoted to just one composer. We caught up with her to talk about the music.<\/p>\n

Why Cole Porter?<\/h3>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really good question,\u201d she says. \u201cI go, well, why not? What\u2019s not to love?\u201d<\/p>\n

Since making the switch from classical to jazz years ago, Braun has always had Cole Porter songs in her repertoire, and had recorded a few as part of other albums. On her 2023 release Night And Day (The Cole Porter Songbook) on Alma Records, she devoted a whole album to his works.<\/p>\n

\u201cCole Porter really ranks for me, as a vocalist in this genre, so extremely high,\u201d she says. \u201cI guess in modern times, you know if you think of Broadway, Stephen Sondheim comes to mind.\u201d But, from the 1920s and 30s to his big come back in 1947, Porter was king of the Great White Way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI find his lyrics and music, there is such a respectful marriage between what came out of him lyrically, poetically, and what came out of him musically,\u201d she notes.<\/p>\n

For songs, there\u2019s always the question: which came first, the words or the music? \u201cFor me, when I\u2019m asked, it\u2019s the rhythm or music that comes first,\u201d Braun says of her own songwriting. Porter\u2019s lyrics were so clever, and so apt, though, it\u2019s possible that they may have come first. \u201cHe was a wordsmith.\u201d<\/p>\n

Certainly, he had his finger on the mores and politics of his day. Classically trained, he came from a wealthy family who didn\u2019t approve of his adventures in the music business. He was also a gay man, necessarily closeted because of the era, but who had many lovers quite openly \u2014 as well as a wife who he cared for.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fascinated by the story that he and Linda […] they were each other\u2019s soul mate.\u201d<\/p>\n

His fascinating life resulted in musicals that still connect to modern audiences. \u201cHe can be at once, a gamut of human emotions \u2014 completely vulnerable, passionate […] sarcastic, cheeky, sexy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of my favourites on the recording is In The Still of the Night,\u201d she says. Her inspiration on her take came from the 2004 Gershwin biopic titled De-Lovely, and starring Kevin Kline. \u201cHe sings [it] one notch above a whisper, and it\u2019s so delicious,\u201d she says. \u201cThere\u2019s such fragility in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Porter\u2019s repertoire is satisfying for a singer both artistically and interpretively. \u201cIt was hard to come up with 10 of my favourites.\u201d Though each song is different, of course, the throughline is Porter\u2019s humanity. \u201cHe does a psychological study on humans, and also about human behaviour. All of these songs are rich with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

It allows for deeper and varied interpretations of the songs. As she points out, songs like Love For Sale have been covered by several great female vocalists, and while the lyrics can be seen as problematic, Adi chose to interpret them as something empowering. \u201cI think that\u2019s why artists return to Porter\u2019s songbook again and again.\u201d<\/p>\n