Thirteen-time MAC Award, BroadwayWorld Best Cabaret Vocalist Award, and two-time Backstage Bistro Award and Nightlife Award winner Natalie Douglas returns to Birdland Jazz Club on Monday, June 17, with her third annual Juneteenth concert A Juneteenth Jubilee – The Women, honoring the music and legacies of such famed Black women artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Lena Horne, Nancy Wilson, Dionne Warwick, Tina Turner, Gladys Knight, Roberta Flack, Tracy Chapman, and many others. Presented in collaboration with her longtime music director and 2022 Drama Desk Nominee Mark Hartman and his band, the evening will celebrate the momentous federal holiday – commemorating the end of slavery on June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the Civil War – with songs of equality and excellence and a mood of friendship, laughter, healing, and hope.
With her strong foundation in the traditional pop vocals of the Great American Songbook and a devotion to the modern jazz, blues, rock, and country influences of her childhood, Douglas has produced more than 80 different concerts for her home-away-from-home at Birdland, where her award-winning monthly Tributes residency, beginning in the summer of 2017, has featured musical legends like Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Elvis, Dolly Parton, Nat “King” Cole, Dame Shirley Bassey, Ella Fitzgerald, Roberta Flack, Joni Mitchell, Sammy Davis, Jr., Lena Horne, and Barbra Streisand. Along with her shows at Birdland, she has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Rose Theatre and The Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Town Hall, and The Pheasantry in London, among other renowned venues, and her CD catalog includes the MAC Award-winning Human Heart and her latest critically acclaimed release on Club 44 Records, Back to the Garden, available on Apple Music, Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify.
In addition to her work on the concert stage and in the recording studio, Douglas is also a respected actor and educator, who has served as an expert instructor for the Jim and Elizabeth Sullivan Foundation, the Eugene O’Neill Cabaret and Performance Conference, and the Mabel Mercer Foundation, for which she has been named Education Director. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from USC in Psychology, Theatre, and Women’s Studies and a Master’s degree from UCLA in Psychology and Theatre.
In advance of her Juneteenth concert, Natalie made time in her active schedule to answer our quick questions about her background and tastes, to help her fans get to know her a little better and to get a preview of what to expect in her upcoming show.
- What is it about Birdland?
Natalie: There’s no denying it’s a legendary room. I mean I grew up listening to artists recorded ‘Live at Birdland.’ I truly have a ton of great Birdland memories – I have sung there and been a devoted fan for over 20 years, ever since Jim Caruso first brought Cast Party to Birdland. After all, it’s where I first met the team from my record label, Club44 Records!
- Do you have a favorite menu item or beverage you would recommend?
Oh sure, I absolutely love the meatballs, the wings, the mussels, the Caesar salad, the burger, and the BBQ ribs! And in summer, they always have a delicious gazpacho in addition to the soup of the day. I spend a LOT of time at Birdland . . . hee!
- What do you love most about being live on stage?
Connecting with the other musicians onstage and ultimately with an audience. I’ve often said, as performers we have to have the show-off gene or we wouldn’t do this, but that’s not my main motivation – I love the way each performance is unique because there are different people in the room each time.
- Which song do you most look forward to performing in the Juneteenth concert?
That’s a hard question – I love them all! It would be weird to do a show of songs you hate, right? Perhaps “Mississippi Goddam.” Nina Simone is my Queen!
- Is there one famed singer whose work you’ve included in the show that you find most relatable?
Ha! Since you asked, Nina Simone! She wrote, sang, played, and performed with her whole self – her experiences, intelligence, humor, anger, hurt, love, hope. She simply brought everything to the table. That’s why she’s known as the High Priestess of Soul!
- What’s your first creative memory?
Learning the first song my mother taught me, “You’ll Never Know” – available on my new album Back to the Garden . . . hee! – and creating a tag for the ending. I have no idea how I even knew what a tag was at four years old!
- Who or what has been the biggest inspiration in your career?
There have been many in the sense that I’m inspired by the beautiful brave Black female artists who’ve gone before me, like Nina Simone, Nancy Wilson, Tina Turner, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Roberta Flack. They personify grace, talent, and determination.
- What do you hope the audience takes away from the show?
I hope they have a fantastic time, discover a new song or rediscover one they’d forgotten, laugh a lot, and feel inspired.
- What’s the most memorable reaction you’ve ever gotten from a fan?
Most memorable? Hmmm, many years ago a woman came to see me twice, saying she came on the first night because she was worried about a medical test result and thought some music would distract her and then came back another night to thank me for singing exactly what she needed to hear to soothe her before she got what turned out to be good news. By the time she finished telling me, we were both teary and she said, “Never doubt you’re doing what you’re meant to be doing.” That has stayed with me.
- What three things do you always have in your dressing room?
Ooooh, Diet Dr Pepper or Dr Pepper Zero, mypurmist steamer, and sparkly jewelry.
- What three words would you use to describe yourself?
Funny, smart, and kind, I hope.
- What do you enjoy most about being in the recording studio?
I love everything about it! We recorded most of my most recent album in Nashville with the brilliant team at Club44 Records. They made every part of it absolute joy. I love the moment you tap into the right zone – musically, emotionally, etc. – on a song and everyone in the studio recognizes it simultaneously.
- What do you do for fun when you’re not performing?
I read a lot, catch up on theater and shows, watch Doctor Who, catch up with friends and family, and enjoy NYC – I really miss it when I’m traveling.
- If you weren’t in music, what career would you have pursued?
I have my Master’s degree in psychology, so I might have done that. I enjoy talking about human behavior! Also, if I wasn’t extremely squeamish, I would have loved being a detective.
- What three emotions are you feeling about presenting this important Juneteenth concert?
Happy, proud, and excited. Can’t wait for everyone to hear these songs!
Thanks, Natalie, for sharing an insightful 15 minutes with us, giving our readers a preview of your upcoming Birdland show, and celebrating the significance of Juneteenth and the fame of these legendary women!
Natalie Douglas: Juneteenth Jubilee – The Women plays on Monday, June 17, at 7 pm (doors open at 5:30), at Birdland Jazz Club, 315 West 44th Street, NYC. For tickets (priced at $35, plus fees and a $20 food/beverage minimum per person), call (212) 581-3080, or go online.
