A singer knows she has made it when Barbara Streisand decides to perform a song she has written. She has made it really big when Streisand decides to sing that song at her wedding.
Three hours before her wedding to James Brolin, Streisand abandoned her planned musical number after hearing a heartfelt ballad written by Ann Hampton Callaway.
“I was surprised, the perfectionist that Barbara is, that she would abandon her other plans, but she said she heard the song and it described exactly how she felt,” Callaway said.
Streisand had to hold a sheet of lyrics while she sang the ballad because she did not have enough time to memorize them.
Callaway, one of the most celebrated modern jazz singer-songwriters, will perform alongside the 18-piece Columbus Jazz Orchestra at the Southern Theater this weekend. This will be the the second show of the “Great American Songbook” series.
“Jazz Arts Group and CJO present two subscription series; one is three concerts and the other is six concerts. This is the second concert of the first series, and will feature more pop songs than the second series,” said Natalie Myers, spokeswoman for the Jazz Arts Group, the group overseeing the CJO.
Callaway will sing many of her own original songs as well as renditions of the classics, or “Ann-dards and Standards,” as she calls them. Many of the tunes will be off her most recent album, “Signature,” a tribute to jazz legends Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan.
Callaway maintains a fun and open atmosphere at her shows, incorporating improvisation by taking song suggestions from the audience.
“I let the spur of the moment be my guide — I have a lot of fun with the audience, but there is also a lot of serious musicianship,” Callaway said.
Callaway fell in love with music while growing up. Her father constantly played records from, among others, Dizzy Gillespie and Fitzgerald. Her mother, a distinguished Broadway vocal coach, introduced her to musical theater at a young age. Callaway names jazz, theater, opera and pop as influences, and believes her eclectic musical background has been an essential component in her career.
“Most singers worth the wait bring together cultural influences. I’m able to weave my cultural inspirations into my own style,” she said.
Callaway has played in Columbus before with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and the Gay Men’s Chorus, but she believes playing with a big band is something extraordinary.
“A big band has such an incredible sound and is so much fun,” she said. “Plus, it’s also a smaller animal to tame — you get to take all these unique great sounds and have them play as one.”
Bob Breithaupt, executive director of Jazz Arts Group, said he believes Callaway will bring something special to the Southern Theater that everyone can enjoy.
“For young people to hear the power and excitement of a live acoustic jazz orchestra with a wonderful live jazz singer is something very unique,” he said.
Breithaupt is confident Callaway, having worked in theater and received a Tony nomination for her work in the Broadway musical, “SWING!,” will bring her Broadway experience to the stage.
With a mixture of big band sounds with a terrific vocalist and a wide repertoire of songs, including show tunes, Breithaupt said there will be something for everyone.
Callaway is working on a new album, a new variety show, new writing projects and a radio show on the Sirius Satellite Network, and she will tour concert halls in 2003-2004, bringing her love of jazz to the stage.
“Jazz is really one of the great American art forms, and I’m happy to be one of the keepers of the flame,” she said.
Performances are on Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., in the Southern Theater, 21 East Main St. Student tickets are available at the door for $10 with a valid student ID.
