Bay Street Sets the Stage for a Jazz Duel Between Carmichael & Stritch

[caption id="attachment_51071" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Judy Carmichael after tinkling the ivories in Brazil.[/caption]

By Dawn Watson

To say that Judy Carmichael travels a lot is an understatement. The peripatetic pianist is on the road an average of 200 days a year.

Most recently, she flew to London to headline a series of shows at The Crazy Coqs cabaret at the Brasserie Zedel. Before that it was gigs in Amsterdam, Venice and Barcelona, to name a few. As her hectic touring schedule leaves little time for tending roots, the Grammy Award-nominated musician welcomes her scant opportunities to come back home to Sag Harbor, especially when they involve playing a show at Bay Street Theater.

The world-renowned stride pianist has a particular soft spot for Bay Street, where she’ll play a “Jazz Inspired” concert with dueling pianos alongside Grammy winner and longtime music director for Liza Minnelli, Billy Stritch, on Saturday, May 21. During the show, the piano-playing pair will sit back-to-back while performing duets. They’ll also sing and talk about their lives in music and the influence that jazz has had on them, which will be recorded for Ms. Carmichael’s “Jazz Inspired” radio show for Sirius XM.

She remembers when she first met the world-class musician—during a radio show after first arriving in New York in the mid-80s.

“I was new in town and scared to death,” recalls Ms. Carmichael. “I was a bit star-struck … overwhelmed by his talent and how sweet he was to me. I’ve had a crush on him ever since.”

Though she’s known Mr. Stritch, “one of the greatest accompanists in the business,” for some three decades, the Bay Street show will be the first time she’s ever performed alongside him, reports Ms. Carmichael.

“It’s an honor to have him play for me. A dream,” says the woman nicknamed “Stride” by Count Basie for her command of the style.

It should prove to be a fun night, she says. Especially as the local audience, filled with familiar faces, will be part of the show as it’s being taped in her “home hall.”

Performing at Bay Street is significant, adds the pianist and vocalist. There are many joyous memories she’s shared with her friends and fans there, including performing the first music concert in the “new” building in the early 1990s, her first of many shows at the venue, which was filmed and aired during her inaugural appearance on “CBS Sunday Morning.” And then there’s the big hometown welcome she gets whenever she goes.

“Playing at Bay Street is special on a number of levels,” she says. “Everyone treats me beautifully there.”

The musician especially credits Gary Hygom, “for keeping my name in front of everyone, even when he’s working on 100 other projects,” she says. “He loves music and musicians and knows how to make us happy.”

The feeling is mutual, says Mr. Hygom, Bay Street’s producing director.

“We adore Judy Carmichael and are thrilled to have her back to record a very special evening for her Sirius radio show ‘Jazz Inspired’ with Billy Stitch,” he says. “This is sure to be wonderful concert with discussion with the Grammy winning composer, arranger, vocalist, and jazz pianist of extraordinary range and sophistication. You will not want to miss this dueling grand piano evening.”

Since her last visit to Bay Street this past September for a “Lucky Day” concert, Ms. Carmichael finished a new CD of original music with jazz saxophonist great Harry Allen (she did the lyrics, he wrote the music) called “Can You Love Once More?  Judy & Harry play Carmichael & Allen.” On Saturday, fans should expect to hear a few numbers from that album, which includes tracks of: “Take Me Back to Machu Picchu,” “If Only There Were Time,” “Make Me An Offer I Can’t Refuse, ”An Almost Perfect Man, “Pluto You’re For Me,” “A Lonely Breeze,” “There Was Once A Time,” “This is My Lucky Day,” “Meant To Be,” “The One For You,” “June Song” and the title track, which was written for Mr. Allen’s rescue cat, who also graces the cover of the CD in illustrated form.

She’s also made good on her promise to finish her memoir. Now in the editing stage, it should be on bookshelves by the end of the year. The autobiographical account will include tales of Ms. Carmichael’s time on the road, performing with and for some of the most notable people in the world, and her groundbreaking contributions to the world of music.

The title hasn’t been decided on yet but perhaps it will by the time she returns to grace the Bay Street stage again on October 1.

“We’ll wait for that,” she says.

Indeed we will.

For tickets and additional information, visit www.baystreet.org. Judy Carmichael’s “Jazz Inspired” can be streamed and downloaded at www.jazzinspired.com.