Shirley Eikhard

SHIRLEY EIKHARD: TRIPLE THREAT
AS SINGER, SONGWRITER, MUSICIAN
by Marshall Bowden

Vocalists have long lamented the decline of popular music, with composers of quality material being few and far between these days. The American songbook is filled with wonderful tunes, both over and under recorded, but singers hunger for newer material that hasn't been interpreted by thousands before them. Frank Sinatra encountered this problem in the1960s and '70s; he solved it by recording the sophisticated, poetic songs of Antonio Carlos Jobim, picking and choosing from among the best pop songwriters of the time (Lennon/McCartney, Paul Simon, Bacharach/David) and recorded definitive versions of some of Paul Anka's best later material.

More recently singers have found good material among popular songwriters that are writing quality material and are less well known as recording artists themselves. Ian Shaw, for example, covered material by Janis Ian and Tom Waits on his last recording, Soho Stories. Others, including Janis Siegel and Kevin Mahogany, have turned to reinterpreting the music of the Brill Building and Motown, giving songs by Carole King and Holland/Dozier/Holland a new look by emphasizing their well-constructed melodies and intelligent lyrics.

Rare indeed is the singer who can write their own material, material of the quality that professional songwriters can turn out. There are songwriters who sing, of course, and many prove not to be the most able interpreters of their songs. It would seem natural for singers to dabble in songwriting, but not all that many do. Some do have a way with words and have had the ability to compose excellent lyrics to some of jazz's best instrumental solos. But who was the last singer who was also a consummate songwriter? Peggy Lee comes to mind, or perhaps Mel Torme. To these add the name of Shirley Eikhard.

Shirley is the daughter of a well known Canadian East Coast fiddle player, and she was playing music at an early age, being signed to Capitol Records at age 14. She also demonstrated songwriting skill and her work was soon being covered by artists like Anne Murray, whose recording of "It Takes Time" helped put Eikhard on the map. She released her first album in 1972 and garnered several Juno awards for her single "Smiling Wine." A short time later she was signed to Atco Records where she had a hit with her composition "Say You Love Me". When Fleetwood Mac recorded the song in 1976 it soared to the top of the charts.

In 1982 she launched her own record label and began to take control of her music and career. She quit live performances in 1986 and concentrated on writing. Soon her songs were all over the radio, recorded by artists like Alannah Myles, Emmylou Harris, and Bonnie Raitt, whose rendition of "Something to Talk About" won Eikhard a Grammy award. In 1998 Shirley released her first jazz recording, Going Home. Jazz has always been her first love, and she demonstrated a knack for jazz phrasing and composition from the get go. Two years of performing the songs live gave her the impetus to record The Last Hurrah.

On Eikhard's wonderful 2000 album The Last Hurrah we get to hear the remarkable songwriting talent that she possesses as well as her ability to present these songs in their most sympathetic light. I have no doubt that other singers will cover her material in the future, but I don't think it will be easy to better her interpretations of these songs. "Mister Charm", for example, is spot on in its portrayal of a ruthless 90s gigolo, who treats his lovers like assets on a balance sheet. "Not a chance, Mister Charm/There's no way I muisunderstood/But of course, you insist/Your intentions were only good/As I recall, without a doubt/You reeled me in and cashed me out…I don't want an encore, Mister Charm" she sings with a nonchalance and breezy melody that disguises the narrator's bruised ego. One never doubts that she is over the villainous cad and has learned her lesson.

"Always a Dream Away" trades on the fact that none of us ever feel we have enough time to spend with our loved ones. Certainly in the life of a musician there have to be so many times one wakes up in a hotel room from a dream of a loved one only to realize "As I wake up to the ring of the phone/I wake up in my bed all alone/You're always a dream away." Indeed, Shirley clearly lives for the pure joy of life's less complicated moments, as outlined in "The Joy of Life": "It's the simple things that make me smile/That always catch me by surprise." But there are certainly darker moments in which Eikhard offers us fleeting glimpses of characters for whom things are not going so well. The narrator of "Destined for Greater Things" tells us about the life she was destined to lead, a life of endless suitors, fame, and fortune. "But it did not work out quite that way" she sings before the story's end is told in the final verse: "Drink up, boys, it's time for me to close/We could talk all night, but I've got work to do/What's done is done, that's how the story goes/But do I have regrets, well, maybe one or two…" It's a song you could easily imagine Peggy Lee singing, and it deserves to become a staple of the torch singer's repertoire.

That's nothing compared to the woman in "How the Shadow Grows" who lives a shallow life even as her insulated world begins to crumble. "Her kids are grown, they never call/Her husband's having an affair/Still there are parties to be planned/She has to think of what to wear." Later she opts for a divorce settlement that allows her to keep the trappings of her life intact "Far from the madness and the screams". But she cannot stay the gloom of her unhappiness nor the hand of death that will one day render her comfortable world superfluous: "How the shadow grows" Shirley ominously intones with commentary from tenor saxophonist Mike Murley (who plays with Canadian funksters Metalwood); the song's minor key provides the necessary implications. The songs on The Last Hurrah are all simply wonderful, including the pensive instrumental "Catherine's Theme", which offers a chance for Shirley's excellent backing band to shine, particularly trumpeter Kevin Turcotte and pianist Mark Eisenman. The rhythm section of Eisenman, guitarist Ed Bickert, and drummer Mark Kelso provides colorful backing throughout.

What could be more unexpected for a singer who can write great songs, including lyrics, than to release an album of instrumentals? That is just what Shirley did in 2001, releasing End of the Day. There is one new song with lyrics—the catchy "Some New Thrill", presented here in an extended version as well as its truncated single version. The credits indicate "All Instruments played and Vocals performed by Shirley Eikhard", and on "Some New Thrill" that includes some nice guitar work (she's played guitar since age 11 and had one of her compositions recorded by Chet Atkins) and punctuation by an overdubbed saxophone section as well as bass and drums.

Eikhard continues to provide lovely acoustic guitar work on "Song for Lesley", a mellow bossa that also incorporates an unexpected harmonica solo. "End of the Day" is underscored by rhythmic acoustic guitar chords while the chromatic harmonica provides a smooth melody on top. "Detour Home" features Shirley on saxophone. I personally found her tone here a bit weak, but her walking bass and moody vibraphone chords give the song a haunting beauty. "She's Back in Five" is an island groove with nice percussion and a soul organ sound outlining the cyclical chord progression over which the electric guitar provides the playful counterpoint. "Sculpting a Masterpiece" makes use of a gentle Latin beat against which acoustic guitar provides both the backing chords and the melody. It's a beautiful song that one can easily imagine being played by a guitarist in a little café somewhere in a tropical climate. "Tiger, Gentle Tiger" features Eikhard's voice doing a worldless vocalese that highlights her voice as yet another instrument in her arsenal.

Overall End of the Day is like a soundtrack to a film you haven't seen. The music is pleasant and generally pretty mellow and allows your mind to wander freely. The fact that Eikhard was even willing to risk making a recording like this when she is known as a singer and songwriter rather than as an instrumentalist demonstrates that she is both gutsy and knows her talents. "After writing and recording as a vocalist/songwriter for so many years, I felt it was time to try something completely new and obviously, very challenging" she says. Let's hope Eikhard has another disc of new and challenging material to release soon.