Rita Graham Interview Part 2

Can you tell us about your time with Mike Post?

When I met Mike Post he was Music Director of the NBC Andy Williams Show. I was signed to Mike Post Productions long before he became TV's most prolific and well known composer. He had enjoyed one hit record, Mason Williams' 'Classical Jazz' and he had a production deal with Bell Records, that later became Arista Records. I was the only female artist he had signed and I thought this one would be a great fit for me. We cut several singles, including a great J.J. ('You Don't Know How I Feel - It's AllRight') Jackson dance/soul song called 'Black Daylight'. I don't know what happened to any of these recordings. Up until the Age of the Internet, an artist without strong management had no 'clout' at all, and was usually 'left in the dark' about the direction of their products. I loved working with Mike, who made great records, but after three years and eight single recordings that he produced for me, his career began to take off in another direction, as he found his niche in composing TV music-- 'Rockford Files', 'Hill Street Blues', 'A-Team', 'Law and Order', and many others. At the same time, I was working with one of the Big Bands of the 40s, The Harry James Orchestra, in Las Vegas' Desert Inn Casino. I worked with Harry James at London's famous Ronnie Scott's Club, and the Opposite Lock in Birmingham, along with a concert at London's Victoria and Albert Hall and an appearance with Harry's band on the BBC Jazz Show.

We also toured the Orpheum Theatres in the UK, and several venues in the United States in the 21/2 years I spent with that band. I left Harry James to fulfill a tour of the Far East that was wonderful, and was the first of several trips to Japan.

You appeared in a musical at one point?

I played the female lead of Coretta Scott King, in the joyous Civil Rights musical, 'Selma' that began in a church basement in Los Angeles, California - then on to the Inner-City Theatre in Los Angeles, where it ran 6-nights a week for over a year. The comedian, Redd Foxx produced it on a grander scale that ran for three months at the Huntington Hartford Theatre in Hollywood - and again, Producer Woodie King, Jr. presented 'Selma' off-off Broadway in 1983, at the New Federal Theatre, New York. Although I originated the role of Coretta Scott King, I am not singing the 'Coretta' role on the 'Selma' cast album recorded by Atlantic Records, due to contract conflicts, but I had permission to sing in the chorus.

What was your involvement with CBS Records?

There was a brief period when I was signed to CBS Records with ex-Motown producer/writer, Johnny Bristol (Jr. Walker's recordings and Diana Ross' 'Someday We'll Be Together') who took me to CBS, but he became disenchanted with CBS, and pulled out of his production deal, leaving me without a producer, and conseqently without product.

You recorded a song for the Motown owned 'Prodigal' label

The recording 'Rich Man, Poor Man' was produced by an independent producer named Joe Harrelson, and was arranged by my ex-husband, a brilliant composer/arranger named Charles Blaker. Charles also arranged the first two sides I recorded for Mike Post, 'Baby I Can't Tell You'/ and the lullabye, 'Can I Go With You?' that Charles and I wrote. The single, 'Rich Man, Poor Man' was sold to Motown's Prodigal Records, and for some reason, those who could promote this lovely recording, dropped the ball, even after it received intense play and response in the Pacific Northwest. I didn't know anyone at Motown at that time, and didn't know how to obtain the promotion the record needed. A few years later, I recorded several singles with saxaphonist Steve Hooks, that I co-wrote and co-produced. Nothing has ever happened with these recordings, although I still like the way they sound. Steve now lives and works in Munich, Germany and is currently working on finalizing the tracks for my Ray Charles Tribute CD, produced by my sister, Anna Richardson, and I. This new CD should be finished in the early spring, 2009. (www.Stevehooksmusik.com) Steve produced the final version of a 'live' CD that I recorded here in Atlanta, titled, 'Rita Graham Live At Sambuca Atlanta', and he supervised the final mixing and mastering of the Sambuca CD in Munich. The Sambuca CD is a collection consisting of a mixture of jazz standards, along with two blues and two original songs, that documented some of the music we still perform at Atlanta's famous jazz showroom.

Which songs are your personal favorites among your own recordings?

Concerning my own recordings, I love several of them for different reasons. Several cuts from the 'Vibrations' album - 'Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars' (R.C.s favorite), 'My Cup Runneth Over' and 'Charade'- the single 'Gone With The Wind Is My Love'- 'Never Make Your Move Too Soon' which is a Blues from the Sambuca CD - 'Wonder Worker', a love song that Steve Hooks and I wrote that I re-recorded on the 'live' Sambuca CD - the single, 'Rich Man, Poor Man'- and a duet single I recorded with Mike Post producing for Bell Records, in which I sang with a male vocalist named Bob Rheir, titled, 'You're Walkin' On The Outside of My Good Side'/'It's A Good Feelin' (two soul tunes), the artists' name on the record is 'Rye and Rita Jean' - these are among my favorites.

Could you tell us about the Georgia Lagacy Foundation?

Currently, I'm Executive Secretary of the Georgia Legacy Foundation, www.GeorgiaLegacyFoundation.Org This organization, founded by The Crown Prince of the Blues, Sammy Blue, promises artists' support, along with education, concerts, and various means of 'keeping music alive' through preservation.

You've toured the world singing, what are your fondest memories of the venues and countries you've visited?

The world is full of wonderful places and I've seen only a few of them - Sydney - Montreal - New York - Tokyo - Taiwan - Manila - Moscow - Atlanta - Los Angeles - London - and San Francisco all have that 'Big City' flash and bustle that inspire exploration of the museums, restaurants and shops. These cities all provided unforgettable experiences for me. A visit to the amazing National Museum in Taiwan, built into the side of a mountain that holds the largest collection of chinese artifacts outside of mainland China, was especially inspiring. I have also enjoyed singing in some of the world's great nightclubs that are closed now, and I do miss them. I hope that one day, every city will have at least one elegant 'Showroom' that features live entertainment, great food, and sophisticated, candlelit ambiance. Atlanta's Sambuca Jazz Cafe is apart of a chain of five restaurants in Dallas Texas, Houston Texas, Nashville Tennessee and Denver Colorado that all feature live entertainment, seven nights a week--and I believe that there are very few places like that left. I'm an 'active listener' who appreciates every nuance in the performance - I have great appreciation for a quiet room that features a sensitive sound system in perfect balance.

What projects are you currently involved in and will we be seeing you in the UK in the future?

People suggest that I should write a book about my experiences, but in all situations wherein I found myself, I wasn't privy to inner-workings, or intimate details. I didn't know why things happened the way they did. I've often wondered if anyone would be interested in a book that wasn't full of 'juicy' tid-bits. As a writer, I have compiled a 'Docu-Musical' titled 'Eagles In The Air' that introduces and celebrates the achievements of over l50 20thCentury African American women, many of whom have been 'lost in history'. I am also seeking a literary agent and a publisher for a suspense novel that I wrote. Meanwhile, I am so glad that people enjoy 'Gone With The Wind Is My Love'. I'd like to convey my deepest appreciation to you, the DeeJays, and the Fans of 'Northern Soul' - and I'm looking forward to appearing there in the near future!