Returning
Toronto-based singer gives every inch of herself
Gospel, blues icon Jackie Richardson to perform at the Registry
KITCHENER — Jackie Richardson’s warmth and humour shines through in every conversation with the Canadian singing icon known for her deep, rich voice and emotional style. As a performer, the Torontobased Richardson gives every inch of herself and on Saturday, she returns to the Registry Theatre after a four year absence. “He (director of programming, Lawrence McNaught) asked me to come back, we had such a great time,” said Richardson. “I seldom get a chance to go over that way.” Richardson will be performing a mixture of genres: her signature blues and gospel as well as jazz The Pennsylvania-born Richardson came to Canada as a seven year old and led her first musical group at age 17. She soon established herself as a singer, performing jazz, gospel, soul and blues as well as acting in television, in movies and on stage. Among her many accolades the singer was awarded the Toronto Blues Society Lifetime Achievement Award, Canadian Actors' Equity Lifetime Achievement Award and the Canadian Black Achievement Award. In 2011 she was recognized with a Gemini Award for her performance in the film “The Gospel According to the Blues,” by Halifax filmmaker Thom Fitzgerald. She has also been awarded for stage performances, including Dora Awards for her performance in “Ain’t Misbehavin” and “Cookin' at The Cookery The Music and Times of Alberta Hunter.” It seems that when it comes to performing, there is little the self-taught Richardson with her big stage presence and big voice cannot master and she does so with grace and dignity. She is also the first to praise her supporting musicians. After playing together for so many years, the musicians have a cohesiveness that is hard to match and it’s made her a better performer.
“There is a comfort, the best comfort you can get,” she said. “You listen to each other and each time you do a song, it’s a different journey. “That’s part of music, the journey, they’ve (musicians) taught me that. You trust, you trust.” On Saturday night, Richardson will perform a number of standards and as always, there will be a few surprises and luckily her musicians are well enough versed in her musical style to rise to whatever she brings to the stage. In her 2014 interview with the Record, Richardson talked about how performance spaces for jazz singers seemed to be disappearing and when asked if that is still the case, she was delighted to announce that no, in fact it’s the opposite. “We were losing jazz clubs but now every community theatre had a spurt of culturalism,” she said. “It started with churches bringing jazz in. “I can’t believe how many community buildings there are. They are putting in longterm investments.” Then there are all the festivals, from May through the summer and into the fall, plus more post secondary schools are providing training for emerging musicians. Even charities are picking up on the whole music vibe in increasingly interesting ways. Richardson was hired by United Way in New Brunswick to participate in “Songs of the City” where songwriters were commissioned to write a song to accompany a personal story told by a recipient of help from the agency. Both the story and the song were performed at a special celebratory event. “I was chosen to do a song about a young couple who ended up on the street under horrific circumstances,” she said. “Even in their frightening state, they turned around to help others.” Now in her early 70s, Richardson is busier than ever but she is looking forward to performing her show in the small, intimate space of the Registry.