This week, I’ve had Lizz Wright’s “Nature Boy” #OnRepeat. This song is actually one of the first Jazz standards I ever sang, and I have always loved revisiting this version whenever I try to find new ways to interpret this song. I believe that trying to find different approaches to performing the same song helps you to develop your creative skills and helps you to progress as a musician; so listening to different musicians’ versions of a standard aids in this discovery. Lizz Wright is a beast of a singer, so she is probably one of the best musical resources to tap for this process.
The song, “Nature Boy,” was first recorded by Nat King Cole and was released in 1948. The song was originally written by eden ahbez, a songwriter who lived a vagabond lifestyle that would later inspire the hippie movement of the 1960s. The lyrics in the song supposedly depict the songwriter’s demeanor and lifestyle, with hints of haplessness, mysticism, and wisdom. The lyrics and music give you the impression that ahbez has experienced great loss or pain, and through this had discovered a common, universal truth.
Lizz Wright, who is a Jazz and Gospel singer, captures the eclectic nature of this song perfectly. She takes the melody and rhythm, manipulating both so much that you would have a heard time identifying the original song within her new arrangement (she has completely made the song her own). Her ability to take rhythmic and melodic risks (using or picking notes or melodic phrases that your ear wouldn’t associate with the original tonality of the song) and the confidence she has when taking these risks make her interpretation of “Nature Boy” incredibly unique and poignant.
Take a listen below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ku6fS3qPM0
Is there a singer or group that you can’t stop listening to? Let us know in the comments below!