When Andrea Superstein performs in Revelstoke at the Regent on October 2, audiences can expect a unique jazz performance.
“The classics are great,” Superstein says. “And I think I have some strong modern takes on jazz standards. But I also perform jazzy indie songs and pop songs, including Radiohead. I play songs you might not expect to hear.”
The variety makes perfect sense to Superstein. “I don’t listen to just jazz,” she says.
“Music can be so many things. I think it’s nice for the audience because they probably have a variety of genres they listen to as well.”
The Galaxie award nominated artist is a fan of French CBC and Quebec indie artists. Originally from Montreal, though she calls Vancouver home, Superstein finds listening to music performed in French a way to stay connected to her roots. She performs several songs in French.
“The same song performed in French can feel very different,” she explains. “The translations are not exact and there is a romance in the French versions.”
Some songs, she admits with a laugh, sound better in French. While her favourite songs to perform may vary depending on the day, I Want to Be Evil is an all time favourite audiences can expect to hear.
A drama teacher by day in Vancouver, Superstein didn’t start performing jazz songs until she was an undergraduate student studying theatre. Her love of performing, rather than just singing, lends itself to her shows.
“As a performer I feel like I should take the audience on a journey. I try to engage with the audience and create a reciprocal experience. I think part of being a performer is to ensure your audience is not just passively listening,” she says.
When it comes to her students, Superstein’s enthusiasm is palatable. “I find the energy of youth to be intoxicating, I love working with students,” she explains. “Especially those with no experience but who have a drive or interest or raw talent. Cultivating artistic interest and talent in someone is inspiring.”
Her new record, Stars, is filled with both originals and cover songs and set to be released November 13. Revelstoke audiences will be getting an advanced preview of Superstein’s new material as well as the opportunity to purchase the new record before it becomes widely available. She worked with Juno winning producer Les Cooper to bring the record to life.
“He brought so many more layers to the music,” she says of the producer she actively sought out. “It was what I was looking for and I’m so happy with the result. I met him in Vancouver, though he is from Toronto, so recording was a long process involving two trips to Toronto.”
The end result was very much worth the effort.
Superstein is currently writing more music, though with a 10-month- old baby it can be tricky to get into the creative process.
“It’s easier,” she concedes. “Now that baby is sleeping through the night and I’m not a zombie in the evenings. From the few gigs I did this summer, I looked forward to uninterrupted creative and adult time. I try to think about music at that time.”
When she’s with her daughter, Superstein is in the mom zone. “It’s hard to focus on being musically creative,” she says. “Because I want to focus on my daughter.”
Superstein keeps busy, but she is clearly thriving.
“I’m juggling lots of balls at the moment,” Superstein says. “But I don’t want to give up any of the things I love.”
Andrea Superstein plays the Revelstoke Jazz Club in the Selkirk Room of the Regent Hotel on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7:30 p.m.
