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Aside from Blondie and
her solo projects, Debbie has also collaborated with a
number of artists who have inspired her, most notably The
Jazz Passengers. The Jazz Passengers began in the mid 80s when co-founders Roy Nathanson and Curtis Fowlkes met at the Big Apple Circus in New York. Debbie became the regular vocalist for the band in 1995. Her first appearance was on the 'In Love With The Jazz Passengers' album, she performed on just one track - 'Dog In Sand' - but then went on to record a full album with the band, entitled 'Individually Twisted'. A live album 'The Jazz Passengers Live in Spain' also followed. 'Individually Twisted' was critically acclaimed and led to Debbie finally receiving the respect she deserved as a singer. |
THE JAZZ PASSENGERS ON DEBBIE
Roy Nathanson - 'We weren't interested in the usual 'jazz singer' approach. Debbie's sensibility is perfect for what the Jazz Passengers do ... Her whole aesthetic fitted into what we were doing, some jazz singers wouldn't know what we were talking about, because we don't deal with jazz in a regular way. But she knew.'
' I knew with Debbie involved we'd get bigger audiences, what was confusing was that a ton of people would come to the gigs - like fanatic fans - and they weren't really there to see the Jazz passengers at all. So that was difficult, but she was so great with us and she was so cool, we kept doing it ... Her thing was already good, but she got another kind of respect with us, you know - artsy, cultural. Then we kept getting bigger and bigger gigs.'
DEBBIE ON THE JAZZ PASSENGERS
'I came into this not knowing what a jazz singer's approach should be, but I like breaking rules, and I think that's the key to us working together. I've always wanted to be an instrument too, just doing lines, doing free stuff. Years ago, before I got involved in rock bands , I did those weird things people did in the mid-60s - happenings and stuff - some of it based on raggas and chants, and freelines where you'd squeak and yelp. A lot of that came back to me.'
'I certainly don't have the artist credits that the guys have, but I have done a few things that have been looked on askance by the commercial world. I think, all things considered, we're not that dissimilar ... my singing with the Jazz Passengers destroys their credibility completely!'