Eclectic ingenue Rachelle Garniez, who has been melding elements of jazz, rock, pop and soul for the last three decades, recently dove back into the global canon of romance for her new album, ‘Born in Time.’
Working with long-time collaborator Andrew Morse, who helped choose the multi-lingual repertoire, Garniez adds her improvisational acumen to the phrasing and arrangements. It’s illuminating and engaging, for both the artist and the listener.
The pair have worked on four previous projects, Rachelle’s albums, ‘Crazy Blood,’ and ‘Serenade City,’ (with The Fortunate Few), ‘Swimming Pool Blue,’ and AVA’s ‘History of Flight,’ a musical collaboration between the two NY-based songwriters.
Ahead of her European tour this spring with her Tom Waits Tribute side project, Vicki Kristina Barcelona, Rachelle provided some color for each floral print in her latest bouquet.
1. Je Cherche Un Homme (Michel Emer, Georges Pazman & Yves Bruyère) – “Although I was born and raised in New York City, my first language was French, speaking and singing. Family dynamics changed and so did the primary language. My French is most definitely rusty, but it’s a real treat to revisit. This jaunty tune epitomizes the cheeky bon vivant Gay Paree, they trip the light fantastic, romantic.”
2. Lilac Wine (James Shelton) – “’Lilac Wine’ is a masterpiece of a song that both lyrically and melodically precisely captures the experience of living with bipolar disorder. It’s a thrill ride of euphoria and regret, addressing the issue of self medication, embodying the ecstasy and agony, self-doubt, and grand hallucination. As a person living with and managing this condition, it was super intense to inhabit and perform it in the studio.
There’s a tendency to label all artists as “manic-depressive” and though it’s true that the ability to access and to fully experience extreme emotion is surely an important component of creativity, it’s very different than dealing with the monster of mental illness. I’m doing my best to be public about my struggles and to bust the stigma around the subject.
3. Harbor Lights (Jimmy Kennedy & Will Grosz) – “Some of my happiest moments are spent in boats on the water, serene. Love sails off into the sunset, the beautiful harbor lights glow bittersweet accompanied by the constant melancholy buoy bells.”
4. I’ll Never Be the Same (Matty Malneck, Frank Signorelli & Gus Kahn) – “At the age of 15 I bought a triple album, a chronological compilation of Billie Holiday’s magnificence and spent hours singing along obsessively, entranced by her voice and the perfection of the American Songbook classics.
Our version is truer to Ruth Etting’s 1932 recording which includes the original verse and follows the melody as it was written, leaving the liberties to Lady Day. All through the COVID pandemic lockdown this song played on repeat in my head. The loss, the stress, the strangeness, the cataclysmic event that changed everything for everyone, we’ll never be the same again.” 
5. Lucky Day (Rachelle Garniez) – “I never told him, but I wrote “Lucky Day” back in 2003 for a dear pal, a wonderful musician who was working through a bitter heartbreak. We spent many a late night at 24 hour coffee shops talking and talking and attempting to make some sense of it all.
From a safe distance, I was desperately in love with him, but luckily nothing came of that other than a song that morphed into a general mantra of gratitude and will hopefully serve to cheer and inspire anyone who’s living through or has lived through some hard things. We’re still pals.”
6. C’est Si Bon (Henri Betti & André Hornez) – “’C’est si bon’ translates to ‘it’s so good,’ a common French phrase used to express that something ‘feels good.’ My French is most definitely rusty, but it’s a real treat to revisit. This is another jaunty tune epitomizing the cheeky bon vivant Gay Paree, they trip the light fantastic, romantic.”
7. Down Among the Sheltering Palms (Abe Olman & James Brockman) – “Published in 1914, ‘Down Among the Sheltering Palms’ was first made popular by Al Jolson, the Elvis of his day. It’s a catchy little doozy of a ditty. It sure was fun to mess around with this gem of classic American Old Time, a little razzle to the dazzle.”
8. Rose of Washington Square (James F. Hanley & Ballard McDonald) – “Written in 1920, ‘Rose of Washington Square’ is a timeless tale of a young woman’s fall and rise amid the vagaries of the Bohemian downtown NYC scene. Some things never change.”
9. Raglan Road (Patrick Kavanagh & Cormac Butler) – “As I was in the process of learning and choosing songs for the album, one of my dearest friends on earth introduced me to this song as done by Luke Kelly and The Dubliners and I instantly fell in love with the mournful poem. Adding a touch of reharmonization takes the traditional melody off road into the ether. Oftentimes I feel the presence of my Irish great-great-grandmother, this one’s for her.” 
10. Born in Time (Bob Dylan)
“’Born In Time’ is one of Bob Dylan’s lesser known ‘deep cuts’ and was selected by producer Andrew Morse, as were most of the songs on the album.
Being a dedicated diehard Dylan familiar with the various versions, Andrew chose one of the more obscure variations, a hidden treasure of sorts.
I sure do appreciate the genius of Bob Dylan but it would never occur to me to cover one of his songs as I’m not emotionally invested in any of them beyond wishing I’d written some of those breathtakingly perfect lines.
The fact that there are multiple alternate lyrics depending upon the performances and recordings is super appealing to me. It renders the song an active breathing organism, perpetually living out its title.
And there’s a refreshing irreverence at play, given how Dylan’s lyrics are generally regarded as gospel etched in stone. The words are somewhat cryptic, wistful, whimsical, by turns optimistic and gently apocalyptic. There’s an airy nostalgic quality to the melody, more feminine than Dylan’s usual razor sharp take. At first Andrew was not at all into the New Orleans lilt I suggested, which brought us to the same level in terms of stretching expectations and being open to change.
Eventually we converged and made sense of it all, to the point of choosing ‘Born In Time’ to be the title track. The collection of songs on the album spans a broad range of history from Tin Pan Alley gems to Celtic poems, and there was a fresh spontaneity to the recording sessions which also fit with the title.” 