By JOAN FINN

     When Ella Fitzgerald passed away in 1996 of complications associated with diabetes, she left behind a legacy that jazz vocalist, Vickie Smith, tries to keep alive. And that legacy will come alive on Thursday, July 17, when Vickie Smith performs her tribute show, “Ella! The Song is You,” as part of the Moonlight Nights Summer Concert Series, sponsored by Montclair’s Office of Art & Cultural Development.
     The performance will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Montclair High School amphitheater, at Park and Chestnut streets. Accompanying her will be Cool Blue Central, her jazz trio, which includes Bob de Benedette on piano, Ron Naspo on bass, and Jeff Pines on drums. Staged in a cabaret style, the songs are interspersed with anecdotes revealing little known facts that shaped the jazz diva’s career. This high-energy, high-spirited show is a benefit for the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation (DRIF), founded in 1970 to find a cure for juvenile diabetes.
     “My introduction to Ella was not as ‘The Scat Queen,” but rather the legend-to-be early on in her career. With much love and admiration, I’ve done a lot of research into those years and developed this show,” Vickie told The Times.
     Vickie was bitten by the jazz bug at an early age, visiting her father’s band rehearsals. Her father was a well-known jazz guitarist in the New England area. Raised by her mother and grandparents, she was always encouraged to follow her own musical bent. She played a variety of instruments over the years, including the piano and violin, and studied classical vocal training.
     When swing music experienced its resurgence in the 1990s, Vickie Smith was more than ready for it. It was the music she grew up with in her grandparents’ home. She already had a large collection of recordings, including those of Ella Fitzgerald. “I love the energy and joy Ella put into each song, and shared with her audience,” Vickie said. “It’s what music is about.”
   Inspired by this realization, Smith launched her solo career in New York City, performing the jazz and swing standards she has always loved, including tunes that Ella had done, such as “T’aint What You Do.” Her first show won her a Manhattan Association of Cabarets (MAC) nomination for Best Female debut.
      In her July 17 show, Vickie sings lesser-known songs – “Sugar Blues” and “Starlit Hour” – as well as Ella’s signature hits: “I’m Beginning to See the Light,” “ How High the Moon,” and, “Oh, Lady Be Good.” All of the tunes in the show are from the jazz legend’s 20-year recording career on the Decca label, with Vickie’s proud stamp on each arrangement in tribute to Ella’s spirit.
  Vickie has been featured on “CBS Sunday Morning,” Joe Franklin’s radio show “Memory Lane,” and “New Jersey’s Talking with Lee Leonard.” She performs regularly in the New Jersey area, and recently appeared at Trumpets Jazz Club & Restaurant in Montclair. The vocalist has performed with such prominent musicians as Bucky Pizzarelli, Jerry Bruno, Joe Cocuzzo, Lenny Argese, Joe Battaglia and the Somers Dream Orchestra and the New York Big Band at such well-known venues as the Tavern on the Green, Don’t Tell Mama, Judy’s of Chelsea and The Triad.
 

 

JAZZ SINGER VICKIE SMITH, above, gets her inspiration from the legacy of her vocal idol Ella Fitzgerald.  She'll pay tribute to the "Queen of Scat" when she performs her high-energy show, "Ella! The Song is You" as part of Moonlight Nights, next Thursday evening in the Montclair High School amphitheater.