Cami Thompson: REVIEWS

Jazz vocalist to perform with Reno Philharmonic...

For the first time in 10 years, singer Cami Thompson isn't mounting her own holiday show in Reno, but she's not disappointed because she will instead perform in the Reno Philharmonic's Spirit of the Season holiday production.

"When they asked me to sing, they asked me to bring some ideas to the table," she said. "So, I brought some of the things that I have done in my previous holiday concerts."

One of her ideas was a group of young Northern Nevada dancers who -- under the direction of choreographer Lynne Barth -- will perform with Thompson on several numbers. Add an African drumming ensemble, several choirs and, of course, the Reno Philharmonic orchestra, and you have most of the ingredients for Spirit of the Season. Most, but not all of them, because Spirit of the Season -- running Saturday and Dec. 6 at the Pioneer Center -- blends the talents of dozens of different performers.

"We have all different types of music," philharmonic conductor and music director Laura Jackson said. "We have classical; we have jazz; we have even some world music type things. ... We've got dancers. We've got magicians. We've got hand bells. I mean, it's nuts."

Jackson said the program will include classical staples, a performance of Hans Zimmer's "The Closing of the Year" and plenty of traditional numbers from Thompson.

"You feel like you're sitting on one of those Wells Fargo stagecoaches with 18 steeds ahead of you," Thompson said of singing with a full orchestra. "You know, you're riding on their energy and their skill."

Thompson is particularly looking forward to singing one of her original songs, "The Colour of Christmas," which has been specially arranged for orchestra.

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Make no mistake, the holiday season is here and the Reno Philharmonic with guest singer Cami Thompson accompanied with musicians, choirs and dancers from the community will present the “Spirit of the Season” holiday concert on Saturday and Sunday at the Pioneer Center for Performing Arts.

Born and Raised in Reno, Thompson has perfected her vocal talents and jazz singing skills with more than 30 years of performing. This year Thompson said she if foregoing performing in her own holiday show in order to perform with the Reno Philharmonic for “Spirit of the Season.”

Thompson said it was the philharmonic’s new conductor Laura Jackson that sparked her interest in working with the orchestra after the 40th anniversary Gershwin show in August.

“My family went to see the Gershwin show over the summer,” Thompson said. “We were absolutely amazed at this amazing, brilliant conductor.”

Jackson later attended a jazz show Thompson was performing at and met with Thompson at intermission, Thompson said she received a call the next day that asked her to be a part of “Spirit of the Season.”

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When it comes to showbiz entertainers, we've all heard introductions for them, like "incomparable!... fantastic!... phenomenal!... one and only!"
Well, when it comes to Cami Thompson, they all apply. What a performer! At our event, Cami -- with her winning smile and personality -- won us over immediately... The moment she got onstage, it was as if a whirlwind had come into the room and decided we were going to go spinning with it.... This is the kind of performance skill that cannot be learned. It is in you or it isn't.... I assure you, Cami is a consummate performer with a style and personality for entertaining that one could only be born with.

Cami Thompson is one of the most evolved performers I've ever seen or had the opportunity to work with. She is a jazz singer of extraordinary talent and skill; she has the command of a room, the envy of many in musical theater. But it is her impact on an audience which transforms these abilities into an absolutely remarkable communication. To see her perform is to become an immediate fan; to play music with her is transcendental.

"The hour-long concert embracing some 20 love songs of George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Duke Ellington before a large, enthusiastic audience ... was the most exciting star turn I've heard since Liza Minelli was at the peak of her powers. ... (Cami) generates that kind of excitement, while remaining indelibly her own person. She's self-effacing in a fun-loving way, with a voice that caresses, scats, soars, and gets way under the skin of every tune she sings.... (She's) a first-rate actress with what it takes to touch the soul of a song."

Crazy for the Gershwins' `Girl Crazy'
by Chad Jones, S.F. Theater Examiner

There’s nothing quite like a Gershwin revival to brighten the musical scene. Ten years ago, 42nd Street Moon presented a staged concert version of “Girl Crazy,” the 1930 hit with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and a book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. ........ (edited)....

In the role made famous by Ethel Merman in her Broadway debut is Cami Thompson, who imbues Frisco Kate with Mae West sass and a voice West could only dream of and Merman would have to envy. Thompson’s “Sam and Delilah” is a showstopper followed quickly by yet another showstopper, “I Got Rhythm.” In Act 2, which is short on memorable tunes, she saves the day with the ballad “Boy! What Love Has Done to Me!”
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The charm of seeing a show like “Girl Crazy” from our vantage point is that we can appreciate it from both a historical perspective as well as one of pure enjoyment.

A Zestful Production of George and Ira Gershwin's Girl Crazy
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The 42nd Street Moon Company is presenting the unique 1930 production of George and Ira Gershwin's Girl Crazy with the original script. The slam-bang musical opened at the Alvin Theatre in October 1930 and made a star of Ethel Merman after she brought down the house with "I've Got Rhythm," holding one note for 16 bars as the pit band continued the jumping chorus, stopping the show. That pit band had such legendary musicians as Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman. The musical also started the musical career of Ginger Rogers. .....

Girl Crazy features a wealth of the Gershwin brothers' classic songs that have become standards, such as "Embraceable You," "I Got Rhythm" "Bidin' My Time," "But Not for Me" and lesser known songs like "Sam and Delilah," "Bronco Busters" and "Treat me Rough" plus comic songs "(When It's) Cactus Time in Arizona" and "Goldfarb, That's I'm!."
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Director Dyan McBride is helming a splendid cast of young actors/singers and has made the silly script even campier and a joy to watch.
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Cami Thompson as Kate (the Ethel Merman role) is marvelous singing "I've Got Rhythm" and "Sam and Delilah."

... (edited)....

BACKSTAGE WITH CAMI THOMPSON: An Interview by Jackie Shelton
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Singer. Songwriter. Actor. Creator of artsy cigar box purses. Cami Thompson is full of “unexpectable” surprises and, at almost 50, hitting some of the highest notes of her career. A sixth-generation Nevadan, she is frank, funny and honest about life onstage and off. Read Cami’s recent conversation with RLife Publisher Jackie Shelton below.
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Who are your musical influences?
Ella Fitzgerald. Sarah Vaughn. Al Jarreau. Betty Carter.
Growing up, I loved Barbra Streisand and Bette Midler. As a child, I would come home from school and bury myself in headphones, imitating Streisand for the rest of day. I had a girlfriend I would share Bette with, but not this other music. I was a closet Streisandite for a long time.

The standards have become popular again, but it wasn’t necessarily so when you were growing up.
If you stay backwards long enough, you’ll become trendy (she laughs). I’ve always loved this music even when it wasn’t popular. When I was trying to sell records in the 90s, producers couldn’t understand how they could sell an album full of standards, but these are great songs that stand the test of time. I think Linda Ronstadt was the first to find success (with renewed interest in the standards) and then, of course, Natalie Cole, who gave up a recording contract to do this.

Everybody has a choice. That’s the cool thing about music. And it’s the same with art and food and wine. There is no right and wrong. You just have to do what’s right for you.

Knowing what you know now, is there anything you might have done differently?
I’ve been given a musical gift, but maybe not a discipline. I’m sure I could have profited more by continuing my music education in college.

What do you see as the future for the recording industry?
The music industry specializes in the comodification of artists. It brings them up and then kicks them in the ass. Artists like Mariah Carey find huge success and then the industry gleefully gloats at their downfalls. It’s the way the system works. I hope that the few that can recover will bring back their wisdom with them. I hope Mariah Carey returns with a lot more soul, and shows them how it should be done.

Music today is on the Internet. This means that we have a full choice to pick what we want and download what we want. Not having it shoved down our throats is a good thing.

You’re a self-admitted control freak. How has this helped you in your life?
It allows me to make a picture of my life the way I want to paint it. I have a pretty good idea of how I want my life to be shaped, from both an artistic and a personal standpoint and I can work to make that happen. Ultimately, I don’t feel that I’m at the beck and call of the paparazzi or an artist management company.

How has it hurt you?
There have been times when it doesn’t seem like a healthy way to live. I don’t paint a very big picture of my life, and I might have had more success if I had let go a little bit and let other people make choices for me. I can be very stubborn (she laughs).

Tell us about one time that you allow someone else take control.
I ended up in foreign country (Holland); suing for my freedom from a contract I hadn’t signed. My manager at the time had coerced me into signing a letter of intent to negotiate a contract, and he had made promises to the holder of the contract when I wasn’t around. I found out about the promises, which were not suitable for me, and that the contract holder was corrupt. I tried to break away from the Dutch contract-holder, but in Holland letters of intent are binding. It took me three weeks in court, defending myself in a foreign language (paying for translations), until the judge finally apologized for the Dutchman. He (the judge) wished me luck, but told me I couldn’t pursue anything the Dutchman had established. I had to leave the country, and I had been building up a pretty successful career there.

That experience scared me away from the recording industry for awhile, when I realized how many people wanted a piece of my life. I wondered how much would be left of me at the end of the day.

When is it okay to lose control?
I never had children to teach me how to let go, but I do have my music. Oftentimes when I’m planning a show, a guide or an angel will tap me on the shoulder and say, “Have you thought about this?” When I’m arranging a song, I put all the musical instruments around the lyrics, and sometimes I’ll find that the trumpet wants to come in where I hadn’t intended. I have to listen to that. I have to have reverence for the gift of music and its intentions (which are not necessarily to me).

Do you work with the same musicians all the time?
I try to use a few of the guys who I’ve grown up with and who get me, and who get that it’s about the presentation of the show. They understand that I always try to make sure that the show comes off with as much as love as possible. Newbies are often surprised by the way I do business. They learn to understand that I’m not a dictator. I’m a Democratic control freak (she laughs. Cami laughs a lot).

You talk about your family, and love for Nevada, a lot. Tell us about them and how they connect you to Nevada.
I’m a 6th generation Nevadan: my great-great-grandmother was the first non-Native American on the Nevada registry when it applied for statehood. She was only a few weeks old at the time.

My father, Don Thompson, is the epitome of an entrepreneur. He spent 20 years as a musician; he is a remarkable, natural athlete and a great creative ad man. He adopted the nickname “Snowshoe” because he delivers information about the ski industry. It was a fun name and it was designed to honor the original man. (For more information about the original Snowshoe Thompson, see the January 2007 issue of RLife). My dad took over the Reno Business College in 1962 and created a remarkable program. He did this by going out into the community and finding out what the needs were and then creating programs to serve them.

My mother, Norma Thompson, is the sweetest woman on the planet and strong as an ox. Originally from Utah, she came to Nevada to work for the Red Cross, and met my dad while he was a lifeguard at Idlewild Pool. My dad is four years younger than she is; just like me she likes her men younger (she laughs). She worked side by side with my dad from day one. She still kicks my ass when we do yard work together.

My sister, Randi Thompson, is a wunderkind. She’s just amazing. I’m so lucky that she’s my sister because she’s also one of my best friends. She’s always been a safety net for me, and she’s always shown up to help me in whatever I need. She’s a great sounding board in that she listens with an open ear and an open heart. I think this is what makes her such a great public service person. Her whole reason for doing the things she does is to help people find agreement.

My older sister, Corrin Keck, is a steam train. I can’t believe the speed at which she lives her life. She’s a very adventurous person and has more energy than anyone I know. She is committed to having people be happy and making their businesses work.

You got married for the first time, in February of 2007, at the age of 49.
I actually met him 11 years ago, but the night we met he said, “I have to marry you, but can you wait ten years?” He says now that he knew all along (that he wanted to marry me) but that he wasn’t ready for that big of a love. He didn’t feel like he was the man he wanted to be.

How did you meet?
I had just gone through another “what’s the point” relationship and I decided to turn it over to God. I wrote a letter to God asking for help picking out my next partner. I listed about a dozen traits -- none of them physical -- mostly about his spirit and attitude. I wanted him to be a teacher and a student. He had to have compassion for the planet and all the beings on it and above it. He had to love music and had to have something passionate in his life. Then I mentioned that it would be nice if he could cook. The next day, a waiter-friend of mine brought Scott (Lenau) to my show at the Coconut Grove because he had a vibe that he needed to introduce us. He didn’t know about the letter.

My friend got Scott pretty well lit before he showed up and he (Scott) was sunk. I was wearing a sexy mermaid dress, and some days the old broad can look pretty good (she laughs). I fell in love with his eyes and sweet smile. I knew. This was my partner.

We’ve been together ever since. He turned me on to a lot of world music I hadn’t discovered. We’ve traveled and gone camping. He’s quiet and shy and committed to truth and living his life with integrity. And he’s a chef (she laughs).

Are you as successful now as you’ve wanted to be?
I wanted a certain level of achievement, but sometimes the universe has different plans for you. Big fame wasn’t my path. My path was to learn humility, generosity and community. My father said that “success was getting paid to do that what you would gladly pay to do.” And I’ve added “and to be happy about it.” The success for me is that I get to make music. I get to make music. The gift of that is huge to me. I do feel successful.

"Thompson sings with the clarity of a Barbara Cook, the range and control of a Cleo Laine, and the emotional impact of a Lena Horne. There's no denying the sincerity of Thompson's matchless articulation and the depth of her seamless shifts of mood in all she sings - Cami Thompon is a superb singing actress." (Reno Philharmonic's Pops on the River: An Inspired Evening of Music)

HUG HIGH SCHOOL'S MUSICAL CAST GETS SOME COACHING FROM A PRO...
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"Hah! quick and short."
"Take a breath and 'Hah!'"
The "hah!" will open you up, singer and voice coach Cami Thompson explained to Camille Betton.
Betton was working on becoming the character Anita in Hug High School's upcoming production of "West Side Story." Thompson, a Reno native living in the Bay Area, came on board last week at Hug to help the young singers in the cast learn skills like breathing techniques, musical pitch and how to sing and act at the same time.

Armed with an electric keyboard and a portable CD player, Thompson and Betton stood at the edge of the stage in Hug High's theater and took apart the song, "A Boy Like That," bit by bit.

"Stick to. Stick to," Thompson emphasized a single phrase, singing it over and over. "Steeck to yourrr own kind."

Betton sang the same phrase, adding a little more of her character's hurt to each rephrasing.

"Good!" Thompson said at the end. "Good!"

The popular telelvision program "American Idol" has nothing on the Hug High Harlequins, the students who are staging and starring in "West Side Story" this week. In fact, they put those "Idol" posers to shame, not just in singing on stage, but in dancing, acting and singing all at the same time.

"I sing a lot," said Betton, a Hug senior. "The breathing techniques she (Thompson) taught me, I'll probably take with me forever. She can tell what you're doing wrong and how to fix it."

Randy Percelle, also a senior, will portray the role of Action. Getting on stage to perform for him is pure joy. He has worked in several productions and is attracted to live performance.

"Anything can happen," he said. "It just gives me a rush that people are watching. That it's live."

Thompson regularly has performed at Reno area events, also teaches voice and cut her regular $50 hourly rate in half to coach the Hug students.

"For kids, working with someone like Cami is pretty remarkable," said the production director and teacher, Sabrina Cellucci.

Thompson concentrated on the singers' enthusiasm and their eagerness to learn.

"It's so exciting," she said. "To have one passionate and empassioned teacher -- it can inspire these kids to create. Later, they'll find it's an important experience in their lives.

"I love it when they connect with something they didn't know they had," she said.
Being involved in music, theater and other outlets as students reminds them that they'll always be connected to the arts, Thompson said.

"It's as much a part of them as walking and breathing," she said. "Trying to separate them as talented or not talented is a crime to me."

Freshman Jordan Gotchy landed the plum part of Tony. He didn't care what part he played, he just wanted to sing. Getting Tony's part was "awesome," he said.

"We're working on pitch, breathing, acting while singing. It's a lot harder than singing," he said.

After some one-on-one work with Betton, Thompson gathered Gotchy, Percelle and Alex Sandoval, the senior who'll portray Riff, to practice the "Tonight" ensemble, a song sung by several of the musical's gang members.

Sandoval had some trouble hitting certain notes. Thompson gave him undivided attention, telling him to hum the note he was trying to sing; to hear it in his head, which would enable him to bring it out. When he succeeded, Thompson celebrated his work with praise and encouragement.

Putting on a high school musical in these days of shrinking budgets and arts programs cuts is daunting. Cellucci said her team has worked about nine weeks on the production. During the past few years, Hug's audience for musical theater has grown a little at a time, beginning with audiences of only 25 people or so. Last year, she said, they broke the 100 mark for attendance.

The gang violence in "West Side Story," a musical written in the 1950s that focuses on two New York City gangs and the love story between a boy from one gang and the sister of a member of the rival gang, still rings true for kids today, she said.

Sara Doty, a senior who plays the role of Anybodys, agrees. All students can find something to relate to in this production: "'West Side Story' is very different. It's like we can relate, but not relate."

Derek Butler, a junior, helped with the graffiti artwork that decorates the "West Side Story" set. He saw the movie of the musical in middle school. The artists, he said, mixed old and new graffiti styles in their work, representing both the Sharks and the Jets, the production's rival gangs.

"I think it's good expression," he said. "It shows each side -- the rivalry and the expressions they used."

"West Side Story," with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, opened on Broadway in 1957. The movie "West Side Story" was produced in 1961. A revival of the musical now is in previews on Broadway with a Thursday opening.

Guest artists Pete Escovedo, Latin jazz percussion master, and Cami Thompson, vocalist extraordinaire, each add their particular artistry that helps keep the high energy flowing.... Thompson demonstrates an excellent feeling for jazz with her amazing range, vocal control and awesome scat singing on the Rogers and Hammerstein standard, It Might As Well Be Spring. The two-bar trade offs between her and Vax steals the show! ... for CD MIKE VAX and MVJO, ALTERNATE ROUTE, Sea Breeze Records

"Cami Thompson (is) remarkable, a perfectly wonderful singer."

NOJO's guest artists --the beguiling Cami Thompson (It Might as Well Be Spring, Embraceable You) and fiery percussionist Pete Escovedo -- are superb in every respect. Whatever route you choose, you can ensure an agreeable traveling companion simply by inviting Mike Vax and NOJO along for the ride.

for CD by MIKE VAX and MVJO, "ALTERNATE ROUTE", Sea Breeze Records

Worth noting: the two vocals by Cami Thompson (Cole Porter's "I Concentrate on You" and Legrand and Bergman's "The Way He Makes Me Feel"), for the accuracy of her intonation while scatting in unison with the band, and for clear diction and a range that won't quit.

In my two years of hosting shows, I have never seen a performer like Cami Thompson. The lady performed like she was in a packed auditorium with thousands of people watching. With Si Perkoff at the piano, this duo dazzled the audience with their jazz touches, old favorites from Gershwin to Cole Porter. The audience clapped and their heels were moving with the beat of the music. Some of the songs Cami sang were - 'Embraceable You', 'I Get a Kick out of You', 'Nite and Day', In the Still of the Night', 'What is this Thing Called Love', 'What a Difference a Day Makes'. The crowd loved her style as she did her 'scatting' in the various jazz numbers. What the audience enjoyed most was Cami's ability to reach and hold the high notes. There were hints of Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, Judy Garland and Ella Fitzgerald. Her last song was Louis Armstrong's 'What a Wonderful World". Si Perkoff is another great master at the piano. His fingers just seem to float and caress the piano keys with soft gloves. Cami and Si are a match made in heaven. The audience wanted more and more from them.

Lisa Starbird
Bread & Roses
Program Assistant

"Early Sunday morn, I stopped into the Coconut Grove to catch the wonderful singer Cami Thompson ... ... She makes me smile!"

" Thompson's finger-snapping flights of scat are as cliff-hanging as her ballads are touching."

Cami – I don’t even know what to say… you were SO SO fabulous Sunday……and the band was terrific too…… Like I thought – everyone present was blown away… not just with your incredible voice, style and personality, but your ability to work our story into your program. I thought that the creative way you added bits and pieces – and pulled the whole thing together – was beyond spectacular. It was so far beyond my expectation, that I could not even get my thoughts together to begin to thank you. Jack and I were completely engrossed in the presentation (he had tears in his eyes throughout the first half) – and I knew that one of the two of us had to be able to speak by the end! Well…… you made the day, and everyone at the dinner could not stop talking about how great you are… and about “Rainbow” – whew…… the consensus was that no one had ever been to a party like this one – the reaction has been overwhelming… and much of this is due to your fantastic concert... Please let me know if you ever need a recommendation!!!!

Lots of love – Jan and Jack

" Last weekend's "Jazz and Beyond" festival at the Brewery Arts Center was a spirited success... Sunday capped it all with the Reno Jazz Orchestra and Cami Thompson. She's a jewel, and sings the way the jazz angels should."

"Freedom, humor, love and compassion--these are the things Thompson values most, and she hopes her creative endeavors can be a source of inspiration and encouragement to others. Her voice is beautifully diverse and moving, skillful and wise, and her outlook on life is so positive, you can't help but admire her--that's the inescapable aspect of her music: It makes your body move and makes you feel good."

"Cami Thompson sang on a recent night, backed by the superb expertise of her jazz trio. (She) energetically performed some of the most artistic scat styling in the Western states."

Loved the jazz festival!
Congratulations to Carson City for the world-class jazz festival held this past weekend. Many participants felt the highlight of the weekend was the Reno Jazz Orchestra performance featuring Cami Thompson. If there is a better big-band singer in America, would someone please let me know? Cami Thompson should be a major headliner whenever she performs.

Max Jackson, Reno

"Thompson was perfectly cast as Mona, and she delivers one of the finest performances I've seen since reviewing Reno theater. Not only can she belt a song with the best of them, she has a winning stage presence. In fact, she almost single-handedly salvaged the first 30 minutes of the show."

"The world has yet to learn that Cami Thompson is among its great entertainers... She is a singer, composer, lyricist, band leader and serious and comedic actress of limitless promise, with a majestic voice that suggests a new Streisand or Ella Fitzgerald is dawning. But thankfully what we don?t have is an imitator. Cami is original! "

"Dahling...you were maaahhhvelous!" (After seeing Cami's performance at San Francisco's "Coconut Grove", dancing with wife, while fellow actor Nicholas Cage looked on. (Cami nearly fainted when he came up and spoke these words to her.)