Jazz singer Wendy Moten (“The Voice”) chatted about her new music and her upcoming show in New York’s Birdland Jazz Club.
‘Don’t Give Up’ single
On her single “Don’t Give Up,” she said, “My fiancé David Santos and I wrote this together in 2009. He is also a touring musician and has toured playing bass for Billy Joel, John Fogerty, CSN, Melissa Etheridge, Toto, and a few others.”
“I think we may have written it to encourage each other to keep working on our craft and to continue dreaming and acting on those dreams,” she added.
‘The Voice’ performance with Cee Lo Green
She opened up about performing with Cee Lo Green for Blake Shelton’s final show on “The Voice.” “Oh my goodness! I never saw that coming,” she admitted.
“It was a blast being asked to participate in Blake’s final show, but to celebrate this event with icon CeeLo Green was otherworldly. He’s an amazing artist and great person. I felt thankful that our paths crossed,” she explained.
Birdland show in New York
On August 21, Moten will be headlining Birdland Jazz Club in New York. “I am so excited to be back at Birdland,” she said. “It’s always a pleasure to perform at this historic venue. I consider myself a bit of a chameleon as an artist. I love taking my audience on a musical journey of classic songs that should never be forgotten.”
“I love crossing genres in my shows,” she admitted. “I’ll sing a few Richard Whiting songs , some traditional jazz standards sprinkled with a little Wendy Moten, Aretha, Janis Ian and Paul Simon. This will be the first time I will have an opener.”
“David Santos is a brilliant musician songwriter. He just finished recording three jazz projects. I asked him to perform three songs to open the show. He said ‘yes’! His compositions are amazing,” she added.
The digital age
On being an artist in the digital age, now with streaming, technology, and social media being so prevalent, she said, “I think it’s a great time for an artist like me. My musical career started in 1993 during the Whitney, Celine, and Mariah era.”
“I was signed to a major label and I had the record label machine behind me,” she said. “I’ve been able to keep reinventing myself throughout the years, but, since streaming, social media and all of the other technologies have surfaced, they allow me to continue to be a part of the new music business.”
Music inspirations
When asked about her music inspirations, she said, “I choose songs that mean something to me and make me motivated to add something different each time I perform them.”
“One of the goals is to reach the listeners spirit in a beautiful and positive way,” she added.
Future plans
On her future plans, she shared, “My plans include recording great music and encouraging as many people as I can along the way.”
Dream duet choice in music
Moten listed H.E.R. as her dream collaboration choice in music. “I would love to write and record a song with iconic artist H.E.R.,” she said. “She is one of the most authentic and innovative artists of our time.”
Success
Regarding her definition of the word success, she said, “The word success means following through on an idea and not stopping until the job is complete.”
Closing thoughts about her new music
Moten remarked about her new music, “I like being the storyteller and my goal is to sing songs that reach peoples hearts and souls and have them feeling something spiritual that they cannot articulate. I would hope that my listener knows that I’m singing to them and not at them. I want them to hear the gratitude in my voice.”
“I want them to know that they are loved and that I see them and I hear them,” she said. “I want them to know that it is my pleasure to perform for them and hope they feel something different that empowers them.”
“I’m not the first or the last with this prayer, but, finally I know who I am and my purpose. I finally know how to do my part, my way,” she concluded.
To learn more about Wendy Moten, check out her official website and follow her on Instagram.
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