UP FRONT NOTEWORTHY BY JAN ENGOREN
BIG-BAND MOMENT: DEBORAH SILVER’S GRAMMY-NOMINATED ALBUM SHOWCASES A LIFETIME OF MUSICAL PASSION
Fresh off her hour-long PBS special last October, Boca Raton vocalist Deborah Silver earned her first Grammy nomination for Basie Rocks!, a collaboration with The Count Basie Orchestra. Produced by Rolling Stones drummer Steve Jordan, the album—which reimagines classics by such legends as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Sting, and Peter Frampton with big band arrangements—was nominated for “Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.” Silver says she feels “fortunate to work with so many legends.”
Her early training was in ballet and piano, and although her mother, Sondra Shindell Berman, was an opera singer, Silver didn’t pursue singing until college, when she discovered musical theater. In her twenties, she worked in Los Angeles in film, television, and theater, performing the role of Diana Morales in A Chorus Line and appearing opposite Bob Newhart in a TV movie. After taking time off to raise a family, she returned to performing with the belief that it’s “never too late; passion never expires.”
While her path to a Grammy nomination was circuitous, Silver says she’s driven by her love of music and to be her best. “It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized by my fellow artists,” she says.
That drive is evident on Basie Rocks!, where Silver performs alongside Peter Frampton, Trombone Shorty, Arturo Sandoval, and others. A trained soprano, she studied with Los Angeles vocal coach Seth Riggs. Her voice has been described as “robusto”—strong, sultry, dramatic, and emotionally expressive.
Veteran music producer Charlie Calello, who has produced more than 100 Billboard chart records, is struck by Silver’s range and control. “She really can sing,” he says. “She’s able to sing a classic and make it her own.” He points to her renditions of the Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black” and Peter Frampton’s “Baby, I Love Your Way,” placing her “in the same league as the greats I’ve worked with.”
While this is Silver’s first Grammy nomination, it’s not her first chart success. Glitter & Grits, produced by Ray Benson featuring musicians from Asleep at the Wheel, was voted Broadway World’s Best Commercial Recording for 2020. The Gold Standards, produced by Steve Tyrell and arranged by Alan Broadbent, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz and Heatseekers charts.
Besides her love of music, Silver is motivated by purpose, hope, and shared experience. She donates a portion of her earnings to the Jazz Foundation of America and to charities supporting ALS, Alzheimer’s, and other brain disorders.
Dick Robinson of Legends Radio says Silver’s determination sets her apart. “Deborah’s got the spirit and passion to get things done,” he says. “She’s making music history—and that’s not an overstatement.”