Consequently, she will, on occasion, alter a lyric, either by changing a word or shifting a pronoun, in order to reconcile the song with a more modern sensibility. A few years ago, she explains, Tony Bennett said in an interview that he can t sing a tune if he can t relate to the lyrics. I took that on as my motto. There are a lot of tunes that have beautiful melodies and beautiful chord changes, but the English language changes over time. If a lyric uses words like fancy that I would never say, then I can t sing it.
Many standards are timeless, but there are some that are definitely period pieces.
The ability to balance musical innovation with lyric expression finds it greatest expression in DeRose s arranging. An inventive small group arranger, she combines an instrumentalist s expansive understanding of a tune s rhythmic and harmonic possibilities with an interpretive singer s precise focus on the meaning of a song. DeRose starts an arrangement by writing out the words to the song away from the music. I read them over and over to see how I relate to the tune, she explains. She then fashions a musical setting that matches her understanding of the lyric.