Suzy Bogguss Rides her Roller-coaster Career into the Mystic
"After all these years of doing this I think I now recognize my limitations and understand that if you want to continue to perform then you need to build on your strengths," says country and pop-jazz singer Suzy Bogguss during a phone call from her home outside of Nashville. "I don't really decorate my songs. I try to tell the story, sing pretty and phrase the lyrics in a way that carries you along and makes you want to listen.
"I'm not a vocal acrobat. Even at times when I've tried to sing really hard and tried to rock out, it's like listening to Doris Day do a Led Zeppelin song.
"It's just not gonna happen!"
That last comment is punctuated by the hearty laugh that crops up easily in a conversation with a down-home girl who was "born in a cornfield in the Midwest."
Bogguss, who performs in the North Bay next week, is modest about her talent.
All Music Guide critic Thom Jurek has called her "a true treasure, as a singer, songwriter and performer."
She got her start as a demo singer in Nashville and performed as an employee at the Dollywood theme park. In 1988, Bogguss made her solo debut with the blockbuster album Somewhere Between, which spawned five hit singles.
She went on to become one of the darlings of the neo-traditionalist movement, recording an album of duets with country guitar legend Chet Atkins as well as a string of standout collaborations with Lee Greenwood, Delbert McClinton and Dave Edmunds.
But at the height of her career, Bogguss walked away from the spotlight for three years to start a family. She returned to find the Nashville scene had grown more rock and pop. She struggled commercially and left Capitol Records.
And she stretched out artistically. In 1999, she released a self-produced and self-titled collection of ballads that drew critical acclaim. Soon the one-time country star found herself perched on the contemporary jazz charts, thanks to 2003's Swing and 2007's Sweet Danger, which incorporated Brazilian sambas, Gypsy jazz and swing.
Definitely not your typical country singer.
"I prefer the term 'eclectic' to 'scattered,'" she jokes when asked about her diverse sound. "You meet all these people through your work and they turn you on to new music and all of a sudden you find yourself being infatuated with something. It started getting into my bones."
These days, she's wrapping up The American Folk Songbook, a CD of traditional songs due for release in the spring. "It's sort of a thank-you to all my music teachers and to the way I grew up and how lucky I was to have teachers who were so passionate about teaching American folk music," Bogguss says. "I'm also writing a songbook to go with it. I'm looking for a way to help get these songs to younger kids—I couldn't believe that my own kids don't know these songs!"
Among the tracks are "Shenandoah," "Red River Valley," "Froggy Went A'Courtin'" and a gorgeous stripped-down acoustic version of Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer" recorded as a lullaby.
All are delivered in Bogguss' crystal clear voice and designed to connect with the listener.
"I've just started to settle into what I do best and ask what is the thing that I do that makes people respond to me and tell me later on that they really like," she says. "I've found that for most people, that's the melody and the story."
COMING SOON
Suzy Bogguss performs a solo acoustic concert Thursday, July 15, at 8pm at the Mystic Theatre, 21 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma. $20. Bay Area singer-songwriter J.L. Stiles opens the show. 707/765-2121.
Whistle a tune to Greg at gcahill51@gmail.com.
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