PHOTO BY STEVEN BENSON
Kathy Kosins
of Birmingham
releases her
first critically
- acclaimed CD.
Cro ning Kosins
HEIDI MAE BRATT SPECIAL 0 THE JEWISH NEWS
K
athy Kosins has come
a long way from
crooning "Dodge boys
have more fun" on the pop-
ular 1980s television com-
mercial.
After years of
singing backup and
writing songs for nu-
merous R&B acts, Ms. Kosins is now out
front having fun with her newly released
album, All In A Dream's Work (Schoolkids
Records), which already is capturing crit-
ical acclaim and getting air play on some
major jazz radio stations.
Ms. Kosins' debut album features a
first-rate collection of nine songs written
or co-written by the singer, and one cover
tune dedicated to the legendary Miles
Davis. Her original songs confidently blend
traditional jazz changes with contempo-
rary lyrics. Subtitling the CD "a collection
of new standards," Ms. Kosins said she
hopes one day the songs will become stan-
dards in their own right.
"I wanted the record to be romantic and
quirky," said the Birmingham resident.
"The quirkiness is reflected in the lyrics;
that's where I express my sense of humor.
Every one of these songs is descriptive of
some relationship in my life, and turning
those experiences into lyrics helps me to
find my voice.
"I think I'm a very melancholic writer,"
she said. "I always reflect on my past, not
in a sad way but in a thoughtful kind of
way. There are lots of memories in a song
about my own personal reflections."
Ms. Kosins, whose father was the well-
known Detroit clothier Harry Kosins, de-
cided when she was a teen-ager that she
wanted a career in music. Having no for-
mal vocal or instrumental training (she
still can't read a note or play an instru-
ment), she auditioned for background (because of her love for both Miles Davis
singing sessions around Detroit and be- and Hendricks, she wanted to pay tribute
came a sought-after vocalist.
to both of them on her first release). Her
Following a two-year stint at college, other songs were inspirations gleaned from
she hooked up with musical producer Don quiet moments and animated conversa-
Was, joined the group Was (Not Was) and tions.
started writing and arranging background
" 'Nightfall' was written about my fa-
vocals. More recently, she became the fea- vorite time of day," she said. "At the end
tured vocalist with the J.C. Heard Or- of the day, the sunlight hits the wall in my
chestra and the Nelson Riddle
dining room and creates the most
Orchestra. As her writing of R&B Kathy Kosins: incredible shadows. As I sat there
Making her
songs matured, so returned the in-
at my dining-room table, the music
mark in
fluences of jazz, which she calls her
and
the lyrics just came together.
Detroit.
first love.
"Another tune, Can't Change You,'
"I took a 10-year detour through
is the result of two girlfriends com-
R&B to get to jazz," she said. "I find jazz miserating about relationships," she ex-
a haunting, complex, intelligent art form plained. "I was thinking that women
and a challenge to write."
always seem to be able to do the impos-
For her debut record, Ms. Kosins is sible, but they can't change the opposite
backed by piano trio, trumpet, fluegelhorn, sex."
soprano and French horn. She chose a sin-
All In A Dream's Work, she said, is "a
gle cover, "Four," with Jon Hendricks lyrics woman's record," not only in its lyrical