Sophie Milman: "[My] first album dealt with my youth spent migrating through different countries and cultures and the passion for jazz that helped see me through it."

M

Move over, Diana KraII. Russian-born, Israel-raised
twentysomething enjoys blossoming career.

Suzanne Chessler

Special to the Jewish News

I

t's Not Easy) Bein' Green:' a song originally linked to Sesame Street's Kermit the
Frog, gets an adult and very personal interpretation by Canadian singer Sophie
Milman, a fresh voice on the international jazz scene.
The song can be heard on her brand-new CD, Make Someone Happy, and often is
performed when she takes the concert stage. A Michigan audience likely will hear her
version Saturday evening, Nov. 10, when she appears at Andrews University in Berrien
Springs.
Milman's musical style, sophisticated and saucy, with a range from upbeat to dreamy,
developed without any formal training. She improvised after listening to recordings of
hit-making jazz artists, including Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee.
"Bein' Green' summarizes my entire life because I seemed to be the odd one says the
singer, 24, whose family lived in Russia until she was 7 and then Israel until she was 16.
"With the immigrations, I felt a lot of the time as if I was quite alone in the world and
really didn't fit in anywhere. In Israel, I didn't fit in perfectly with the Russian commu-
nity, nor did I fit in with the Israeli community.
"When I got to Canada, I was a product of two cultures and still didn't relate fully to
either one. I heard the song when I was an adult and felt that life had me charting my
own course.
The other songs on the CD also have strong personal meanings for Milman and show-
case her ability to switch rhythms and timing.
"Make Someone Happy," the title song of the August-released CD, was chosen because

it has to do with her trying to keep family, friends and fans happy amid the rush of mul-
tiplying bookings in distant towns and countries. The love songs, such as a fast-paced
"It Might As Well Be Spring" and playful "Matchmaker, Matchmaker;' relate to her falling
in love for the first time, with Canadian attorney Casey Chisick to whom she was intro-
duced by a band member.
"Eli, Eli, my Israeli song, connects to my years in Israel," explains Milman, whose
English skills barely hint at her background mastering other languages. "I'm a big advo-
cate and supporter of Israel, and I felt that I had to sing an Israeli song to draw attention
to that.
"I chose that song because I associate it with peaceful Israel, not the heroic war songs
which are very familiar to me. This song shows the nature of Israelis as I see it."
The vocalist's career launched during the summer between high school and college.
After only a few club performances, she was discovered by an executive of the Linus
Entertainment label.
"I took on the first record deal mostly out of curiosity:' explains the stage and record-
ing artist, also at the center of the CD Live at the Winter Garden Theatre, recorded earlier
this year and listed on the Canadian jazz charts for weeks.
Her self-titled debut CD, Sophie Milman, recorded in 2004, has sold almost 100,000
copies worldwide, hit the Billboard Top 5 in Canada and the top 15 in the United States
and was nominated for Canada's Juno Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year (the equiv-
alent of the U.S. Grammy).
Much media attention followed, including an article in Elle magazine and a segment

Jazz Ingenue on page 54

August 30 • 2007

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