Laura Varcho to Appear On The Red Stage

A beautiful summer day, a free concert on an outdoor stage and a singer who will light it up with classics from the Great American Songbook--these are the ingredients of a perfect afternoon in Lakewood. Laura Varcho, a vocalist who knows how to convey the most personal of emotions, will sing jazz and pop, with a touch of blues thrown in, at the Beck Cafe on Sunday, August 15 from 2-4 p.m.

Laura describes her style as improvisational and interpretive, but respectful of the songwriters’ original intentions. Most listeners recognize the songs of the Great American Songbook, even though they were written between 1920 and 1960. “These songs remain fresh and vibrant,” says Laura. “The melodies are so masterful.”

The lushly orchestrated, romantic pop numbers of the Great American Songbook largely originated from radio stars, or "crooners," of the last century or from Broadway and Hollywood musicals. Interpreted by singers, these “jazz standards” exist in hundreds of varied vocal and instrumental versions, their only constant being the lyrics and melody. The era of the Great American Songbook ended with the rock and roll explosion of the 1960s, but the music survives today in the jazz vocal world, and periodically makes a pop comeback when reinterpreted by singers such as Linda Ronstadt, Willie Nelson and Rod Stewart. Stardust by Hoagy Carmichael, Over the Rainbow by Harold Arlen and Blue Skies by Irving Berlin are examples of this enduring genre.

“Every generation has appropriated these songs,” says Laura. “The lyrics have become part of our lexicon.”

Laura began performing with the plays and musicals she wrote, cast, and produced at the age of five. Throughout school and into her 20’s, she dabbled in rock and roll while working as a secretary. But at 28, she decided music was her passion and began to pursue professional singing as a full-time career. Drawn to the jazz standards, she started singing them with her uncle, a piano player who was also ready to make music full time. For five years, their duo known as “Little Wow” played around Northeast Ohio.

“He taught me everything I needed to know,” recalls Laura. “I remember being a kid sitting underneath the grand piano at my grandma’s house listening to him play. I guess the melodies just got into my blood then.”

Life inevitably intervenes, and Laura gave up her singing career for several years, relocated to Atlanta and then returned to Ohio, where she married and had a daughter in 1996.

The music, however, remained in her blood, and in 1998, she again pursued a career as a jazz singer. For the next nine years, she appeared regularly at Nighttown, a top jazz club in Cleveland Heights, and at other professional venues around Northeast Ohio. She opened for several national acts during that time, including Kenny Rankin, Kim Waters and Boney James. Special appearances included the Tri-C Jazz Fest, concerts at Cain Park and Vintage Ohio, and Cleveland State's Sundown Jazz concert series.

“I’m really proud of those years,” says Laura. “I worked really hard to be recognized by my peers and the public as one of the top jazz musicians in the city.”

That pesky life continued, however, and due to personal reasons, Laura decided to give up singing professionally in 2007. “Making a living at the local musician level is difficult,” she says. “Many musicians teach, or they have a spouse who works in order to make ends meet. The life of a musician can be really lonely without a good support system.”

But the music in her blood wouldn’t rest, and Laura has again resurfaced as an interpreter of the Great American Songbook. She’s excited about performing at the Beck Café, where she will be accompanied by guitar player Pete Cavano.

“I love Lakewood,” says Laura, who has lived in the Beck Center’s neighborhood for the past 12 years. “The addition of the Café has been great. Things like the Beck Café are what make a city a community. They’re doing their part to offer a community space to socialize and hear live music.”

The Beck Café is located at the Beck Center for the Arts, 17823 Detroit Avenue, in Lakewood. They offer food and drink, as well as live music several times a week. For information, visit their web site at www.beckcafe.com or call 216-712-4746. And mark your calendar for August 15 to hear one of Lakewood’s prized vocalists sing her versions from the Great American Songbook.