If I’m driving to L.A. and have anxiety about making the drive, if I’ve got Peggy with me, we’re cool. – Rita Coolidge
I’ve got my whole life. There’s a lifetime of experience, a lifetime of experiencing the road and the music and different players. It makes me a richer human being. I have a greater source of information to tap into, a wealth of life. – Rita Coolidge
The month of September is Women in Jazz, so I’m doing jazz there in September. I’m in for the duration. – Rita Coolidge
Too often, the opportunity knocks, but by the time you push back the chain, push back the bolt, unhook the two locks and shut off the burglar alarm, it’s too late. – Rita Coolidge
When I sang that song, I felt it was almost as if some force had moved into my body. Things like that have only happened to me singing jazz. It doesn’t happen when singing pop. I get so deeply into the music, it feels like I’ve become someone else. – Rita Coolidge
Universal was absolutely marvelous about sitting down with me and listening to my input. It wasn’t something where they chose a bunch of songs that were best sellers. They did a marvelous job on the packaging. It’s a beautiful tribute. – Rita Coolidge
I don’t think I was considered to be a cabaret singer because I didn’t have patter that was written. – Rita Coolidge
I think the challenges for me was to go into the studio with these incredible jazz players and come up to their level of excellence. That’s always a challenge. – Rita Coolidge
I was kind of known as a ballad singer. People would send ballads. Some of them would go over my shoulder and float off the top of my head, and I just didn’t feel anything. Then I would hear a song that would absolutely shake me. – Rita Coolidge
There was a subtlety about Peggy Lee. It was powerful. There was a valuable use of space. Everything was not cluttered. Her voice was out front and was the key instrument. – Rita Coolidge
I’ve always wanted to record a jazz record. I did one in the ’70s with Barbara Carroll. It’s been a journey. – Rita Coolidge
Jazz radio is not very friendly to pop singers who decide to make a jazz record. But a lot of people have been. A lot of the people I’ve talked to like the record. – Rita Coolidge
