LoginSTM College President's Gala 2010
St. Thomas More College President’s Gala 2010
Saturday, February 6th at 5:30pm
Cocktails – Dinner – Concert
$225 per person
To order, please call (306) 966-8940
Partial tax receipt will be issued
Colman Brings Mellow Stylings To Gala by Ned Powers
The StarPhoenix, February 4, 2010
Kenny Colman's career longevity comes from a never-say-die spirit -- and a little help from his friends.
He could have stopped singing in 1964 "when The Beatles happened and suddenly everything in pop music was rock 'n roll." Then, in 1985, a Los Angeles doctor told him he had inoperable brain cancer.
"But after coming back to Vancouver, I got second and third opinions from Canadian doctors, who said the tumour was both operable and benign."
Along the way, he had friends like Frank Sinatra "who counted me in his fraternity of the saloon singers, who told me just to keep singing, and became the best agent I ever had." Another boost came from retired beer baron Freddy Heineken, who spent a "bundle" producing Dreamscape, Colman's 1994 "legacy album."
Still singing, Colman is an amazing catch for the annual St. Thomas More College President's gala on Saturday at the college. The gala supports scholarships and bursaries.
Colman grew up playing hockey on the north side of Winnipeg. He attracted enough attention to attend a Detroit Red Wings' prospect camp. Hockey eventually gave way to music. But, Colman says, "I've always stayed with the work ethic and used the zeal and conviction I had in hockey, and applied it to music."
Gradually, the path led to New York where he worked with Merv Griffin on a TV game show, Play Your Hunch, and sang in legendary night spots like The Half Note, The Five Spot and The Village Vanguard.
"One night, Sarah Vaughan was in the audience and she arranged for my first professional gig in Las Vegas, first with Harry James, and then Lionel Hampton and Della Reese. My career took an upswing, too, when I appeared on Johnny Carson and sang two songs, including God Bless The Child. That's when the phone started ringing and everything seemed to be in order until The Beatles broke through."
Colman built a diverse fan base that included Muhammad Ali, Anthony Quinn, composer Cy Coleman and trumpeter Harry (Sweets) Edison.
When Colman was working at the Flamingo in Las Vegas, "Frank, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., the whole Rat Pack would walk through the casino. I never imagined that, seven years later, I'd be having dinner with Frank."
One night in Palm Springs, Colman saw Sinatra at a table along with his wife Barbara and their friends, Leo Durocher, Jilly Rizzo and Jimmy Van Heusen.
"After some reluctance, I took the stage and sang softly and quietly."
Between tunes, Sinatra would ask Colman about the songs and arrangements.
At the end of the night, he said "Kenny, if you need me, holler!"
"I think he respected me because I didn't try to imitate him or copy all his arrangements."
Singers need to find their own style and individuality, says Colman.
"Diction and phrasing are natural gifts. You don't learn those things from music teachers. There's no substitute for the passion you feel for the music."
Colman began getting lounge dates in the hotels where Sinatra was a headliner. Sinatra also got Colman a long run at Loews in Monte Carlo where he once sang for Prince Albert. Heineken saw a glowing review of Colman's work and set in motion the plans for Dreamscape. On the CD, released in 1994, Colman drew on the writing talents of John Mandel and the accompaniment of jazz harmonica star Toots Thielmans and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
The CD was re-released in 1998 by Justin Time Records. The coup de grace was Sinatra's tribute on the cover: "Dreamscape is glorious singing, a loving experience, totally musical."
This Saturday's engagement is a tribute to the persuasive powers of avid Saskatoon fan Colleen Wilson.
"She sold the committee on me, and right out of the blue, I got this beautiful e-mail from Colleen and the show was in the works," says Colman. He will bring three Vancouver musicians, including trumpeter-pianist Brad Turner. Players with Saskatoon Jazz Society credentials will round out the orchestra.
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