Deborah Cox first made a splash on the pop scene as an R&B/dance vocalist in the late 1990s and had one of the decade's most successful singles with "Nobody's Supposed to be Here" in 1998. The song was from her record "One Wish," her second, which was a great showcase for her bold voice and her ability to convince with both ballads and uptempo tunes.
Even though nothing she has released since has been as commercially winning, Cox has secured a place at the table of modern dance divas. In 2002, in an unusual step for a pop star, she took time away from recording to perform on Broadway in Elton John and Tim Rice's "Aida."
This past year, the 33-year-old singer threw her audience another curveball with "Destination Moon," an old-school, full-orchestra set that featured her interpretations of the Dinah Washington songbook. Cox decided not to duplicate the Washington sound (admittedly, virtually impossible to do), but instead added her own spin and flavor to songs like "What a Difference a Day Makes," "Misery," and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes."
Cox plays the Roxy tomorrow night, and we caught up with her to talk about "Destination Moon," Broadway, and her pop future.
Q. Any time artists make tribute records to musical giants like you have done, the interpretations are inevitably going to be compared to the originals. Why would you put yourself up to that kind of scrutiny? Or did you see it as a challenge? Maybe you had to prove something?
A.No, really I wasn't worried about whether anyone was going to measure me against the originals. That wasn't a factor. This is just my homage to Dinah Washington. I did it for selfish reasons. I just have always loved her music so much since I was a young girl, and I wanted to record these songs as a real, deeply felt tribute. I also wanted to show that I can do much more than what people have come to expect from me. I mean, Dinah could do almost anything - jazz, blues, big band - and she approached each differently. Her style could be cocky, playful, and emotional; there was just so much range. I just had to do this record
Q. Her music was also tempestuous and often filled with pain. What deep inside of you did it speak to that you would love it so much and identify with?
A. I'm really not sure, but I think what spoke to me most was the versatility and the way she could move from one style to the next. I think that people want to pigeonhole me and just want me to do dance music, and I'm capable of so much more. I appreciate R&B and dance, and, of course, that's what I'm identified with, but there's more to me than those boxes. Exploring Dinah's music opens up people's expectations of me.
Q. Well, you spent time on Broadway, and that should have gotten folks' attention. How did that experience inform this record if at all?
A.Doing musical theater was important. It gave me the opportunity to work with a live orchestra every night and be in front of an audience that was really paying attention to the vocals. It's a very different audience than the pop world. It really forced me to focus and explore my range.
Q. Do you want to follow up "Destination Moon" with something similar in the future? Is this the direction you are going in?
A. I would like to do maybe a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald or someone equally challenging.
Q. Are you going to avoid R&B and dance?
A. Oh, no, my next record will be R&B and pop. It's very much a return to the sound people, no doubt, expect from me. It will be out in spring 2008.
Q. There are so many great young producers who have emerged since your last record five years ago. Any thoughts of working with the likes of Danja, Stargate, or Tricky Stewart?
A. No, I'm going back to "Shep" Crawford and [Jimmy] Jam and [Terry Lewis], who I worked with before. The bulk of it is done, and I think people who liked my early work will appreciate it.
