Whe… Read Full Bio ↴Diana Panton is a jazz vocalist who hails from Hamilton, Canada.
When legendary Canadian multi-instrumentalist Don Thompson first heard Panton sing at age 19, he recommended she audition for the reputed jazz workshop at the Banff Center for the Arts (Canada). There, she studied under Norma Winstone (and, in subsequent visits, Sheila Jordan and Jay Clayton).
While at Banff, Panton was invited to perform with Thompson at the famed Blue Room. “She really knocked me out that night," Thompson said. “She was so young but she had a lot of depth and real feeling. It surprised me right away.” Following that performance, Thompson told Panton to contact him when she was ready to record an album. She did - some 10 years later!
Before recording her first album, Panton first completed an honours masters degree in French literature and fulfilled a teaching engagement at the University of Paris (France), followed by a position as a sessional lecturer at McMaster University (Canada). She then completed a teaching degree. During this time, she also produced and performed a number of sold-out concerts with emerging jazz prodigy, pianist David Braid.
When the time finally arrived to go into the studio, national award-winning guitarist Reg Schwager was invited to join Don Thompson for some stellar accompaniment behind Panton's vocals. The result: Panton was featured on the covers of Toronto's Now Magazine (Feb 2006) and Hamilton's View Magazine (July 2005). Her debut release, yesterday perhaps, appeared on the Top 10 discs of 2005 in Toronto’s Now Magazine, Earshot! and the Montreal Mirror. The album was also nominated for four Hamilton Music Awards for which it won “Best Jazz Recording” and the publicly voted “Best Live Performance” for the CD release concert. Reputed Montreal jazz critic Len Dobbin pronounced the album one of the finest debut CDs he had heard in years.
Her much awaited sophomore release, if the moon turns green..., was released in September of 2007. It was selected as a Top 10 Canadian Recording of the Year by Len Dobbin, Kathya Heppell and Dan Sich. It earned her recognition as the "Best Female Vocalist" at the 2008 Hamilton Music Awards and a nomination in the same category at the National Jazz Awards in 2008 and 2009. The album was also a first place jury selection which allowed Panton to perform at the prestigious Jazz a Juan Revelations 2008 (Juan-les-Pins, France) where she was voted "Premiere Dauphine" by the Juan public. In 2009, the album was nominated for Jazz Album of the Year at the National Jazz Awards and Best Vocal Jazz Album at the JUNO's.
Heralded as one of Canada's most promising jazz vocalists, Panton's aesthetic sense has attracted the attention of some of the jazz world's most respected masters. She has performed with international jazz luminaries including Guido Basso, Mike Murley, Phil Nimmons, and Kenny Wheeler, and was a featured soloist with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Akido Endo.
Be it at jazz festivals in Vienne (France), Freiburg (Germany), Montreux (Switzerland), or a concert in her hometown of Hamilton, wherever Panton performs, she has a mesmerizing effect on her audience. A quiet hush descends over the room as listeners await “little masterpieces created before [their] very ears.” (Hugh Fraser, Hamilton Spectator)
Panton's Red won the 2015 Juno Award for Best Vocal Jazz Album.
Official website: http://www.dianapanton.com/
I'm Old Fashioned
Diana Panton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I admit I was never one adored by local lads
Not that I ever tried to be a saint
I'm the type that they classify as quaint
I'm old fashioned, I love the moonlight
I love the old fashioned things
The sound of rain upon a window pane
This years fancies are passing fancies
But sighing sighs, holding hands
These my heart understands
I'm old fashioned but I don't mind it
That's how I want to be
As long as you agree
To stay old fashioned with me
This years fancies are passing fancies
But sighing sighs, holding hands
These my heart understands
I'm old fashioned but I don't mind it
That's how I want to be
As long as you agree
To stay old fashioned, stay old fashioned
Stay old fashioned with me
In Diana Panton's "I'm Old Fashioned," the singer declares herself as "quaint" and confesses to not being adept with the latest trends or popular interests of the time. She says that she takes pleasure instead in the simple things of the past, such as the sound of rain on a window or the moonlight. She acknowledges that current fancies will soon become outdated, but what continues to matter to her are the timeless experiences such as holding hands and sharing a sigh together. She believes in staying true to her old fashioned ways just as long as her partner also agrees to do the same.
The song speaks to a romantic, nostalgic brand of sentimentality that holds true across generations. The singer recognizes that there are fleeting trends that people may chase after, but ultimately it is the ageless human experiences that truly matter, such as love, connection, and the beauty of nature. She is content to find joy in the small, quiet moments that are seemingly old-fashioned in the modern world. The song also suggests that choosing a love who embraces the same old fashioned ideals is crucial to maintaining a meaningful connection in a changing world.
Line by Line Meaning
I am not such a clever one about the latest fads
I am not someone who is aware of or interested in the latest trends and fashions.
I admit I was never one adored by local lads
I acknowledge that I was never popular among the local boys.
Not that I ever tried to be a saint
I never attempted to be perfect or morally flawless.
I'm the type that they classify as quaint
I am the kind of person that they describe as old-fashioned or charmingly outdated.
I'm old fashioned, I love the moonlight
I have a preference for traditional things, such as admiring the moonlight.
I love the old fashioned things
I cherish the classic things that remind me of old times.
The sound of rain upon a window pane
The melodic sound of rain tapping on a windowpane is a comforting, old-fashioned sound that I adore.
The starry song that April sings
I find the starry song that April symbolizes to be beautiful and reminiscent of simpler times.
This years fancies are passing fancies
The prevailing trends of this year are temporary and will not last long.
But sighing sighs, holding hands
Simple gestures such as sighing or holding hands are timeless expressions of love that I understand.
These my heart understands
My heart comprehends the true meaning behind simple expressions of love and affection.
I'm old fashioned but I don't mind it
I acknowledge that I am old-fashioned, but I am comfortable with that aspect of myself.
That's how I want to be
I choose to embrace my old-fashioned nature as it is the true essence of who I am.
As long as you agree
As long as you also appreciate and accept my old-fashioned ways.
To stay old fashioned with me
To stay true to our old-fashioned values and ideals, and to cherish the simple gestures of love and affection that were once commonplace.
Contributed by Isaac J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.