Return to You was created by the same talented team that put together Yours (including Grammy-award nominated bass master John Clayton as producer, and her equally youthful, all-star LA based band, Josh Nelson (p), Erik Kertes (b), and Matt Slocum (d)). Return to You features well-planned arrangements of more contemporary standards by songwriters Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Harry Connick Jr., and Gillian Welch. Some of the best material, however, comes from Gazarek’s acclaimed pianist, Josh Nelson, as he displays his considerable gifts as a composer and lyricist with four new songs.
In choosing the material for Return to You, Gazarek explains, “our live performances are very different from the record. We do a lot more up-tempo and swinging material. But we felt secure in the base we’d created with Yours and wanted to explore some of our other influences. We wanted this album to have a flow, and a sense of purpose, and we feel the listener will be able to pick up on the part of our souls we gave to this album.” Among the album’s stand out tracks are a playful version of Mitchell’s “Carey,” and a haunting rendition of Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” with an obscure final chorus that has rarely been recorded. Gazarek’s knack for spotting first-rate material shines brightest on “Northern Lights,” a ravishing song written by the brilliant tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake – a collaboration so poignant and engaging that no one should be surprised if the tune ends up spearheading a Norah Jones-like breakthrough.
“Return to You” also introduces a number of new textures and sounds, not explored before on the bands prior release. Strings, guitar, horns, and duet vocals are, as Gazarek puts it “a way to get a message across that we couldn’t express as a quartet.” And while the singer could have had her pick of all-star instrumentalists to feature on her sophomore album, Gazarek, who possesses an easy-going charisma that quietly commands attention, refuses to hog the limelight. “In this band we prefer to keep it in the family, and featured some of our most talented friends,” Gazarek says, humbly, always referring to “we” rather than “I” when speaking of her music, highlighting the indispensability of her band mates. “We truly are a family now, and they are an integral part of the way our sound has progressed.” The quartet works together in shaping arrangements, and each piece is the result of extended collaboration. She notes the importance of this collaboration, “we are constantly learning from one another.”
Born and raised in Seattle, Gazarek grew up without much exposure to jazz. She denotes any and all preliminary jazz education to her high school big band and choir director, Scott Brown. “He afforded us a lot of educational opportunities at festivals and competitions,” Gazarek remembers. As a senior in high school, she was awarded the first ever Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation Outstanding Jazz Vocalist Award at the Essentially Ellington Festival in NYC. “I guess you could say my first gig was at Avery Fisher Hall with Wynton Marsalis,” Gazarek chuckles.
Sara made her way south to Los Angeles in 2000 and found herself at the prestigious Thornton School of Music at USC, studying under the tutelage of John Clayton, Shelly Berg, Tierney Sutton, and Carmen Bradford. While there, Sara helped develop the JazzReach program and, as a result, was able to spend 2 years working with inner city elementary school children as a jazz choir director. “I’ll never forget that experience. It is so important to me to be out there, educating young people.” Sara continues to educate young people today as the sole ambassador for the non-profit music and arts education organization, Music For All. Sara and her band give clinics at local schools while on tour, because, as Gazarek puts it, “education is such an important part of our lives, and the band and I know we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for that one teacher who showed us the way. It is our duty to give back.”
In 2003, Sara was awarded the 2003 Downbeat Student Music Award for Best Collegiate Vocalist. Shortly after the publication hit the press, Sara was asked to perform with Oleta Adams, Karrin Allyson, and Diane Schuur as the "as yet undiscovered talent" on the Concord Jazz Festival tour. Simultaneously, Gazarek joined a number of a-list clientele (including Barry Manilow and Allyson) as a Stiletto Entertainment (management) client and was soon being booked by the industrious William Morris Agency. “I remember feeling very nervous about it all,” Sara recalls. “I’d had it drilled into me that a strong career at a young age was a fast track to obscurity.”
Luckily, at a time when it would have been easy for Gazarek to lose track of her artistic goals, John Clayton, a mentor and teacher at USC, provided a grounding influence. When record labels first came knocking and she started to question her place, it was Clayton who set her straight. “He said, ‘Sara, everyone has his or her own path, and there’s no path that’s any more respectable than any other,’” she recalls. “‘As long as you do your homework and keep striving to be a better musician, you’ll have a lasting career.’”
Clayton agreed to produce her first album, Yours, and insisted she develop the arrangements herself with the band she’d been performing with. She found musical soul mates in her group, and the resulting record was a debut that was released to national and international rave reviews. It ranked in the Top 10 on the Billboard Traditional Jazz Charts, Top 10 on the iTunes top Jazz Album Downloads (US, UK, Switzerland, and Belgium), #1 on the iTunes Top Jazz Album Downloads (Germany, France), #5 on the Jazz Week Radio Charts, #4 on the HMV (Japan) chart. In addition, Sara was voted the #3 Best New Artist in the JazzTimes Readers Poll.
With her strong sense of gratitude, this talented, graceful, constantly evolving, emotionally direct, label-pushing vocalist will continue to “do her homework.” And judging by her second album, Sara Gazarek is going to have a lot to offer the music scene for many years to come.
I Got It Bad
Sara Gazarek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I'm in love and I know what time it is.
The good book says go seek and ye shall find.
Well I have sought and my what a climb it is.
My life(or love?) is just like the weather, it changes with the hour
when he's near I'm fair and warmer and when he's gone,
i'm cloudy with showers.
An emotion like the ocean, it's either sink or swim.
Never treats me, sweet and gentle, the way he should.
I've got it bad, and that ain't good.
My poor heart is, sentimental.
Not made of wood.
I've, I've got it bad and that ain't good.
But when the fish are jumping, and Friday rolls around,
My man and me, we ____ some, and pray some, and ____ some.
But he don't love me, like I love him.
Lord, no no no nobody could.
I've, I've got it bad and that ain't good.
But when the weekend's over, and Monday rolls around.
I end up, just like I started out, i'm crying my heart out.
He don't love me, like I love him.
Nobody could.
Like the lonely weeping willow, lost in the wood.
the things i tell my pillow, no one ever should.
I've got it bad and that ain't good.
The lyrics to Sara Gazarek's song "I Got It Bad" tell a story of a woman in love with a man who does not treat her as well as he should. The first verse references the idea that love can make people blind, but the singer is aware of the difficulties in her relationship. She has tried to find love but has faced challenges along the way. She compares her love to the weather, changing with the hour, indicating the instability of her emotions when it comes to this person. The chorus repeats the title phrase, "I've got it bad," emphasizing the deep love and vulnerability that is not reciprocated.
The second verse describes the singer's emotional turmoil and sentimental heart. She longs for the man to treat her better, but still finds herself deeply in love with him. The bridge of the song paints a picture of a happy weekend, where the couple spends time together and even prays together. However, this happiness is short-lived, and the reality of his lack of love sets in once again come Monday. The song ends with a powerful image of the singer confessing her love to her pillow, indicating that she has no one else to confide in when it comes to her unrequited love.
Overall, the lyrics of "I Got It Bad" tell a heartbreaking story of a person deeply in love with someone who does not treat them well. The themes of vulnerability, emotional turmoil, and unrequited love are present throughout the song. This narrative is supported by Sara Gazarek's smooth jazz sound and powerful vocals, creating a haunting ballad that anyone who has experienced unrequited love can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
The poets say that all who love are blind.
The common belief is that love makes people blind to the faults of their partners.
But I'm in love and I know what time it is.
Despite being in love, the singer is aware of the reality of her situation.
The good book says go seek and ye shall find.
Religious teachings advocate the pursuit of love and companionship.
Well I have sought and my what a climb it is.
Despite seeking love, the journey has been difficult for the singer.
My life(or love?) is just like the weather, it changes with the hour
The singer's emotions towards her partner are constantly fluctuating.
when he's near I'm fair and warmer and when he's gone, i'm cloudy with showers.
The singer's mood is heavily influenced by the presence or absence of her partner.
An emotion like the ocean, it's either sink or swim.
Love is powerful and can either lead to success or failure in a relationship.
When a women loves a man like I love him.
The singer's love for her partner is intense and strong.
Never treats me, sweet and gentle, the way he should.
The singer's partner does not always treat her how she desires and deserves to be treated.
I've got it bad, and that ain't good.
The singer acknowledges that her love for her partner is causing her pain.
My poor heart is, sentimental.
The singer's heart is filled with emotion and sensitivity.
Not made of wood.
The singer is human and vulnerable to emotional pain.
But when the fish are jumping, and Friday rolls around,
The singer finds comfort in spending time with her partner on weekends.
My man and me, we ____ some, and pray some, and ____ some.
The singer and her partner engage in various activities together, including talking and praying.
But he don't love me, like I love him.
The singer's love for her partner is not reciprocated to the same degree.
Lord, no no no nobody could.
No one could ever love him as intensely as the singer does.
But when the weekend's over, and Monday rolls around.
After the weekend, the singer is faced with the reality of her troubled relationship.
I end up, just like I started out, i'm crying my heart out.
The singer is filled with emotion and heartbreak when the weekend is over.
Like the lonely weeping willow, lost in the wood.
The singer feels lost and alone in her heartbreak.
the things i tell my pillow, no one ever should.
The singer confides in her pillow about her pain and heartbreak.
I've got it bad and that ain't good.
The singer's love for her partner is causing her intense pain and sadness.
Writer(s): Duke Ellington, Paul Francis Webster
Contributed by Sadie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.