Newman's Own

Despite having a career that has spanned over three decades and
having recently had three of his albums make Rolling Stone’s
list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” Randy
Newman has never had a multi-artist tribute.

That is, until composer/arranger Steve Weisberg approached his
longtime friend, producer and current UCLA Live! Artist in
Residence Hal Willner, about producing a multi-artist recording of
Randy Newman’s music.

The idea of a Newman recording evolved into a three-hour live
show that will tribute Newman’s career as an artist.
“Shock and Awe: The Songs of Randy Newman” will be
presented on Saturday night at Royce Hall, with a line-up of around
20 performers including Jimmy Fallon, Gavin Friday, Bill Frisell,
Ed Harcourt, Van Dyke Parks and Victoria Williams.

Saturday will be Willner’s kickoff event as UCLA
Live’s chosen artist-in-residence. Willner has done
multi-artist recordings for the music of others in the past,
including Walt Disney and Thelonius Monk. He believes that
Newman’s music has the rich complexity necessary for
interpretation by other artists.

Willner, along with his partner Janine Nichols, went through
Newman’s work and compiled a list of about 40 songs for the
musicians to interpret. The songs span Newman’s entire career
and are as diverse as the performers.

“It is a challenge (to interpret Newman’s work), and
each individual will have to rise up into the characters and make
it their own somehow,” Weisberg said.

Newman has a tendency to represent different characters in his
songs. This makes his work both interesting and challenging for the
artists, who must prepare to tackle works that are already
excellent in their original form.

“What I admire most about (Randy Newman) is how he takes
on different traits and plays different characters when he’s
singing,” Weisberg said. “He is exploring a different
side of humanity that can be somewhat darker and can be very
clever.”

Both a rock band and a chamber ensemble will accompany the
performers. And while some songs will have only slight alterations,
others will be more uniquely arranged.

When Willner and his colleagues began organizing the show, they
originally approached about 100 artists. Due to availability,
however, the list dwindled down to a more manageable number of 20
artists.

Twenty artists is still an overwhelming number to work with in a
live event. And with a group as large and diverse as the one
scheduled to perform on Saturday night, the majority of problems
Willner and Weisberg encountered were logistical.

However, an event like this, where artists come together only at
the last minute, produces excitement for those involved. Performers
hope the emotion will spill over into the audience.

“It all happens so fast and the actual show is the first
time it gets done,” Willner said. “There is a certain
energy watching all of those people you’ve never seen in the
same room before.”

Willner said that one of the things he likes most about
producing is the opportunity it gives him to work with so many
different people.

And, while the show has ultimately been Willner’s vision
and project, Randy Newman himself has given it his blessing, and
has even agreed to perform the last two songs of the evening.

Willner first began listening to Newman as a teenager and
believes that Newman is still producing songs as good as those from
the beginning of his career.

“His work is constantly growing,” Willner said.
“It’s very smart. It’s very beautiful. It’s
very funny. You cry and you laugh in every record””mdash;it’s
all there.”

“Shock and Awe” will be presented Jan. 24th at 8
p.m. Student tickets are $20. Go to www.uclalive.org for more
information.