Personal Journeys Through Jazz: Ursula McHugh

The Carndonagh-based singer tells Marie-Louise Muir and an appreciative Derry audience about the unique recordings that have inspired her to become the performer she is today 

PERHAPS, PERHAPS, PERHAPS - DORIS DAY

"When I grew up, I was influenced by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Judy Garland and Doris Day. Doris Day has inspired me because even though people think of her as quite sugary, she's had a tough life, and come through it to make a successful career for herself. To top it all off, she's released a new album at the age of eighty!

"Even though I also love her version of 'Secret Love' from 'Calamity Jane', I've picked 'Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps', mainly because I like both the lyrics and the theatrical musical arrangement of it all."

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AUTUMN LEAVES - EDITH PIAF

"Edith Piaf is an incredible example of a tortured soul, a singer as storyteller. She really has an incredible voice. I was living in London once, and while I was there, I attended jazz singing classes at the local college every Saturday morning. 'Autumn Leaves' was the first song I learnt, and I loved the sultry tone Piaf brought to it."

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FLY ME TO THE MOON - TONY BENNETT

"When I was researching festival songs, I learnt about intros - they're very poetic to me. What makes this version of 'Fly Me To The Moon' stand out is the spin Tony Bennett puts on it. It's like hearing a familiar song in a very unfamiliar way. It's the kind of thing that gives you goosebumps. When I hear Tony Bennett sing, I'm always reminded, in a very good way, that less is more."

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CRY ME A RIVER - JULIE LONDON

"This one was a tough choice. It's a seminal song for me. I've listened to other versions of it before - Crystal Gayle's take on it was the first I heard. But Julie London gives the story in the song a kind of 'femme fatale' approach that makes it stand out."

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THAT'S ALL RIGHT - CURTIS STIGERS

"A very left field choice, isn't he? But he sings jazz in a way that I couldn't. He can really do something with his voice. He sings songs in a very offbeat, uptempo manner that wins you over."

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CLAIR DE LUNE (PIANO VERSION) - CLAUDE DEBUSSY

"It was Frankie And Johnny (the 1991 film starring Al Pacino) that helped cement this song in my consciousness, even though I'd heard it before. That, and my hairdresser, Janice, does such a marvellous rendition of it on the piano. When she hits those keys, you can't not be moved - it's basically a true rendition of what love is."

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SOLITARY MOON - BARBRA STREISAND

"I could do a whole playlist unto itself for Barbra Streisand. She's a character actress. When she sings, she sets the scene and creates the environment, always performing as if she was on stage. For me, music's about transporting, and she's the epitome of that. 

"While the lyrics of 'Everything' are very me, 'Solitary Moon' (from her most recent album, 'What Matters Most') just has that lovely, jazzy feel to it. 

"When asked what the secret behind her durable voice was, Streisand said: 'Nothing. I'm just so lucky.'"