“As songs that go forgotten/ Are found remember loud and sung again/The father of all kindness/ The lover of all souls will come to find us/ And if I can remain there/ I will stay/ And I will live another day”

-Safe Inside The Day

It was faith in life and myself that levitated me for weeks above the ever-present doubts of being a dreamer—after happening upon a show of the spell binding performer Baby Dee. Not only did she make me feel powerful and proud of my own avant guard roots, but made my ears sparkle with the true mastery of her music.  She is a seasoned showstopper not only having been a music director for a Catholic Church for ten years, but also a seasoned Coney Island performer. With a wit as fiery as her hair, and voice as powerfully souring and commanding as the piano and harp she plays, I bring to all that is curious an interview with Dee via e-mail: 

The bird on the album cover of “Safe Inside the Day” reminds me of an illustration from the Russian fairytale called the firebird. What’s that bird all about?

The bird is the phoenix. It comes up from the ashes. The painting was done by a friend of mine named Amy Casey. She’s a terrific artist. She shows in Chicago quite a lot actually. Keep your eye out for her.

Speaking of birds, I’ve noticed you have had many airborne hobbies/professions like riding about in a bee costume on some mighty high bicycles, plus a stint as a tree trimmer. Ever thought of being a pilot? What’s this attraction to being airborne?

I love being up high. And my all time hero is a guy named Alberto Santos Dumont who built the first working airship. In his time – late 1800s early 1900s — he was bigger than the Beatles. I could talk all day about him but yes before I started recording my great ambition was to have a pedal powered blimp and fly it into manhattan and land in central park. This was pre 911. Nowadays they’d shoot me down in a

heartbeat.

Your music strikes a great balance between magnificent cut-loose-duch-baggery, as well a brilliant reverential ethereal beauty that is hard to pin down in words. Was it hard to strike this same musical balance when working mainly as a vaudevillian, or church pipe organist?

It’s not so much a balance as it is a personality disorder. Up until about five years ago it was always one or the other and thee stupidity and the tragedy never met.

What is it about Gregorian chants? Personally, I feel like I am being hypnotized whenever I listen to Hildegard Vanbingam.

Well I used to be obsessed with them. But they are problematic. I don’t blame the people who can’t hear it without conjuring up all the evils of a world run by the vatican.

I hear that you played a show in Riga, why did you decide to visit the Baltic countries and what was it like? Did people give you lot’s of fancily wrapped boxes of shitty chocolates? After making a pilgrimage to Lithuania, I came back with armloads of these boxes, and am still trying to unload the stuff.

Riga was lovely. I don’t actually pick where I want to play though. I just go where I’m invited. Hell, I’d play in Toledo if they invited me… no chocolate though

Is there anything about Riga that reminded you of your hometown, Cleveland OH?

Well, it was kind of grimy and uncultured if that’s what you mean but I feel right at home in a place like that. I love it. I a grimy and uncultured kind of girl.

You have been quite the diverse performer, Coney Island, South Bronx Church, Empty Bottle, knitting factory, Pyramid Club, what do you get as a performer from these different types of audiences? Do you like it better when the audience is more interactive and raucous, or still and serious?

I like a mix of both. And I usually get that. I don’t know how it works but usually it does. The only exception to that was last year I played the empty bottle and had asked Mucca Pazza (I adore them) to open. People said “Are you sure you want to do that?” I guess I’d gotten a little cocky but I expected it to work out great. What I didn’t realize was that there is an ever so small amount of loutish and swinish and not very intelligent persons who share my love Mucca Pazza. So it got a little loud and stupid

Which would be OK but it was a one-way street. It’s easier to go from “reverential ethereal beauty” to sleaze than it is to go the other way around. I can usually pull it off but not that night…

What a romantic you are running off too join the circus! Are their any similarities between your circus traveling days and your present musical touring adventuring?

thankfully no.

I noticed that you are quite the collaborator, Antony and the Johnsons, Will Oldham, David Tibet, who else would you like to play with?

Little Richard

You are playing a show in the windy city this tuesday, what do you love/hate about Chicago?

I love everything about chicago. It’s a very cool town. Not too too sceney but it’s very happening. That’s a great combination.

thanks for thinking of me

dee