Ballard's ballads

Lady sings the jazz

by Don Fluckinger

In her high school yearbook, someone wrote that Toni Ballard would be successful "if she didn't go in too many directions at once." At the time she was the editor of the school paper, played French horn in the band, starred in the school play, and was a member of a dance group.

Decades later, she's achieved success -- and she's still got a lot going on, performing big-band swing and old standards in Worcester, hosting/editing/producing WGMC-TV3's Studio 3 live jazz program, and commuting to Boston for her full-time job as a college publicist. Though she seems to be headed in many directions, she has one goal in mind: promoting the local jazz scene.

And let's face it, live jazz isn't always easy to find in Worcester. The jazz scene here doesn't come close to New Orleans or even the workaday clubs of Boston with its Scullers and Regattabar. But taking the best of what's here, Toni Ballard works with it.

This month Ballard begins a series of Thursday-night gigs at Leo's Ristorante, singing Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and their ilk with a handpicked group of accompanists. She's also cranked out almost a hundred shows on Studio 3, a name she chose that intentionally stayed away from something that screamed "jazz" -- so that non-jazz artists could participate. Although Ballard would never say this, having groups like the rocking Sled Dogs and the a cappella group Vox One gives viewers a break from straight-up jazz and its extended solos . . . something not always visually exciting as the latest MTV rock performance video.

She also catches artists passing through town such as Tsidii LeLoka. The South African singer made her American television debut on Ballard's show; LeLoka since has moved on to Broadway and earned a Tony nomination for her performance in the stage production of The Lion King. Yet Ballard says her favorite taped concert was with musicians from around town: trumpet player Emil Haddad and pianist Dick Odgren's Jazz at Sunset gig at the New England Science Center.

"I thought [Studio 3] would be a really good opportunity for artists to get themselves out there," Ballard says, "so that when they had gigs maybe people would say, `Oh, I saw them on TV -- let's go see them.'"

Originally filmed in-studio, Studio 3 was the TV equivalent of a blank slate -- an empty room and a small budget. Ballard, at the time freelancing as TV3's entertainment reporter, worked barter deals for clothing, artwork, and sound. A couple years ago, when TV3 designated the set for newscasts, Ballard could have tossed in the towel and given up. Instead, she's taken the show on the road, taping on location at Mechanics Hall for the Brown Bag concerts and at the New England Science Center for its Jazz at Sunset shows.

"[Since] we started doing everything on location, I'd say it's a better show for it," says Ballard, who praises the architecture, acoustics, and lighting at Mechanics Hall as perfect for jazz performance. "We've been able to tap into some great resources in the community." Ironically, as an experiment, the very first Studio 3 was filmed on location at El Morocco -- a concert at which Jack Pezanelli recorded a live CD with Dick Johnson on reeds. It went on to earn a nomination for a "localcableACE" award.

When not showcasing other artists on Studio 3, Ballard works the stage herself. Last month she opened Old Sturbridge Village's 5th Annual American Music Concert Series backed by the Steve Rochinski Quartet. Through the years she's performed with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Boston Big Band, and the Silver Bullet Swing Orchestra. Ballard set up the Sturbridge gig with Rochinski after hearing his CD Until Further Notice and is planning to record one of his compositions as well as "Powder Your Face with Sunshine," an old tune written by Rochinski's grandfather and recently performed on the LA Confidential soundtrack. Rochinski also will play several Leo's shows with Ballard.

Last year, her I'm Your Pal CD earned rave reviews and caught the attention of JazzTimes, the popular, national review magazine. Since then, Ballard terminated a stormy relationship with her label, Dolphins, and is working up new standards for her next CD sans recording contract.

Toni Ballard plays Leo's Ristorante on Thursday nights. Call 753-9490.