The violin femme

MELODY MAKER Whether playing violin or singing, Jenny Scheinman looks for a memorable tune.

Photograph: Andrew Nofsinger

New York City is full of hardworking musicians, but jazz violinist Jenny Scheinman’s calendar makes even the busiest of them seem like slackers. Since arriving here from the Bay Area in 1999, Scheinman has packed more shows into any given month than many players manage in an entire season. Her skills have been tapped by an impressive range of bandleaders, including Bill Frisell, Vince Giordano, Carla Bozulich and Norah Jones. Meanwhile, Scheinman’s four albums have demonstrated her enviable knack for bringing together varied artists in effective combinations. This weekend, she hits the Jazz Standard with one of her most provocative groups to date: a trio with pianist Jason Moran and drummer Paul Motian, both idiosyncratic players.

Diverse as Scheinman’s projects have been, what unites them is her ability to craft tunes so familiar, they could be folk songs or campfire tunes plucked from the ether. That’s especially true of the music on last year’s 12 Songs (Cryptogramophone), named after an album by one of her favorite composers, Randy Newman. “I don’t try to make timeless melodies,” she explains, “but I’m also not interested in intentionally making anything ‘original.’ I think there is something godly about songs, and I try to keep them in their natural state and curb my desire to improve them.”

So far Scheinman hasn’t tailored her writing to a specific band. Instead, she regards her albums—each recorded with different players—as books of songs: Some are specific to their setting, while others can be transferred from one band to another. “I think I’m doing pretty well if three or four songs on a record are stable and flexible enough to be played in any context,” she explains. “Then there are the other eight tunes on each record that haven’t yet individuated, and maybe they never will. I’m not saying I don’t like them as much, just that they are in a monogamous relationship with their arrangements. Then again, there are groups that can play anything, no matter how cagey or controlling the material is. Jason and Paul? They make everything sound good.”

Still, it takes a brave leader to envision combining Moran’s dense, orchestral rumble and Motian’s airy insinuation of a pulse. “From the first time I heard Jason, I knew I wanted to play with him,” Scheinman says, “so much so that I sent him an e-mail, basically a fan note.” Moran responded graciously, and eventually the two were able to nail down dates for the Jazz Standard engagement.

Walking home with Frisell after a recent recording session, Scheinman discussed with the guitarist his participation in a longtime Motian trio that also includes saxophonist Joe Lovano. “Right around 23rd Street, I started ‘hearing’ Paul and Jason. And it sounded really good.” Frisell provided the introduction, and Motian took the gig.

Given her penchant for a strong melodic line, it’s no surprise to learn that Scheinman has a special affinity for singers. In addition to Bozulich and Jones, the violinist has wrapped her strings around the pipes of Willie Nelson, Madeleine Peyroux and Vinicius Cantuária. Part of her summer was spent recording tracks for a new disc by Lucinda Williams, one of her longtime idols.

“I’m in love with melody and the English language,” Scheinman says. “It may be the most musical and beautiful language in the world. As a violin player, I envy the word.” Maybe that’s why this accomplished instrumentalist has devoted a fair chunk of the last year to singing with a pop-oriented band at the Living Room. (In a neat reversal, Norah Jones has often served as her pianist.)

“I’ve been very focused on the relationship between lyrics and melody,” Scheinman explains. “Instrumentalists have been thinking about this for ages, especially early jazz players who were taking popular songs and trying to ‘sing’ them on their instruments. I wanted to really feel the difference. I didn’t expect to like it so much, but now it’s something I want in my life.”

Jenny Scheinman plays the Jazz Standard Thursday 17–Sunday 20.