Interview: Allyson Briggs Celebrates Her New Burt Bacharach Album at Birdland

Allyson Briggs of Fleur Seulere returns after a sold-out Birdland debut to explore the vast career of one of America's most beloved composers. Burt and his writing partner, Hal David, created the soundtrack of American life in the 1960s. From "I Say a Little Prayer," "What the World Needs Now," and "Arthur's Theme," to the hauntingly beautiful "Alfie" and "Close to You," Allyson reinvigorates these hits recorded by a wide array of talented women. Allyson will be joined by musical director Andy Warren on trumpet, Jason Yeager on piano, Michael O’Brienon bass, and Peter Traunmueller on drums.

We spoke about the upcoming show and album, and Burt Bacharach's influence.

How would you describe your upcoming show?

This is a celebration! We will be performing the album live and sending you home with CDs available after the show. Our fans have been a big part of the creation of this album and with a sold-out New York debut in February, this album release will be a very special night. I can feel the energy already! Come prepared to sing along, to laugh, and to cry, as we remember and reinvigorate this amazing music.

You were inspired to record this album in part because of a Bacharach tribute show you debuted in 2022. How does it feel to have turned that show into a new album?

It feels like the next natural step. It came about organically: We debuted this show to a live audience, it garnered a great interest, and we took what we learned and created live onstage into the studio, to bring all that into our recording process. I really enjoyed doing it this way, because I felt like I had more to say after being in this work in front of an audience prior to recording. My past albums have been the other way around.

If you had to pick, do you have a favorite Bacharach tune?

Oh gosh, that is an impossible question! I don’t have a favorite Bacharach tune, but I do go through different moods and gravitate to songs when I’m in that headspace. If I’m having a quiet moment, I reach for “Alfie.” On my way to a gig, “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?” just feels like the right soundtrack! I love that he has a song to accompany every part of my day. 

What was the process of picking songs for the album like?

It really was a challenge! Not because I couldn’t find which songs I wanted to include, but because we were running over one disc. I think there will be a second installment, because there are still so many songs I wanted to include. His catalogue is massive and I wanted to venture into different collaborations; Dionne Warwick, the Bacharach/David muse of course, but also Dusty Springfield, Cilla Black, Peggy Lee, so many women that interpreted his music and made their mark with his songs.

What are you looking forward to about your concert at Birdland?

I love incorporating surprises into my concerts, and this show will have a few unexpected appearances and songs. I hope that our audience leaves humming their favorite tune from the show, and I look forward to their response. This is really why I do it: to impact people, to make them feel something special through the power and magic that is music.

What have you been listening to lately?

I have really been into “Trains and Boats and Planes” – I love the versions recorded by Dionne Warwick and Astrud Gilberto. This song captures what I think is so quintessential Bacharach: that melancholy happiness… I don’t know how else to describe it. Paired with Hal David’s lyrics, it can be somewhat sad yet joyful.

Aside from this show and your album release, what’s coming up next for you?

After our Bacharach concert, I have a four-night run of a tribute to Tony Bennett, with my good friend, Nelson Aspen. Tony is another one of those true New York icons in music that we simply must remember and honor for the next generation to enjoy. I’ll be singing the Gaga/Amy/Diana/Thalia parts to Tony, and we will dive into his personal life, as Nelson was able to have an exclusive in-home interview with Tony himself before his passing. We’ll be at The Green Room 42 in July and August, so check out those dates to join us in person or via livestream.

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To catch the July 9th Bacharach show, you can join Allyson Briggs in-person at Birdland or tune in via the livestream! In-person tickets are available here and livestream tickets are available here. The livestream will be available for 48 hours.

Tickets for Allyson's Tony Bennett tribute concert in July and August are available on Green Room 42’s website here.

About the album: Promises, Prayers, and Raindrops features 20 tracks that created the soundtrack of American life in the 1960s, combining household-name Bacharach and David classics that have been making people smile for generations, with several catalog deep cuts that will thrill music aficionados. Briggs, serving as bandleader and star vocalist, is expertly supported by music director Andy Warren on trumpet, James Navan and Jason Yeager on piano, Michael O’Brien on bass, Shareef Taher and Peter Traunmueller on drums, and Broadway luminary Julie Benko (Funny Girl, Harmony) as guest vocalist. Purchase the album at www.fleurseule.com.

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