Wesla Whitfield: “Time to Leave the Room”

I was introduced to song stylist Wesla Whitfield at one of her numerous appearances at the Plush Room, a popular San Francisco cabaret, and immediately joined her legion of admirers who recognized her as one of the most gifted interpreters of the Great American Songbook. I was privileged to see and hear her perform with husband-pianist Mike Greensill at various venues around the country over the ensuing years and to interview her at the 2014 Cleveland Classic Jazz Party. The following is an edited version of that story. Because of her deft rhythmic sense and uncanny ability to connect with the emotional truth of a lyric, the jazz world had no qualms about embracing Wesla Whitfield as one of their own. Her approach was intimate; her voice instantly recognizable. She often gave master classes on vocal performance with emphasis on lyric interpretation. A review of one of her concerts reinforced why Wesla was a favorite of thousands of fans who heard her in person or listened to one of her many recordings. Under the headline, “This Voice Needs No Adornment,” the reviewer wrote, “Among the evils American Idol has unleashed on the world is the notion that to sing a song, one must perform vocal gymnastics in such a frenzied manner that the actual song becomes all but unrecognizable, not to mention eviscerated of all meaning, soul and heart.” “Wesla Whitfield doesn’t do t