After performing for 10 years under the name “Eastern Standard Time,” featuring American classics and standards from the golden era of the 1930s and ’40s, Weehawken resident Christopher Howatt, the musical director of the group, decided that it was time to make a change.Not in style, just in name.
You see, the name “Eastern Standard Time” was already being used by a performing arts group in Washington, D.C. That group had used the Eastern Standard moniker for many years before Howatt’s talented trio, and had already recorded under that name.
“We basically had to find another name,” says Howatt, who has called Weehawken home for the last 13 years. “It was better to switch the name than fight for it.”
Since Howatt and another member of the trio, soprano Beth Covell, both reside in Weehawken, the third member of the group, Dana Merritt, recommended the name “Boulevard East” – a local thoroughfare.
“Dana says that she saw ‘Boulevard East’ on the side of a van and it just clicked,” Howatt says. “It really just fit. You get such an incredible view of New York City from Boulevard East. It’s really a great name.”
Now, Howatt is hopeful that the catchy name will lead to some compact disc sales.
That’s because the group has just released its first CD, entitled Timeless, encompassing the standards of such legendary composers as Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, George and Ira Gershwin, and Rodgers and Hart, among others.
The CD is available at Tower Records, Footlight Records in New York, as well as select record stores around the country. It is also available online at www.cdbaby.com/blvdeast.
The CD took nearly two years to produce. That is because Howatt and his partners produced it themselves.
“We went into the studios to start recording in 2002,” Howatt says. “We had to finance and produce everything on our own. So we would record a track or two, then stop to raise the money for the next step. That’s why it took so long. I learned so much about putting a CD together, in terms of licensing and copyrights. There are 32 different songs on the CD, and we had to license every single one of them. Since most of the composers are no longer with us, it made it difficult to get in position to cut a deal.”
It’s been a busy summer for Boulevard East. The trio celebrated the release of their CD with two highly acclaimed shows at the Hideaway Room at Helen’s in Manhattan, a respected cabaret club, performing many of the songs that are featured on the CD.
“We perform this show frequently at various concert series and events,” Howatt says. “It seems that many folks, no matter what their age, are interested in these classic songs.”
There certainly is a popular trend toward the American classics, with rockers like Rod Stewart and Cyndi Lauper going that route, and with the movie De-Lovely, starring Kevin Kline, featuring the life of famed composer Cole Porter.
“I think Tony Bennett started the trend by doing the show on MTV [Storytellers] a few years ago,” Howatt says. “That sort of spearheaded the movement. A lot of other shrewd people capitalized on it. It really is a popular style of music, with people of all ages loving it. It goes to prove that these songs are timeless, because they keep getting rediscovered and reinvented. They stand the test of time. People truly love these songs.”
Howatt says that he is pleased with the finished product.
“The CD really turned out well,” Howatt says. “I’m so happy. It sounds great. It looks great. I couldn’t be happier.”
Distributor is the key
There is even better news. Howatt has already been contacted by a distributor, Original Cast Records, which is willing to market the Timeless CD to major stores, such as Barnes and Noble and Tower Records, to be sold all over the country.
“It will be available nationwide,” Howatt says. “It’s already available on the Web, but our goal is to get it in the stores.”
Howatt serves as musical director, pianist, and singer in the group. Merritt and Covell round out the trio that performs classic songs in what Howatt calls “fabulous three-part harmony.”
The trio has performed at various prestigious venues and affairs throughout the metropolitan area, including Don’t Tell Mama, Judy’s Chelsea, Mama Rose’s, Dillon’s, the Garrick Gaieties, Manhattan School of Music, the Dutch Treat Club, Tavern on the Green, and Odette’s.
Under the name Eastern Standard Time, the trio was selected to appear at the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Tenth Anniversary Cabaret Convention at the venue called Town Hall in New York, sharing the stage with cabaret luminaries including Cybill Shepherd and Michael Feinstein.
The trio has also been twice nominated in the Outstanding Vocal Group category for the MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) Award.
But now, with a national CD headed for the stores, chances are that Boulevard East is well on its way to becoming more than a scenic roadway.
“Once you have a CD, it tells people that you’re serious,” Howatt says. “It’s the milestone that gets you noticed on a bigger scale.”
To find out more about Boulevard East (and hear them), see www.boulevardeastproductions.com. You can purchase Timeless off the Web site, and at other Web-based music stores.