Eve Fleishman brings a variety of styles to her live performances. "Singing was always my passion," she said.
"Eve is the granddaughter of the late Lillian Buie, a much loved school teacher who passed away a few years ago," event co-organizer Jan Schmidt said. "Eve has a beautiful voice and sings professionally in Nashville. She is doing this concert to honor her late grandmother."
Fleishman grew up in Gainesville, Fla. and holds a master's degree in American Studies from Florida State University. After earning a bachelor of music degree from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Fleishman moved to Nashville and released two CDs in 2007, one a collection of jazz standards sung in a 2006 performance for her grandmother, and the other an album of original childrens’ music with her duo, Eve and Mare. Fleishman is currently promoting a second childrens’ album while booking tour dates to promote her new solo project, “Peace or Drama”.
"Singing was always my passion," Fleishman said from her home in Nashville. "I've always enjoyed doing creative things, and with a strong interest in history I worked for a time in museums, creating exhibits and educational programs. But I was always pulled back to music, and began to feel that singing was what I was meant to do."
Fleishman had a close relationship with her grandmother, Lillian Secrest Buie, and has fond memories of spending time with her during Christmas and summer holidays in North Carolina.
"We were very close, and I felt a special bond with her when I was little," Fleishman said, "rocking, reading, and doing silly things with me. She enjoyed listening to me sing.
"When I was in my 20s I began to appreciate jazz, which was the music of her era, and I used to sing songs to her when we'd both sit in the backseat of the car on the way somewhere with my parents in the front. I have some very special memories of my grandmother."
Fleishman performed in Scotland County one weekend in June, 2006 at Montpelier Presbyterian Church in Wagram, following requests by her grandmother that she sing for Buie's "buddycakes", a term her grandmother used to describe her friends.
"With my schedule, it was difficult to get to North Carolina to perform, and I kept putting it off," Fleishman said. "But she was getting older, and this particular time, something made me decide I had to go."
Fleishman performed 12 jazz standards for her grandmother and friends that Saturday, accompanied by Deb Bridges on piano. One of the 12 included the jazz standard "I'll Be Seeing You", written by Sammy Fain in 1938.
"Even though she was too frail to walk by this time, I noticed that she smiled throughout the show," Fleishman said. Back home, Buie had a fainting spell, and Fleishman noted how strong her grandmother's grip was when she held her hand after regaining consciousness.
"On Sunday she didn't feel like attending church, and I said goodnight to her that evening with the intention of returning to Nashville the next day. But Monday morning she passed away."
Fleishman sang "I'll Be Seeing You" at Buie's funeral, and featured the song as the title cut on her CD of the same name.
"I will be performing this song, along with many others that my grandmother enjoyed, at the May 26 concert," Fleishman said, "and I will again be accompanied by Deb Bridges, who knows all these jazz standards. I'm excited to have the opportunity to return to Scotland County again to perform."
The May 26 concert was arranged by Fleishman's aunt, Celeste Lewis of Wagram.
"I heard about the Storytelling Arts Center, and I contacted them to ask if they had a piano. They did, I told them about Eve and her singing career, and they agreed to book her for next week."
Lewis and her husband John will provide a dessert buffet for the event.
"We'll be offering mini cakes, lemonade, and a variety of things at intermission," Lewis said.
Fleishman is looking forward to her first performance in Scotland County in almost three years.
"It'll be good," Fleishman said of the event. "I'll be singing some of the old songs my grandmother enjoyed, some new songs from my new CD “Peace or Drama”, and others. My parents will be there, along with lots of family and friends. I hope a lot of people from the community will join us as well."
While the Storytelling Arts Center has presented live theatre in addition to providing a forum for storytellers, the upcoming concert will be a new type of venture for the organization.
This is our first experience with a cultural activity that is not related to a storytelling event, and we hope everyone will come out and give their support while enjoying a great show," Schmidt said. "We hope to continue to bring a variety of cultural events and exhibits to Scotland County."
Fleishman will appear in concert beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10.
The Storytelling Arts Center of the Southeast is located at 131 South Main St. in Laurinburg. Call 291-0929 for reservations.
Visit www.evefleishman.com for more information about the singer.
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