Saturday, November 22, 2014

Discover The Amazing Talents Of Jane St. Clair

By Ida Dorsey


Released in 2007, "Stories" is a poignant album. It was released by the American musician, Jane St. Clair. She composes her own melodies and writes the lyrics in addition to playing acoustic guitar and singing her words on these songs. Her discs are available via CD Baby, Inc, the Internet music store specializing in the marketing of work by independent performers.

Jane is based in California, USA. The tunes she fashions are a fusion of atmospherics and lyricism, fabricating a sound which should appeal to people who enjoy adult contemporary rock, jazz and jazz-pop. Anyone who likes the musical styles of Diana Krall, Steely Dan or Feist could well appreciate this gifted artist too.

Some of the influences apparent in this lady's work include Sting, Burt Bacharach and James Taylor. Jane has also been said to stream from the likes of Joni Mitchell, Carole King and Stevie Wonder. The songs reflect a passion for words and narrative in the tradition of Tom Waits, Todd Rundgren and Carlos Jobim.

A personal history starting with instruction in writing by the UNC - CH (University of N. Carolina) is clearly identifiable in the prominence of language palpable in Jane's music. Subsequent to Chapel Hill, Jane continued her studies in Boston, learning composition at Berklee College of Music. She expanded her musical knowledge at CalArts, taking advantage of the teachings of tutors including David Roitstein, James Newton, Paul Novros and Jon Bergamo.

There are many outstanding collaborators to "Stories", notably Ken Lasaine who helped to compose the emotional "Shower Into Gray" (a song devoted to those killed in the tragic events of 9/11), but also plays electric and classic guitar and the E-Bow. Other celebrated contributors on this album include Paul Litteral on horns and trumpet, Alan Pasqua on the keyboards, Danny Frankel on percussion and drums, Nedra Wheeler on the upright bass and Michael Manning on fretless bass. These instrumentalists have recorded and toured with top names with the status of Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, James Brown, Santana, kd lang and the B-52s.

Reviewers of "Stories" refer to the passionate efficiency, graceful smoothness of voice and lilting vocals. People talk of the songs as being poetry set to music. Originality and uniqueness are features often attributed to St. Clair's material. The overall package delivers a well-defined, distinctive quality which stirs the soul.

The distinctiveness is advanced by the skills of Dan Garcia who mixed and engineered the LP over and above providing additional trumpet, percussion and guitar plus final vocals. Jane's deep foundation in prose and musical education has permitted her to construct heartfelt ballads combining Brazilian grooves, jazz influences, intelligent phrasings and intuitive instrumentation. The addition of an evocative, endearing and supple voice into this mix creates a clear-cut recipe for hit records.

Whether you want to find the soulful music she creates, or many other genres from World music to Avant Garde, CD Baby is an excellent source. Recordings start from only $5 and one can also acquire vinyl here. Many aspiring bands and up-and-coming artists start out by marketing their material on the web.




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