Chris Scanlon would like us to believe that he has a unique perspective as a New Jersey boy, but in fact many of the themes expressed on his debut solo CD U-Turn are universal. (Or perhaps it’s just that so many of us have passed through New Jersey’s portals that they just seem so?) A songwriter with an enthusiastic following in the competitive Northampton, MA, market, Scanlon moves easily from rock to folk, ballads to anthems, with a little scat and funk thrown in. In other words, Chris Scanlon is not your usual singer-songwriter.
U-Turn (2007, Plaid Jacket Records) is Chris Scanlon's first full-length solo album. Recorded at Sow’s Ear Studios with engineer/producer Scot Coar (Angry Johnny and the Killbillies, Melodram), it features New York jazz trumpeter Greg Glassman, Afro-percussion master Tony Vacca (Sting, Gokh-bi System), and singer-songwriter and fellow Plump alumni Carrie Ferguson. U-Turn is about achieving our goals and dreams despite the hypnotic pull of the past. A valentine to his youth, the album is Scanlon's personal snapshot of New Jersey from his very own family album, reminding us what we take with us when we leave home, and what we struggle to leave behind. This is his Jersey shore, full of old ghosts, tired battles, disrupted homes and strong bloodlines
Chris Scanlon began his music career at the age of 5, performing along with his family’s copy of Magical Mystery Tour on a tennis racquet, which earned him recognition in his household as “the fifth Beatle.†His brushes with greatness include almost having met Bruce Springsteen five times; cooking dinner for Clarence Clemons while working in a natural foods restaurant; and a chance backstage encounter with the late Michael Hedges, an influential moment which inspired him to write songs himself.
As a solo artist, Chris has won wide recognition in the area, having been invited to compete in the singer-songwriter contest juried by WRSI 95.3 The River in 2003, 2004 and 2007 (itself named one of Rolling Stone’s top ten radio stations), nominated for best singer-songwriter in the Valley Advocate Grand Band Slam, and scoring gigs with Dayna Kurtz, Pete Seeger, Peter Siegel and more. His tender and confessional voice, combined with his electric bassist-turned-acoustic guitarist musical sensibility, enable him to move confidently across the musical spectrum.
Prior to his solo career, Chris was a founding member of Plump, a folk/rock/pop combo based in Northampton. Between 1998 and 2005, the band released 3 EPs; shared the stage with Melissa Ferrick, Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem, Erin McKeown, Tin Hat Trio and Philip Price (Winterpills); and gained a strong fan base and critical acclaim throughout the area. The Daily Hampshire Gazette lauded their “draw-you-in-sound†and WRSI predicted, “(these) guys should make an album and become famous and rich.†In 2001, Plump placed in the top 3 in the Skiffle Sessions band contest.