Shea Breaux Wells

I am a jazz singer and a singer/songwriter in Northern California. I have an album called, “Piece of the Light”, which is a collection of 10 of my original tunes, which fall more into the singer/songwriter realm, with a few interesting 'cover' tunes thrown in. The lyrics deal in the realm of awakening, and the dream of having been asleep. The words are, for me, mostly uplifting...sometimes a little sad, yet always staying true to the vision of planetary creation. For more info, please visit my website, HTTP://WWW.SHEABREAUXWELLS.COM. I have just finished recording a straight-ahead jazz album with George Cables, Cecil McBee, Billy Hart and Craig Handy - with David Weiss producing and showcasing his trumpet chops. Psyched doesn't really begin to describe...it's electric and live and wild. I think you will dig it...it should be available at summer's end. Originally from Texas, I moved to Southern California to study music and film. I've been focused on jazz for many years, and have worked hard to cultivate a unique sound that blends jazz with some grittier genres, like rock, and some mellower genres, like that of the singer/songwriter. When I finished college (Occidental), I played around L.A. and Hollywood with my alternative rock band, Forrest Lawn (seriously. that was our name - we rocked!). After we disbanded, I began to learn, study and sing jazz standards. Having always delved into diverse genres, and having been deeply steeped in the 'a capella' format as a young lass, I was surprised to find that I was already familiar with many standards. My repertoire developed at a rapid pace which landed me a gig as a featured singer in a swing band called The Little Big Band where I had a blast singing with two other singers, Val Peterson and Saratoga Ballantine, performing at places like The Derby, The Atlas, The Hollywood Athletic Club and more. While I recorded some jazz demos, I was also quietly writing and polishing my own original material. I then relocated to the Bay Area to record an EP with Fantasy producer Michael Rosen. Songs from this release, "Smolder", were featured on MTV's "Road Rules", from which I developed a deep love for the royalty check. So, the music on "Piece of the Light" finds me focusing on the essence of the song, and less on the specificity of the genre. As mentioned, on that album I splash about in the singer/songwriter pool, yet jazz strongly makes its presence known on this collection. Working with musicians such as David Ewell on bass, Noam Lemish on piano, Alex Aspinall on drums, Bill Ortiz on trumpet, and the legendary Robben Ford on guitar has absolutely breathed a new layer of complexity and sophistication into my homegrown, livingroom piano songs. My additional work with George Cables, Billy Hart, Cecil McBee, Craig Handy and David Weiss has catapulted me into even deeper territory. Having just recorded a 10 song CD in two days, appropriatelyl called, "A Blind Date", I opened myself up to osmotically absorb whatever genius was wafting off of these incredible musicians, and believe me, the air was thick with it! The album should be released in early fall, and will be available at CD Baby and the like. As of now, I can just say that I am seeking to navigate that fine line between the emotionally exploratory realm of the singer/songwriter and the more textured, athletic galaxy of the seasoned jazz vocalist.