Very Eclectic

Jenny Gillespie ~ "Hummingbirds"
Jenny Gillespie is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, imbroglio-seeker, nightfisher, enfant terrible, and humble loon. She embroiders words into the soil of chords, steals vivid scraps of her heart to feed a hungry melody, mimics the birdsong of messy muses, who live in the forests of yellow legal pads, or star in epics inked on stray receipts. "My writing process is pretty scattered, occurs in flash floods--lots of melodies recorded on my cell phone while I'm walking," Jenny says.
Knowing she wanted to work with kindred musicians on violin and cello, world percussion, pedal steel, and trumpet was the first step in deciding that "Light Year," Jenny's upcoming album recorded at Electrical Audio and Carterco Studios in Chicago, would coalesce and crackle far from the straightforward folk sound of her earlier work. The songs on "Light Year" go deep into a woman's gaze upon the wrecked, gorgeous world, the delicate heart that has survived a few catastrophes and moves tentatively into adulthood. From the sweeping ballad "Vanishing Point," to the wry pop gem "Hummingbirds," these are songs that both soothe and challenge the listener.
For more info about Jenny Gillespie, visit her on Myspace at www.myspace.com/jennygillespie
Alana Davis ~ "Reaper"
Alana Davis hotly anticipated new album, "Surrender Dorothy", is her third recording since TIME magazine ranked her debut release the "Number 3 Album of the Year". Alana recently turned down seven offers from major labels, independent labels and major independent distributors to instead launch her own company, Tigress Records. With an overwhelming swell of grassroots support combined with allies among some top brass in the music industry, she released her first self produced album in 2005 and is now striving to create a new model for the ever-changing music industry. Have you bought a copy of "Surrender Dorothy" yet? If not, you really should go pick it up, it sounds like no other.
For more info about Alana Davis, visit her on Myspace at www.myspace.com/alanadavis
Berkley Hart ~ "My My My"Hailed as masters of both two part harmony and dazzling song craft, over the past ten years Berkley Hart have established themselves as one of the premier acoustic duos touring the country. In concert the duo shines, the obvious camaraderie between these two top songwriters driving each performance. Add in virtuoso playing from both Jeff Berkley (guitar, percussion) and Calman Hart (guitar) as well as their good natured humor and it’s easy to see why the two have become live favorites. That said, it’s their acclaimed albums which have racked up the accolades, each filled with tunes as catchy as you’re likely to come across. Over their three albums to date, the band has honed their approach, experimenting with format and instrumentation, even using a band. Now the pair has stripped their sound down to the basics, using only what they can carry, their guitars and their voices.
Both Berkley and Hart emerged from the Southern California coffeehouse circuit, each building sizeable followings of their own before joining forces. Berkley is a Kerrville New Folk Songwriter Award Winner, and a founding member of the Joel Rafael Band. Meanwhile Hart has released a trio of albums as a solo artist. Going on seven years together however, the pairs performing style has evolved, in a true ‘less is more’ scenario. Beginning in early 2005, when the duo staged O Berkley, Where Hart Thou, the pair began their quest to hearken back to the ‘old-timey’ ways and only use one microphone, no monitors, amplifiers or direct boxes. In this way Berkley Hart are at their purest in every performance whether they’re in a large outdoor venue or in an intimate house concert setting.
For more info on Berkley Hart, visit their official website at berkleyhart.com or listen to them on Myspace at www.myspace.com/berkleyhart
Kiki Ebsen ~ "The End Of The Road" Eclectic jazz-pop chanteuse, Kiki Ebsen has a warm, relaxed, personal style of delivery that lets an audience know they're about to experience and be a part of a wonderful musical celebration. Her fans worldwide singing her praises including British DJ, Steve Quirk of "Fusion Flavors" smooth jazz show, who says "Kiki Ebsen is a sleeping giant in contemporary music... who deserves to be heard".
Her latest release, entitled Kiki, was produced by Grammy winning producer, Paul Brown. It's a collection of her shimmering, jazz-infused originals as well as a few well-rendered cover tunes. One of the gems on this CD is a song that her father, the late actor Buddy Ebsen, wrote called "Missing You. A&E's Biography recently paid tribute to him and Kiki sang "Missing You" in his honor.
This year Kiki has performed at the Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival, the 3rd Annual Temecula Music and Wine Festival, Nashville's Tin Pan South songwriter showcase and the 11th annual Waikaloa Music Festival in Hawaii. Her music is featured on multiple compilations in Germany, Switzerland, Southeast Asia and the US. Her "Kiki" CD is set to be released in the Phillipines with a new cover CD release in Southeast Asia later this year. She also performed on current releases by Colin Hay (Men At Work), Perry Farrel (Janes Addiction), Paul Brown and Friends and Peter White's Deja Vu.
As a keyboardist and singer, she's had the good fortune to work with some of the best-known musical headliners in the world on tour and on TV, including Chicago, Christopher Cross, Al Jarreau, Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald. Last year she toured Europe with Tracy Chapman then came home to join Carnie and Wendy Wilson's band where she handled the Chynna Phillips vocal role on the Wilson/Phillips hits. She is currently touring the U. S with Colin Hay (from Men at Work)
Kiki's songs have also been featured in movies and TV including The Young and the Restless and Another World. She has opened for Peter Cetera, Christopher Cross and Al Stewart. Kiki's songs deal with the complexities of love and family relationships, and she believes that music and the arts can bless and enrich our lives everyday.
Kiki attended the California Institute of the Arts, receiving her BFA in vocal performance. Her previous CD, "Love Loud", is "about as close to perfect as any recording can get" according to Les Reynolds at Indie Music.com. It also made The Muse's Muse Top 10 list of favorite records of 2002. Her first CD, "Red", features classic performances by Boney James and is (according to Beth Lewis of Mac Report), "the kind of debut most artists can only dream of creating". Both CD's showcase her talent as a singer and songwriter.
For more info about Kiki Ebsen, visit her on
Myspace at www.myspace.com/kikiebsen or
at her official web site at kikiebsen.com
Bec Smith ~ Blessing
Remember that old 80's hit, She Works Hard for the Money? Whenever I think of Bec Smith, that song comes to mind. Her hard work and perseverance is inspirational. Smith is a perfectionist; mediocrity is not an option.
In 1996, Smith moved to Minneapolis with her instruments, an abundance of natural and developed talent, and an album “in the can” that never saw the light of day. An opportunity to be signed to a NYC indie label proved exciting but fell flat. Losing what would have been her first album changed Smith’s perception: “I learned a lot about the music business, contracts and relationships through that experience,” she recalls. “And I learned about loss.”
Instead of giving up, she put out her self-released debut album Temper in 2001. The album was recorded with Jason Orris and Bryan Hanna at the Terrarium in Minneapolis, as well as Ev at Integral Studio in St. Paul. Studio musicians appearing on Temper include both Orris and Hanna, Mykl Westbrooks (Landing Gear), Dmitry (Shadow Box, now an NYC band known as 3rd Culture), and Ev and Ryan Olcott (12 Rods). Her songs “Redeye” and “You Can’t Even Tell” are gems of Minnesota music that have benefited from local and national radio play and still feel fresh today.
Then in 2005, Bec Smith found a new first love: Her husband. Sadly, this too fell flat. An unexpected betrayal helped craft material for a new album that consoles and inspires others with similarly devastating experiences. “I feel I have an incredible opportunity to share my story,” Smith notes, “My marriage ended, but my life didn’t.”
Bec Smith now returns with a new live band including A. Brooks Nagel, Arron (Al) Bergstrom & Eddie Olson. The stage has now been set for us all to be blessed.
Ready to display her musical lifeblood, Smith and band began playing out, impressing even the most hard to please pop music lovers. There's a masculine aggression with feminine subject matter, but don't sell her short because you've seen a chick on stage with an acoustic guitar before. Her practiced and controlled voice insists she is an intense vocalist. Writing from experience, her lyrical prowess make her wise beyond her years, and the melodies throughout every song are nothing less than sharp hooks that will snag you if you dare walk past.
You can tell Smith will not be ignored. Her confidence comes across in her performances and album. Smith hopes to squash preconcieved notions.
[-bio information provided Celeste Tabora and Bec's official web site.]
For more info about Bec Smith, visit her on Myspace at www.myspace.com/becsmith or at her official web site at www.becsmith.com
Photo by Ryan Fuchs