Jess Abrams profile picture

Jess Abrams

About Me

New Yorker Jess Abrams, has been living and working in Scotland for over a decade. Her album “Growing Up” launched in December 2007. It features internationally acclaimed Dutch musicians - Marc van Roon, Tony Overwater, Wim Kegel and Maarten Ornstein. These four musicians are all at the forefront of the Dutch and European Jazz scenes and have won awards and accolades as far a field as Japan and Lebanon.Born to parents who were pioneers of the hippie / psychedelic art scene, Jess has been surrounded by musicians and artists from the start. Like Jess and her family, her first album is an eclectic mix of styles and genre’s. It’s full of music reflecting different stages in Jess’s life. There’s Amour Amour Amour from a French fairytale film she saw as a child and tunes by Cat Stevens and Phoebe Snow who played as she and her mother travelled around the States in their bright red van. Then there is Hungry Wolf from Jess’s days as a punk in New York City, some of her favourite jazz tunes and an original written by bass player Tony Overwater with lyrics by Jess.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 22/05/2006
Band Website: www.jessabrams.co.uk
Influences: SO varied I'm not sure where to start... but here goes.... Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Dorough, Ricki Lee Jones, Carmen McRae, Joni Mitchell, Sarah Vaughan, Cat Stevens, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Michael Jackson, Sugar Hill Gang, Killing Joke, Oscar Peterson, Michel Legrand and Jaques Demy movies, my creative artist parents, various musicians I've had the privilege of working with...... and SOOOO many more!
Sounds Like: Sounds like jazz with a bit of folk. It's really a mix................................................. Press:------------------------------------------------------ -----------------------------------JAZZ UK MAGAZINE: " This has to be one of the most charming debuts in a long time. . . Lazy listeners might put her in the same bag as Katie Melhua or Norah Jones but Abrams is the real deal... this witty and intelligent set mixes songwriters as different as Cat Stevens (The Wind), Dave Frishberg (Peel Me A Grape) and Phoebe Snow (Harpo's Blues). There are echos of Maria Muldaur and Rickie Lee Jones in her vocal style but there's also a rare depth of personality here as well. Abrams finds her own meaning in each lyric and makes it her own. Make no mistake, Jess Abrams is a class act." Duncan Heining, January 09 ____________________________________________________________ __________Abrams sings considerate and sensible. Her soft voice sounds authentic. Fragile and at the same time convincing. Her singing has a feeling of timing and intonation, that bring the words alive. She is a ‘storyteller’ who takes you along the road of precious memories. Frank Huser, Jazzflits Magazine, Netherlands------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------Abrams has a nice jazzy voice and perfect timing. It’s an interesting debut, made all the more appealing by her choice of Dutch accompaniment. René de Cocq, HVT Magazine, Netherlands------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------Jess Abrams – an American singer based in Edinburgh – is the first singer to impress me since Chris Tobin. Her new record, Growing Up, might be described as folk-jazz with a hint of Maria Muldaur. With her fine mainly Dutch backing group, Jess Abrams is a class act. Duncan Heining, Jazz UK
Record Label: Labe: JEX Records/Distrib: Challenge Records NL
Type of Label: Indie

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