Saturday, November 29, 2014

You Will Find Yourself Loving The Music Jane St. Clair Creates

By Ida Dorsey


There are a few good female vocalists that you will enjoy discovering online. Jane St. Clair is a musician whose albums include the 2007 release "Stories". She writes the melodies and lyrics to her own songs as well as singing and playing the acoustic guitar on these tracks. Her records are available through CD Baby, Inc, the online music store that specializes in the retail of compositions by independent artists.

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.

Influences that are demonstrated in this young woman's work embrace Burt Bacharach, James Taylor and Sting. Jane has moreover been believed to pay homage to people such as Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell and Carole King. The words reflect an enthusiasm for poetry and story-telling in the style of Carlos Jobim, Tom Waits and Todd Rundgren.

An upbringing that starts with an education in writing from the University of North Carolina is unmistakable in the eminence of language evident in Jane's refrains. Following Chapel Hill, Jane went to Boston to study composition at the Berklee College of Music. She broadened her musical instruction at CalArts, benefiting from tutors such as James Newton, Jon Bergamo, Paul Novros and David Roitstein.

Amongst the collaborators on "Stories" are world-class performers such as Ken Lasaine who not only plays the E-Bow, classical and electric guitar, but also co-wrote the music to the haunting song "Shower Into Gray", dedicated to the victims of the Twin Towers tragedy. Other renowned contributors to the album include Alan Pasqua on piano, Danny Frankel on drums and percussion, Michael Manning on the fretless bass, Nedra Wheeler on upright bass and Paul Litteral on trumpet and horn. These musicians have toured and recorded with luminaries in the class of Bob Dylan, Santana, James Brown, kd lang, the B-52s and Ray Charles.

Commentators on "Stories" speak of the lilting vocals, smooth gracefulness of voice and passionate efficiency. People refer to the songs being like poems set to harmonies. Inventiveness and individuality are characteristics often ascribed to St. Clair's ideas. The overall envelope delivers a crystal-clear, unique quality which stimulates 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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