Artist Information
Biography
Everyone’s lifetime contains moments of crisis, pain, love and happiness. It also features critical events that are turning points in where you go on the road of life. Often the most critical of these events seem to feature some kind of spiritual interaction. It is at these very moments that our most crucial decisions are made.
One such spiritual visitation became the inspiring force behind the artistry of Jo D’Anna’s first CD, “Alouwenja”. Through this critical visitation, Jo embraced the direction of change in her life to become a calming influence in ours. Jo is one whose purpose is to awaken us once again to see the world around us differently. This is the very message of her CD’s title song, “Alouwenja”, embodying the artists’ role of helping others see what they normally would not. Helping others feel what they have almost become immune to.
Throughout the songs on this CD, she stresses the importance of rebirth, self-understanding and transformation. Not only from the healing perspective, but from one of self-confidence. A reminder that our true spirit can handle all the challenges we face in our lives.
Music can be one of the most powerful mediums of communication. But only if it is true and heartfelt. A true flow from the heart and soul. For Jo D’Anna, it’s not about shouting out for change, but in helping everyone understand that our lives and experiences are all similar. In her music, Jo is communicating as one spirit to another.
In the second album, "As She Is", released in March 2007, this collection of 12 of Jo D’Anna’s tunes was hand-picked by Ben Leinbach, the producer of As She Is, as being those on which Ben believed he could best create something with his amazing brand of seamless, rhythmic soundscaping and flawless production techniques. What resulted was a blending of two very fine opposing styles: Jo’s more folk-based, fingerstyle guitar 60's-influenced roots songs – which became the inspiration and the starting point for Ben Leinbach’s more urbane and worldly jazz fusion percussive and multi-instrumental talents – to create a third style which is a beautiful and seamless collaboration of urban/world rhythms mixed with organically blended soundscapes that invoke the precise mood and intention of Jo’s songs. The beautiful flowing organic rhythms one cannot help but dance to, while Jo D’Anna’s passionately expressive and improvisational vocals – her trademark – brings any listener into a space that is at times internal, heartfelt and ecstatic.
Jo D'Anna's Influences: Any and all of the folk/rock icons of the 60's/70's, including: Joni Mitchell; Judy Collins; Joan Baez (vocal styles); Crosby, Stills & Nash; Jefferson Airplane; Donovan; Bob Dylan; Leonard Cohen. Also, Kate Wolf; James Taylor; Simon & Garfunkel; The Beatles; The Rolling Stones; Fleetwood Mac; Pentangle; Emmylou Harris; Roseanne Cash; Suzanne Vega; Patty Larkin; Gillian Welch, and many more, too numerous to mention. . .
Instrumentation
Jo D'Anna - guitar and vocals
Discography
"Alouwenja" - CD album released in April 1995
"As She Is" - CD album released in March 2007
5 streaming tracks are available from each of the two albums on my website. All tracks on "As She Is" are available on DigStation and Apple iTunes (these links also available on my website).
4 streaming tracks from "As She Is" is available at www.MySpace.com/jodanna69.
I also have a song from my first album on a compilation CD entitled "The Goddess Within" (www.ArtistsForChange.bz) and songs from each album on two compilation CD's put out by Oasis CD Manufacturing Co.; and a song from "As She Is" on the upcoming "CD Sampler 9" coming out from the SongsAlive! international songwriter organization.
Official Website
Links
Video
Press
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"Sing Out!" Review of "Alouwenja"
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“For a first album, this one is striking in its sincere application of poetic wordings, sympathetic ...
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"Dirty Linen" Review of "Alouwenja"
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"Californian Jo D’Anna focuses on eco-feminist themes on her first album. In the accompanying mater...
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"Healing Woman" Review of "Alouwenja"
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“Jo D’Anna’s first recording, Alouwenja, offers glimpses of a number of aspects of a healing survivo...
Setlist
My set list currently includes the 12 original songs on my new album, "As She Is". My current expanded repertoire includes about 40 songs, but I have more like 60 some songs. I can play anywhere from 20 minute "feature songwriter showcase" sets to 3 hour sets - all original material. Usually, I only play originals, but have been known to play covers when appropriate.
My one-hour set list typically includes the following songs from my new album, "As She Is":
As She Is
Roll On To The Voice
Take Me Home Again
Living In Dreams
Already Fallen
Driftwood Man
Circle
Blackberry Hill
Every Night, Every Day
My Heart Will Live
Widow's Watch
Red Rhapsody
