Sheryl Diane

Artist Information

Biography

Singer-songwriter, Sheryl Diane plays piano and sings. Her history starts in rural Montana where she was born into a musically-inclined family. As a young woman, she went to study music at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana; eventually relocating to the Pacific Northwest at the pinnacle of the grunge years, 1989.

She earned a BA at Fairhaven College (Aural Media) then ventured to Seattle to perform in coffee houses and night clubs as well as accomplish her own productions (Wine, Women & Chocolate). She also developed spotlight performances in comedy. Her notorious appearances in Carlotta's Late Night Wing Ding added to the success of the show earning it Best Late Night Comedy Series in 1998 (The Seattle Weekly). Sunday Bunny Sunday in 2005, was one of her productions, a 3 act farce of death and resurrection themed skits featuring the bunny. Her recordings (Blackberry Love 2004 and Dream Carnival 2011) acquired critical acclaim and regional airplay. She also supported them with touring in the western states. Recently seeking to explore southern musicality, Sheryl relocated to New Orleans and continues to hone her "chops" at the piano.

Instrumentation

Sheryl Diane - Vocals, Piano, keyboard, tambourine
Woogie D - Acoustic Drums
Joe Doria - Hammond B3 Organ
Geoffrey Harper - Upright Bass
Mike Peterson - Acoustic Drums
Mark Mattrey - Electric Bass
Tige Decoster - Electric Bass
Quintin Musgrove - Electric Bass
Steve Treseler - Tenor Saxophone
Nelson Bell - Trombone
Amy Denio - Alto Saxophone
Kathy Moore - Electric Guitar
Mike Davidson - Electric Guitar
Jaxin Skyward - Carnie Talker
Jennifer McKinney - Backing vocalist

Discography

2011 Sheryl Diane's Dream Carnival CD/download released 2/18/11 (CDs at CDbaby.com -downloads available everywhere)
2010 The Carnie Tunes (pre-release, distributed in Seattle)
2009 Git Yo' Freak On (Halloween tune, distributed in Seattle)
2006 Zombie Walk
(comedy single Myspace, posted Halloween)
2004 Blackberry Love (4 song) EP
2002 A Decade in Residence at Hotel Emo (demo - 8 songs)
1998 The Figs (3 song demo)
1991 Fairhaven College Recording Studio
(demo songs-Talk About It, Watching For Satellites)
1987 Sheryl and The Spineless Yesmen (demo songs - Pitter Patter, What's Come Between Us?)

Awards:
2009-ASCAP Plus-Award-Recipient
2008-ASCAP Plus-Award-Recipient
2006 Blackberry Love "Honorable Mention"
We Are Listening/Berklee College Song Contest
2006 ASCAP Plus Award Recipient
2005 ASCAP Plus Award Recipient

Tours/Side Projects:
2008 Gold Rush
(song/session work for Steve Martinelli's debut CD)
2007 Coffee Shop Tour
Seattle, Salt Lake City, Cedar City, Phoenix, Long Beach, San Francisco, Portland
2007 Listening (extra in film)
2005 Sunday Bunny Sunday (3 act comedy show)
2005 Wine, Women & Chocolate Tour - Seattle,
Spokane, Coeur D'Alene, Butte, Bozeman, Donnelly, Moscow
2003-2005 Fricker's Follies (vaudeville-style comedy show, various characters; Zoltana the Sorceress, Gorilla B, Time Cop from the Future)
2004 Bare Knuckle Boxers
(traditional Irish - Sheryl as backing vocalist)
2000-2005 Wine, Women & Chocolate (hosted/performed)
1998 Kate Coniff -- self-titled debut CD by bassist Kate Coniff who also played in The Figs (SD is playing backing keyboard on Lie, Lie Truth/Reprise)
1997-98 Guest Artist - Carlotta's Late Night Wing Ding - "Best Late Night Comedy Series" - Seattle Weekly

Links

• MySpace
• Twitter
• Facebook

Audio

• I Held Out (Lament for the Dog-Faced Boy)
  Listen  
• Spinning Wheel/The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down
  Listen  
• Git 'Yo Freak On
  Listen  
• Mirror Maze
  Listen  
• Taxi Driver
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Taxi Driver
• Blackberry Love

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Concept rock albums are not dead!! (PRESS RELEASE) 2-18-2011 [+ Show ]
  

  For Immediate Release Album title: Dream Carnival Artist: Sheryl Diane Released: 2/18/2011 C...For Immediate Release
  
  Album title: Dream Carnival
  Artist: Sheryl Diane
  Released: 2/18/2011
  
  Concept rock albums are not dead!! Sheryl Diane’s Dream Carnival introduces the Concept Album-Mini, an 8 song extravaganza of carnival themed tunes dressed UP in striped pajamas and DOWN in chromatic scales. Fun included!!!
  
  Dream Carnival’s theme was inspired by an NPR broadcast detailing the history of the Carnival Talker that Sheryl had heard. Each tune in this work has a point of view and a “talking directly at you” delivery. Some songs return exactly to the turn of the century carnival, like The Band Played On, while others adapt to the modern day by creating carnival vignettes of daily life. “Taxi Driver” is an irresistible wild ride. Listeners will be picked up by this song then, taxied fast and recklessly home with its dry wit and suggestive delivery. While “I Held Out (Lament for the Dog-Faced Boy),” playfully mourns the sideshow of the impetuous human heart. Every song is immediate and engaging. The rich, expansive tracks on Dream Carnival will thrill, surprise and entertain young and old, taking listeners spinning a bit backwards, then forwards and then on to visit the ordinary places of their dog lovin’ hearts.
  
  Living in the evergreen gowned, mist shrouded north has given breadth and pensive vision to Sheryl Diane’s artistry. A playful nod’s given with her carnival hailing from the mystic Emerald Realm. She’s a dandy piano player and a veteran performer with a cute imagination . Her debut album can boast of a stellar collaboration from some of the finest musicians in Seattle’s creative community. Jazz tenor saxophonist, Steve Treseler and trombonist, Nelson Bell add bold color to an already vivid carnival parade. Hammond B3 player, Joe Doria, guests on organ for “Spinning Wheel.” Sheryl reinvents this beloved Blood, Sweat & Tears hit from 1969 as retro soul with the help of Woogie D. and Mark Mattrey; a deep groove rhythm section transplanted to Seattle from Buffalo, NY. Also Sheryl’s son, Jaxin Skyward, performs the duty of providing some Carnival Talker snippets, a special highlight.
  
  For more information, contact:
  communications@guerilladisc.com
  Guerilla Disc 206-324-3215
  

• Singer and Songwriter, Not Singer-Songwriter [+ Show ]
  

  May 11, 2006 Sheryl Diane Shumsky describes herself as a solo singer-songwriter, which is technical...May 11, 2006
  Sheryl Diane Shumsky describes herself as a solo singer-songwriter, which is technically correct, even if it implies everything she is not.
  
  Shumsky performs slinky electronic grooves on an electronic keyboard, while singing in a voice that evokes the bluesy croon of Rickie Lee Jones. The result is often eerie, usually atmospheric and pretty much never anything like the music that we've grown accustomed to associating with contemporary singer-songwriters of the Patty Larkin/Shawn Colvin variety.
  
  Yes, Shumsky sings, and writes songs, and performs solo; but don't expect campfire crooning here.
  Sheryl Diane Shumsky performs at Break Espresso tonight, Thursday, May 11, at 7:30 p.m.

• EP Reviewed by Jamie Field/Hereford, England, UK [+ Show ]
  

  (30 June 2004) Blackberry Love (Guerilla Disc (USA) 2004) is Sheryl Diane's second CD. The first, H... (30 June 2004) Blackberry Love (Guerilla Disc (USA) 2004) is Sheryl Diane's second CD. The first, Hotel Emo (released February 2003 and only available from CDBaby) was a demo album of eight songs, four recorded live and four others, "Someday," "Wish You Weren't," "Turnaround" and "Blackberry Love" which, developed and re-recorded, are the four songs which make up this EP. There are times when Sheryl's voice brings Kate Bush to mind, maybe a hint of Tori Amos too. But the songs and vocal style, especially in the phrasing, are distinctive - and she sings with power and verve and a sense of freedom.
  
  The EP opens with "Someday," a song Sheryl wrote in her head while driving from Bellingham to Seattle which makes sense as it's a great track for driving to. Opening with a solid bass figure before the band enter it's a fascinating song. Lyrically, it's a stream of consciousness "Monday run off, rush away gone to catch a bus and a quick glimpse of some natural beauty going nowhere roads labyrinth under the gray day's discontent ..." There's a very relaxed feel to the musicianship, indicative of a good understanding. Sheryl's piano dominates, but the track has some lovely guitar fills and phrases from Thaddeus Turner and the bass and drums provide a solid and unobtrusive scaffold for the piano and guitar to build on. The drums are handled by Brian Young who's currently touring with The Fountains Of Wayne. "Someday" was written for Sheryl's friend Nancy (and originally titled thus) Sheryl says. "We weren't content with where we were at the time and adamant about evolving into our self-designed 'Someday'."
  
  The second track "Wish You Weren't" is written from the view of a divorcee - and captures a more honest mix of emotions than is usually considered when the subject is covered. "I wish you weren't so tempting to me, I wish you weren't, wish you weren't". The song's written after Sheryl's separation from Joe Howard (aka Joe Bass or Joe Skyward), probably best known for his work in the Seattle based band The Posies. It's a song about loss of innocence and the inability to trust again. Yet Sheryl has a way of finding optimism in the bleakest of subjects and that's true for this song too. "Good things come to those who don't hesitate, could it be true ..." For this track Sheryl steps away from her piano and plays a keyboard styling a B3Hammond. There's a well established 'acid jazz' scene in Seattle and the B3 is the hallmark of it, and while it's a nod to her home-town crowd, I think my main objection to its use is that I don't feel her voice works as well with the B3 sound as it does with the piano. On the other hand, there's some stunning trumpet work by Bryan Sorum on this song which melds perfectly with the organ, especially in the play out.
  
  "Turnaround" was effectively recorded 'live' in the studio with her band The Figs (Kevin Guess on drums and Kate Coniff on bass) - they played it twice and this was the better cut of the two. It's perhaps the least immediate song on the CD, but will grow and grow on you and the repeated mantra of 'Turnaround' will end up spinning through your head hours after you've taken the disc from the player. Sheryl says the song's about "the lack of a real cure for the downward spiral ... homelessness, alcohol abuse ..." Lyrically the track contains some exceptional images and phrases "you are walking wounded on the downside of the night"; "A bitter burden like a child's unspeakable grief". Immensely powerful.
  
  The closing track "Blackberry Love" is as sensuous a song and vocal performance as I've come across in a long, long time. The instrumentation is simple, a repeating bass figure, and drums. The whole song is dominated by Sheryl's outstanding vocal performance. As with much of the work on this album, the phrasing is uniquely her own as are the vocal stylings - it's just a breathtaking piece of work. Perhaps what's most extraordinary about this song is that despite the overt sexual overtones and feel of the piece, it was, she says "written in almost one pen stroke", while her children were watching Sesame Street! "I wasn't involved with anyone at the time, but most of my experience with love was passionate and painful, so when I relocated to the PacificNorthwest I was in a state of self-analysis, surrounded by the Himalayan Blackberry, which I thought was the most beautiful plant, and it is truly amazing. It grows wildly and fast and bears delicious fruit, it persists to try to bloom even up to the first snow! A metaphor for love surely."
  
  It's hard to find anything negative to say about this EP beyond the fact that it's 8 tracks shorter than I'd like it to be and that personally I could live quite happily without the organ on "Wish You Weren't." I suppose the fact that each track opens with the bass could be a considered a slight weakness. Hotel Emo contained three songs of Sheryl performing live alone at the keyboard for Radio KAOS at Evergreen State University and I would have loved to have heard a studio recorded piano/voice version of "I Believe" and/or "Moon" added to this disc. But maybe she's hanging on to these and others for the full album which I sincerely hope she won't keep us waiting for for too long.--Jamie Field
  Jamie Field - Musical Discoveries
  
  

• Tour spotlights female songwriters [+ Show ]
  

  Wine, women and chocolate are a proverbial good mix. Sheryl-Diane Shumsky has combined the three to...Wine, women and chocolate are a proverbial good mix. Sheryl-Diane Shumsky has combined the three to create a musical showcase with treats on the side. Shumsky said she started the Seattle-based showcase "Wine, Women and Chocolate" in 2001 as a way to celebrate women songwriters.
  
  "My intent with 'Wine, Women and Chocolate' was to bring women together for spotlighting their latest endeavors in a grassroots celebration," she said.
  
  The event combines an evening of musical talent with gourmet chocolate tasting and wine sampling.
  
  The group's Moscow showcase will be at 7 p.m. Sunday at The Attic. The performance is part of the group's five-night tour in the West. . . .
  
  In keeping with the event's celebration of women, the wine featured in the door prize is Handyman Red, a Bordeaux from the woman-owned winery, Olympic Cellars. . . .
  
  When she started to organize 'Wine, Women and Chocolate,' Shumsky thought she would have difficulty finding women in the Seattle area interested in the showcase. However, that wasn't what happened.
  
  "I didn't have a clue how many women songwriters there are," said Shumsky. "There are a slew of them around here."
  
  Shumsky said she found many women musicians needed an opportunity to perform their work.
  
  "Many women songwriters seem to be working in isolation, and they are more likely to be solo or duo in performance," she said.
  
  She said it is easier for a band to get gigs in Seattle than a solo artist.
  
  "So, 'Wine, Women and Chocolate' became an event for people to have the opportunity to really listen to the songwriter and, in particular, the voices of women," she said.

Setlist

NEW ORLEANS STREET JAZZ
Don't You Feel My Leg, After You've Gone, La Vie en Rose, The Thrill is Gone, Meet Me With Your Black Drawers On, Squeeze Me Don't Tease Me, Li'l Liza Jane, Make Me a Pallet, You Can Have My Husband (But Please Don't Mess With My Man), Mustang Sally, Love Me Or Leave Me, Rockin' Pneumonia, Backstabber, Cissy Strut, Maple Leaf Rag, I'll Fly Away, You Are My Sunshine, Rockin' Pneumonia, On The Banks Of The Ponchartrain, Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans, Hallelujah I Love Him So

STANDARDS
1895-The Band Played On, 1917-Darktown Strutters Ball, 1924-It Had To Be You, 1925-5 Foot 2 Eyes of Blue, 1926-Ain't She Sweet, 1926-Bye Bye Blackbird, 1927-Side By Side, 1928-He's Funny That Way, 1930-Them There Eyes, God Bless The Child 1929-Honeysuckle Rose, 1930-Dream a Little Dream of Me, 1930-On The Sunnyside of The Street, 1931-All of Me, 1931-As Time Goes By (appeared in Casablanca 1942), 1933-Under a Blanket of Blue, 1934-Moonglow, 1936-Let's Call The Whole Thing Off, 1936-Stompin' At The Savoy, 1936-I've Got You Under My Skin, 1937-Nice Work If You Can Get It, 1937-My Funny Valentine, 1939-In The Mood, 1939-Tuxedo Junction, 1942-You'd Be So Nice to Come Home to, Night in Tunisia, Satin Doll & Caravan/Duke Ellington, Come-On-A My House/Rosemary Clooney, Heart and Soul,Skylark/Hoagy Carmichael

COUNTRY
In The Jailhouse Now/Jimmy Rodgers, How High's The Water Mama/Johnny Cash, You Are My Sunshine, I'll Fly Away, Deep River, Mama Don't 'Low

ROCK - SOUL-JAZZ
1950's
Bye Bye Love/Ray Charles, Hallelujah I Love Him So/Ray Charles, Blue Suede Shoes/Carl Perkins,Elvis Presley, Hound Dog/Elvis Presley, Miles Davis/All Blues (12 bar blues in 6/8)

1960's
Dusty Springfield/Son of A Preacherman, Rockin' Robin/Jackson 5, Mellow Yellow/Donovan, Yellow Submarine/The Beatles, Money (That's What I Want)/The Beatles, Rockin' Robin/Jackson 5, Can't Buy Me Love/The Beatles, Surfin' USA/Beachboys, Twist and Shout/Beatles,
Etta James/At Last, I'd Rather Go Blind, Back at The Chicken Shack/Jimmie Smith,

1970's
Spinning Wheel/Blood Sweat & Tears, King Harvest/Dancing In The Moonlight, Here Comes The Sun/George Harrison, Ain't No Sunshine/Bill Withers, Proud Mary/Creedence Clearwater Revival, Fire and Rain/James Taylor, I Feel Good/James Brown, Don't Stop Believin/Journey, Killing Me Softly/Roberta Flack, Let's Stay Together/Al Green,

1980's
Peter Gunn/Blues Brothers, Sweet Dreams are Made of This/Eurythmics

1990's
Nothing Compares 2 U/Sinead O'Connor-Prince, Humming/Portishead, Smells Like Teen Spirit/Nirvana, Blue Suede Shoes/Elvis, Carl Perkins, Hound Dog/Elvis,

CINEMATIC
Pink Panther/Henry Mancini
Star Wars/John Williams
Imperial March/John Williams
Beyond The Sea/Finding Nemo, Bobby Darin

Basic Requirements

Calendar