Biography
The music of Jill Stevenson reflects a depth of soul and poetic sense that reaches well beyond her years.
Jill was studying piano at age seven and her singing career began at the age of nine, with regular appearances in a small church that her parents helped to establish. She soon picked up the guitar and it was not long before she was singing her own songs before coffeehouse and open-mic audiences in and around her native Denver.
She has already assembled an impressive catalog of original material, which blends elements of folk, R&B, funk, and pop into a hybrid that is uniquely her own. The strength, character, and versatility of her singing voice, as well as her ability as an instrumentalist are immediately apparent.
Jill's passion for music brought her to New York City a few years ago. Since her arrival, she has spent most of her time working with songwriters and producers to cultivate the art of song craft she is dedicated to. Her unwavering commitment to expressing herself through music has contributed to the maturity she displays on stage. And her innate understanding of her musicianship, reveal an artist who is not only connected with her music, but also with the audiences she plays for every week.
Former Denver/Woodstock resident Jill Stevenson (now in New York City) has a five-song EP that is simply stunning.
The Denver native came to the East coast a few years ago, lived in New York City, then spent some time here in the mountains, and just recently moved to back to Brooklyn.
Though she has several previous releases, this offering is a band effort, and there is a oneness that comes with familiarity here that’s quite palpable. Longtime Stevenson co-hort Mike Visceglia (bass), Daniel A. Weiss (keys), Doug Yowell (drums) and Billy Masters (guitar) make up the impressive combo.
The melodic, multi-layered-yet-accessible and radio-ready “Dreamer” uses almost all of Stevenson attributes; her exquisite songwriting of depth and latitude, her soaring, passionate pipes, and her passionate power and conviction.
The vocal performance in the sultry, sensual “Taste So Good” is, again, stunning, but the most jaw-dropping track has to be the heartbreaking, raw open wound of “Ain’t Enough,” where she explains “my love just ain’t enough/ if you don’t want it.” The inherent sense of drama and mystery of the music juxtaposes the stark reality of the lyric, anyone who has had a bad break-up or has been betrayed (and that’s most of us) will be profoundly moved, and if this doesn’t bring you near tears, you’re just not alive.
Stevenson sings each song like her life depended on it.
And it does.
Instrumentation
Jill Stevenson - Vocal, Guitar, Piano
Doug Yowell - Drums
Mike Visceglia - Bass
Billy Masters- Guitar
Dan Weiss - Organ, Piano, Vox
Discography
Underway LP 2002
1308 Ditmas LP 2004
L LP 2005
The Jill Stevenson Band EP 2009
Links
| http://www.jillstevenson.com |