Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
PITTSBURGH -- May 15, 2003 -- Gene Stovall, one of Pittsburgh's most refreshing talents, invites the Pittsburgh media to the Shadow Lounge on June 3, at 8 p.m. for a special listening party for his acoustic soul project, Gene Stovall: Live at the Shadow Lounge. The album, Stovall's first full-length solo release, was recorded live at the Shadow Lounge on April 20, 2003. This is the first artist project under Urban Kontent Brand, a division of the 7th Movement Development.
Stovall, a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, described by audiences as "eclectic," "multi-dimensional," and "thought-provoking," gained popularity over the past five years as the front man for the Jive Family, a Hip-Hop Rock band Stovall formed while a student at Duquesne University.
Throughout its three-year existence, the Shadow Lounge has played host to a number of innovative, cutting-edge artists and groups, and Stovall is no exception. His blend of raw emotion and honest lyrics mixed with a stunning vocal range and driving guitar rifts makes for an exciting project.
Stovall also reflects his talent as a songwriter in every track of his self-entitled album. He touches on virtually every emotion and situation in the human existence from love, sex, hate, self-deprecation, angst and popularity to covering classic Hip Hop tracks with a rejuvenating acoustic flavor.
In one of the album's most stunning tracks, "Wind Chimes," Stovall captures the depth and imagery that is absent from most of today's popular music. The song feels like a throwback to the lyrics of old souls like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, where audiences were made to listen to the songs to capture its meanings. Destined to become an instant classic and set a new trend for soul music, Gene Stovall: Live at the Shadow Lounge will capture your ear and stimulate your mind at the same time.
For information on Gene Stovall's schedule, Gene Stovall: Live at the Shadow Lounge, and the listening party, call 412-363-8277 or e-mail: jstrong@7thmovement.net. The Shadow Lounge is located at 5972 Baum Blvd. in East Liberty, at the corner of S. Highland Avenue and Baum Blvd.
Tuesday, June 3, 2003. 8pm-11pm @ Shadow Lounge (East Liberty | Pgh)
Gene Stovall Listening/Release Party No Cover. CD’s will be available for purchase.
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- Michelle Massie
GENE STOVALL
LIVE @ THE SHADOW LOUNGE | PGH
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Urban Kontent Brand
Gene Stovall's solo CD -- the first concert recording made at East Liberty's Shadow Lounge -- gets the series off to a bold start, due largely to Stovall's ability to cross-pollinate different musical styles without allowing any particular label to truly represent his music. In the past, he played with the Jive Family, who combined jazz and rhythm and blues. For recent shows, such as this one, he has stepped onstage with nothing but his acoustic guitar and his powerful voice. The setup could lead to singer-songwriter descriptions, but he's far too adventurous to fit in with the standard coffeehouse, triple-A folks who brandish acoustic guitars. And while his lyrics possess a poetic, confessional quality similar to several musicians of that style, his songs sound more like soul tunes stripped down to demo quality, a mood that gets more leverage when Stovall bends notes in his lyrics or shoots up an octave to hit a high note. Then there are those moments in the middle of a couple songs where he starts his dead-on imitation of turntable scratching, proving he's just as comfortable in hip-hop circles. The 15 tracks on the live disc, with some between-song banter, bring it all together. And, although 66 minutes of voice and guitar might be a lot to take by anyone in one sitting, Stovall comes across as someone who should be drawing more attention from all corners of the local music scene. The slow "Social Studies" captures the vulnerable side of his writing, from the perspective of someone contemplating suicide. "Shoot Me in the Knees" touches on police violence in what almost reads like a stream of consciousness set of words that flows smoothly over a jazzy melody line. The real contrast of styles comes with "Walking on Ice," a rap and vocal tour de force, and the lighter track that precedes it: a cover of Digital Underground's "Humpty Dance." This cover -- along with versions of Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box" and the Talking Heads' "Warning Signs" -- say a great deal about the diverse influences that factor into Stovall's work. The simple production captures the spirit of a show, with mics stuck in front of the singer and his guitar and a little bit of audience noise thrown in for good measure.
-- MIKE SHANLEY - Mike Shanley
Discography
Gene Stovall: Live @ the Shadow Lounge | Pgh 06/03/2003
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Gene Stovall is one of those artists who can connect with people through the honesty of his lyrics. He is able to stimulate a crowd without the use of manufactured sound or staged antics. Give Gene an audience and he brings his voice and acoustic guitar to do the rest.
Having been influenced by the likes of such diverse singers as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Kurt Cobain, John Lennon and D’Angelo, Gene is not your typical artist who tries to entice the crowd with common lyrical formulas and stale music tricks. Instead, he mesmerizes listeners with raw, emotionally charged lyrics.
He touches on virtually every emotion and situation in the human experience from love, hate, sex, self-deprecation, angst, social outcasts and popularity. Gene says while other artists flagrantly sing about money and sex, he sings about the anxiety a boy goes through while obsessing about a girl and a first kiss, or how the lack of money and prestige may lead to social repression. He sings about the every day person. The person who faces fear and regret, as well as simple joys and happiness.
Devoted to using his voice and lyrics as a tool to heal people, Gene has been performing in front of audiences since the fourth grade and in front of his family since the inception of MTV. As a child, Gene stopped watching “Sesame Street” and tuned into MTV where he studied the styles, routines and techniques of the artists. Gene often amused his family by building microphones and guitars out of Lego blocks. But, it was a solo in the fourth grade of the song “Gifts of Love,” when Gene noticed the power of music over people’s emotions.
Since then, Gene ran the gamut of performances from church choir, to school chorus, to starting a number of singing and rap groups in high school. Not only a vocalist, but also an actor, Gene won a lead role in the Pittsburgh Public Theater performance of August Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” while in the seventh grade. Gene acknowledges his mother, a costume designer and his father, an actor, as influences in his life.
However, it was not until Gene attended Duquesne University in his native Pittsburgh, where one of his musical ventures began to receive recognition. In 1995, Gene founded the Jive Family, at the time an 11-piece Hip Hop Rock band that won first place in Duquesne’s Battle of the Bands contest. The Jive Family went on to gain local fame throughout Pittsburgh for its eclectic musical style and nods to pure musicianship. The Jive Family performed together as a band until 2002, when Gene decided to launch a solo career.
In April 2003, Gene released his debut full-length solo album, “Gene Stovall: Live @ the Shadow Lounge.” He is currently a regular performer at the Shadow Lounge, one of Pittsburgh’s most popular performance venues, where Gene says he is on a mission to save the local music scene.
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