Tiffany Christopher

By Dena Miller

One of the most intriguing, exhilarating and full-of-life musicians that has passed this way in quite a while returns to the Adobe Bar at the Taos Inn today (April 6) starting at 6:30 p.m.

Her name is Tiffany Christopher and she is much more than a one-woman show; she’s a one-woman band.

Join Christopher as she performs from her extensive catalog of original tunes, covers and mashups while accompanying herself on guitar, bass, ukulele, kick drum, high hat and keyboard. It promises to be a night packed with energy, raw emotion — not to mention great music.

For the last decade, Christopher has been entertaining audiences throughout the Midwest and West with her signature eclectic mix of rock, pop, country and blues performed with soaring vocals, compelling guitar riffs and solid percussion. Her reputation as an accomplished singer-songwriter has landed her gigs opening for such trending musicians as the Indigo Girls, Ani DiFranco, Ray LaMontagne, Regina Spektor, Martin Sexton and Michael Franti and Spearhead.

According to her bio, Christopher grew up on a horse ranch in Galina, Illinois, where her father’s love of country music became her earliest inspiration to begin writing songs on her guitar. She fronted a jazz band in middle school, played drums during her high school years and sang in choir until after graduation, when she went on to earn a degree from the School for Music Vocations in Creston, Iowa. The vocational training opened her up to the technical nuts and bolts of the music industry while bolstering her performance skills. After college, she both fronted a rock band that was frequently on the road touring and played with several jazz bands throughout the Midwest.

It wasn’t until her move to Las Cruces, New Mexico, that her solo performance evolved to where it is today. “I moved to Southern New Mexico and didn’t know anyone who played music, so I started being my own backup band and it has grown into a very fun show,” Christopher said. She also discovered the loop pedal, which creates complex rhythms and harmonies from layers of simpler parts. “Being able to build arrangements onstage, on the fly and in real time started making my solo show stronger and stronger and giving me a much bigger sound.”

That is why, as you approach the Adobe Bar, you will be truly surprised to find that the finely calibrated, yet sprawling music filling the room is magic made by Christopher alone.

Now settled in Denver, Christopher still maintains a frantic touring schedule. Along with tonight’s gig at the Adobe Bar in Taos, the tour covers a multitude of venues in other New Mexican locations, as well as throughout Colorado and Arizona. She is also promoting her third and most critically acclaimed album, “Tremendous Heart,” released in late 2016. The tour de force is both introspective and universal, a collection of the seductive, the soulful, the moody, the edgy, the world conscious.

Accompanied by Kenny Passarelli (electric bass), Dean Oldencott (drums) and guest performers Bridget Law from Elephant Revival (fiddle), Philip Parker (cello), John Macy (pedal, steel guitar) and Kalin Capra (upright bass, banjo), Christopher has woven stories inspired by her travels along the Camino de Santiago in Spain and along the United States-Mexico borderlands.

“It’s called ‘Tremendous Heart’ for a reason,” Christopher said. “These songs are very close to me. There’s a lot of integrity and intention on this record. The songs are about the human experience and how we are all flailing around out here, but then, just as simply, there are songs about love and nature. It’s different ways to express our life experience and capture the beauty of human nature sonically.”

If this intense touring schedule isn’t enough, Christopher will also be performing with her full band, The Hunting Party, and striving to take her music to even higher levels, while holding true to what inspires her. “It’s about having fun onstage and letting go and being really raw,” she says. “I hope that inspires other people to be more true in their careers and their lives. Showing up and being vulnerable is a tough thing for all of us, and when you witness someone doing that either in their art or in the world, it inspires us to shine bright and be vulnerable – because someone else is next to us doing the same.”

Christopher has also recently collaborated with her friend, music industry mogul David Schwartz, to establish Foxstone Music Publishing. In addition to supporting her own songwriting efforts, the duo found themselves captivated by the sheer volume of original written material that was worth giving a home to should Christopher decide to record those songs herself.

“I’m such a supporter of music and songwriting, and it’s not always necessarily that I support the bands, but I love the song,” she said. “It might be coming from a place where in a million years it would probably never get the opportunity to be presented to the masses, but the company is a vehicle for me to try to make that happen.”

The musician also teaches workshops designed for touring solo performers, instructing them in the multi-instrument dynamics of looping.

The Adobe Bar at the Taos Inn is located at 125 Paseo del Pueblo Norte. There is no cover charge and the venue is family friendly. For more information, call (575) 758-2233. - The Taos News

Inspired in part by her pilgrimage along Spain’s Camino de Santiago and life in a New Mexico border town, Tiffany Christopher’s third album proclaims both the loneliness and the beauty of the human experience. She co-engineered and produced the album herself, and her manager, close friend and fellow musician, Briony Hunn, said Tremendous Heart captures some of what Christopher does “on the fly” in her live, one-woman-band shows. “It is a journey. She is putting her soul out there on this album.”

Tiffany Christopher performs as One Woman Band (courtesy photo).

Hunn described Christopher’s music as hard to define, in that it is genre-bending, unique and wide-ranging. “Her music is boundless, and her passion is extraordinarily apparent in how she plays and in how she creates her arrangements. … It is constantly evolving, even live. She doesn’t stick herself in a box and do what is expected. Her genre is freedom.”

Christopher ‒ a free-spirited, guitar playing, ukulele-strumming folk-pop singer-songwriter and occasional percussionist ‒ will perform 6-8:30 p.m. Sunday, March 26, at Wood’s Distillery on First Street in Salida.

She learned her first guitar riff, “Johnny Be Good,” from her father. Since then, her cover music repertoire has grown to span classic rock, ’90s mash-ups, Johnny Cash, Prince, the Rolling Stones and the Black Keys. Google Tiffany Christopher and you’ll find YouTube videos of her strumming “Silver Tongue” on the ukulele from inside a pink bathtub. She calls these her bathtub sessions, and Hunn said Christopher has every intention of continuing this series. “She initially did it for the acoustics and for the joy of sharing. She was inspired by the aesthetic of the pink tub.”

Christopher recently transplanted to Denver with her black lab, Zia, and Hunn said the move was a game changer since Christopher will now have easier access to international flights for touring. In addition to writing music and performing, she teaches workshops nationwide, where she teaches how to combine looping and multi-instrument dynamics.

Christopher’s not always a one-woman band. At times she performs with her full band, The Hunting Party, and her latest album incorporates the musicianship of Kenny Passarelli on electric bass, Dean Oldencott on drums, fiddle player Bridget Law from Elephant Revival, cellist Phillip Parker, John Macy on pedal and lap steel guitar, and Kalin Capra on upright bass and banjo.

Between her huge catalog of originals and crowd-pleasing covers, audiences at Christopher’s shows are kept guessing at what’s coming next, and by the end of the night, she appeals to each member of the audience, one way or another. “She resonates a lot of joy and fun. It’s wonderful to see the response and effect her music has on a crowd. She’s raw and genuine and gives the audience permission to be that themselves as well,” Hunn said.

Christopher continues to release new tracks online, and of her own voyage with music, she said, “I’m doing what I love and there’s no way I can stop. There’s a movement happening through music, and to be part of that ‒ it’s my religion. … When I get onstage, I completely let go, and being vulnerable is a tough thing for all of us. But when we witness someone doing that, either in their art or in their every day life, it inspires us to shine a little brighter ourselves.”

Her third album is available for digital download at tiffanychristopher.com, iTunes or Spotify. - The Ark Magazine - Ericka Kastner

Listening to Tiffany Christopher is a journey into the sublime. She is at once saucy and bold, but also sweet and coy. She embodies pure, unbridled energy and raw talent. A true Jill of all musical trades, she is a singer, songwriter, and musician.

Of particular interest though is Christopher’s band. Members: one. That’s right, she is a bona fide one-woman band. At her shows she is a flurry of guitar and drum playing and singing, with a little help from looping effects as well. Her vocal range is quite impressive, and her singing style can go from jazzy seduction to urban cool.

The sultry siren is set to take the Bowie Feathers stage this Friday, July 24th. She took some time to talk to Fusion about what ignites her passion, her upcoming album, and the joy of living.

When you perform, are you playing all the instruments or do you have a band or guest artists?

I perform solo most of the time. The show is based around a One Woman Band setup—kick drum, high hat, piano, guitar, ukulele, pedal board and vocals. When touring Colorado, that show is joined by an upright bassist/banjo player named Kalin Capra. I also have guests come to sit in with me and I usually play drums & sing backups for their acoustic performances. Occasionally I’ll have a backup vocalist sit in.

Why do you play solo?

I toured with a band for years when living in Missouri & Arkansas. My bandmates were and are my friends. We played my original music and arrangements with room to expand and jam. When I moved down to New Mexico I took a sabbatical from playing out, (playing shows), because I had been gigging 5-6 nights a week around the country and was getting burnt out. After a 6 month break, I started hitting up venues in this region and also started exploring a one woman band set up because I didn’t know anyone here to play with. I was hiding out on a horse ranch carving away a new style of performing. I adore this setup because it allows me to have control over the dynamic, and it’s also thatwatching one chick kick ass on stage makes people feel inspired and excited and want to take part. It has totally transformed the way I write music and think about production.

What about recording? Are you playing everything, or do you get people for session recordings?

On my soon-to-be-released record, Tremendous Heart, there are a handful of session players on the tracks. I am playing a ton of instruments and am the only guitar player on the record except for the lap/pedal steel player. Funny.. I thought I was laying down roughs most of the time. I would play the organ,ARP synth, lead guitar, keys, or whatever because we knew we wanted those elements there but didn’t have the players in the studio at that time. So most of my parts are a seamless one take from start to finish. I was relaxed and not over thinking it. After carving away on the tune more with the engineer, we would both look at each other and be like, “ya know, it’s kinda like the drunk uncle showed up to the party, but that part really works!”

I am so grateful to have Kenny Passarelli on bass guitar and Dean Oldencott on drums. Also the string players, Philip Parker, Kalin Capra and Bridget Law, and backup vocalist, Natalie Grace. They are all amazing and I’m so lucky to have them be part of this album and to call them friends.

I spend a lot of time in my home studio hashing out arrangements and planning how the next record will be before setting foot in a pro studio like Sonic Ranch. But every now and then, those roughs from my home studio end up capturing something that is priceless and could not be recreated. I’m into raw, and happy accidents. This album is full of them.

When is the album going to be finished?

We are 99% finished. I’m in a holding pattern right now because I’m fishing for bigger distribution before releasing it. I’ve always done everything myself, grass roots style, yeah. But this project is powerful and my blood is in it. So I guess others can feel that and are interested in helping. So, I say this to myself along with the fans. Be patient. Good things come to those who can sit and wait.

You were born and raised in Illinois, went to school in Iowa. How did you end up in El Paso?

My parents moved their horse ranch down here 6 years ago. Between my concern for their well being and a huge relationship explosion on my end, I pointed myself home. Home was now on the borderlands and I’ve never felt more at home than here in the Southwest. Who knew?

Do you plan to stay here?

Uh.. long term plans? lol – who knows. The world is vast and I travel so much. Maybe India… hmmm. LA? Colorado? Austin? I’ll be here for awhile and I always come back.

What’s your overall message?

Have fun! Be yourself. Love deeply and be compassionate to every possible atom in this universe. Dream. You can do it. I know you can. I love you.

Who do you listen to?

The list is too long. Lately I’ve been digging Brett Dennen and a local cat named C.W.Ayon. Yeah- he’s what I want to be when I grow up.

Who are some of the artists you have opened up for?

Ray LaMontagne, the Indigo Girls, Ani DiFranco, Jethro Tull, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Little Feat, Todd Snider, to name a few.

Who was your favorite?

I’ve always adored the Indigo Girls. Their connection with the ethereal plane and harmonies sweep me away. Such lovely storytellers and they sing from the hip, from the heart. (Plus they asked me to sit in with them on a tune after I opened for them, so that got them some extra cookies in the fav piggy bank!)

Do you have an amusing, funny, or particularly memorable story or experience in regard to one of the artists you opened up for that you can share?

Just did. Check out my youtube page for the video of me & the Indigo Girls. It’s wonderful & I’m such a dork.

So music is your life, right? If you weren’t a musician, what else do you think you would be doing right now?

I do music full time. I tour in support of my original music. But it isn’t all I do. I adore yoga. I have found my road to the Unified Field (GOD) through yoga. I’m going to get certified soon so I suppose I will also be a yoga instructor. Yoga andmusic are intertwined in my life. Also, I grew up on a horse ranch surrounded by animals and riding all the time. I still do. I would be a vet. We rescue animals all the time here as well as running this awesome horse ranch. Hmm.. and a pro snowboarder.

Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10 years?

Rocking out for the masses. Traveling the world. Helping others. In my garden. Doing yoga on top of a mountain. In my baby’s arms.

Is guitar your primary instrument? When you write do you write for guitar?

I write on guitar, ukulele & piano. Sometimes the tunes come out a cappella.

I love “Onion Cutter.” Your vox on that song are so sultry and jazzy, and the song itself is more in line with jazz. You’ve also got some more bluegrassy numbers. Then on “Salty Sweet,” it’s a bit of a departure, as far as musical arrangement. It’s more poppy. You are quite an eclectic artist. Why have you chosen to write and record such a wide array of songs from different genres?

I can only be what I am and I am a lot of things. In this day and age we listen to so many genres and artists from the past to the present. I have been influenced. I studied jazz at college. I love hiphop. I love folk and country. I love it all. That’s why. This upcoming record has a bit of that on it, but the common thread is me. My heart. My voice. My vibe. Variety is the spice of life.

Friday July 24
Bowie Feather, 209 S El Paso St.
9 p.m.
21+, free; under 21, $3. - Fusion Magazine

For the last four years Tiffany Christopher has called Arkansas
her home. Nestled in the College town of Fayetteville, AR a powerful
young singer-songwriter has emerged from the hills of Fayetteville
with her unique brand of pop-rock, jazz, alt-country, blues, folksy,
whatever the heck you wanna label her as, to Rock Arkansas and the
region. From her rocking, powerful full band party-down sets to her
intimate yet fun, solo shows, it’s easy to see why this chic rocks. She’s
been rocking so hard that major venues have noticed her, and noticed
her to the point of having her open for major indie rockers’ like her
idols The Indigo Girls, even Ani Difranco, Ray Laymontage, Martin
Sexton, Jethro Tull, Martin Sexton, Brandi Carlile and Patrice Pike
amongst others.
She’s one multi-talented musician and that’s an
understatement. Take one part soulful and sexy voice, one part
bad ass chic guitarist and bassist, one part songwriter with the ability
to emotionally connect with her audience and yet turn around
and make them rock out, and one part high energy live performer
and you have Tiffany Christopher. It’s a rare and dynamic mix that
creates amazing music and an amazing show. Add on fellow musicians
like Teddy Sablon, and Stingray and there is no stopping the
Tiffany Christopher Full Band.
Don’t be fooled though, her solo show is incredible to watch. It
sounds like a full band in action with her looping techniques. From
background vocals to extra backing guitar and more, she layers the
sound like shes recording a song live in front of you. The novice may
have no idea that shes not playing all these licks and instruments
at once. Note: I’m not mentioning her kazoo, or ten million other
instruments that may pop up in the mix at her solo shows.
To boot, Tiffany has helped create and forward on a Women’s
Songwriter Circle. In efforts to highlight, help and forward women in
music, she gathers together several other amazing singer songwriters
to places like R. Landry’s, Goodfolk, and Goddess Fest. She stated
to me that “this business can be really tough” and that musicians to
need to be against for each other not against each other. Her efforts
have definitely helped exposed other wonderful musicians as well
as herself so kudos!
The big point here being, if you haven’t seen her you simply
must remedy this problem. Tiffany Christopher has put out several
CD’s over the last several years including “Alpha”, “Raw”, and recently
an EP which is the precursor to an up and coming CD in the
works. You can get a copy online at CDBaby.com but honestly you
should just check out a live show. She plays all over Fayetteville,
Little Rock, Fort Smith,and elsewhere in AR, and also tours through
Colorado, Texas, Illinois, and parts of the East Coast. Plans are in
place to work on the West Coast.
Now, the thing is is that few weeks ago I received a call from
my dear friend, Mr. Peter Read. “Dori, have you ever considered
writing an article on Tiffany Christopher?” To which I replied, “Well
yes, of course I have. Would you like me to go ahead and write that
up?” Peter in his usual banter replied, “Yes I would and be sure to
find out everything.” I replied, “Everything?” He said,”Yeah where
she started, how she started, everything.” Well alrighty then!
I was well aware of Tiffany’s style and skill set but her background
was completely unknown to me so an interview was in
order. To remedy this Tiffany and I sat down for an interview at
R. Landry’s recently before one of her solo gigs. Tiffany sat down
to a plate of Red Beans and Rice wafting of cajun scents while I sat
down with a pen and pad ready to question away. In order to not
disturb the already building crowd we choose the corner table by
the door. This is what I found out about the beginning and how she
started out.
THE BACKSTORY:
I started to ask her about where she grew up and the typical
questions...Tiffany told me that she was born and raised in Galena,
IL on a horse ranch with her mother and father and siblings. At this
point Tiffany noted, “I guess I had the singer-songwriter influence
early on.” At a young age she would listen to her father play his strata
caster and sing after his long days on the ranch. Dad Christopher
was the member of an outlaw country cover band that sang Waylon
Jennings, Chris Christopherson, and Tom Duncan Covers as well as
many others.
Now if you know Tiffany Christopher’s music you will note
she always plays guitar and often plays bass. Well, apparently she
started off on drums. At an early age Tiffany rode horses and seemed
to “find a beat “ with the trotting of the horses. Tiffany told me that
her Dad would be playing guitar after working the ranch and often
at the same time her brother would often be taking guitar lessons. All
the while, Tiffany was just a preschooler listening and tapping her
leg in rhythm to the beat. Her mother cleverly set her up with pots
and pans a - Nightflying Magazine

By Zak Hansen Las Cruces Bulletin ??Inspiration can come from anywhere.??For singer-songwriter and all-around rocker Tiffany Christopher, it came from family, horses, a kitchen floor full of cookware, a trip along a centuries-old European road, a chance encounter, a fluke trip to New Mexico and everything and everywhere in between.??Christopher, who plays acoustic and electric guitar in addition to the ukulele, drums, bass, keyboard and utilizes live looping techniques, is a new and wel­come addition to the Las Cruces music scene. Her unique culling of genres is fast making her one of the city’s artists to watch.??Growing up on a horse ranch near the Mississippi River in Galena, Ill., Christo­pher lived a life surrounded by music and open spaces.??“My father used to walk around the house playing this yellow Fender Stra­tocaster,” Christopher said. “Before I was born, he was in a band that covered (Johnny) Cash, (Waylon) Jennings, guys like that. He plays a thin pick on thin strings – a great chicken-picker.”??Inspired by her father and brother, who both strode around the ranch gui­tars in hand, Christopher’s first foray into her eventual career in music began as it does for many small children.??“I got into the drums really early on. My mom would drag out the pots and pans and a wooden spoon and I would jam along with my dad – which I’m sure, now, was super annoying,” she said.??It wasn’t just her family of musicians that inspired her; Christopher also found a muse in the horses that populated her parents’ ranch.??“My dad is a horse trainer by trade,” she said, “and when you ride a horse, or learn how to train a horse, it’s all about rhythm. Between the horses, the pots and pans and the drums, I have a lot of rhythm.??“Horses are entirely governed by body language – when you ride a horse, your body language, what you do, physically, is amplified, and the horse will do much the same.”??Christopher said she sees a connec­tion between her time riding and train­ing horses, the amplification of self, in everything else she does.??“That extension of self goes the same for playing guitar, taking a solo or sing­ing – it’s an expression and extension of who you are and how you feel,” she said. “I’ve always felt you can take things you’re passionate about – be it writing or painting or playing music – and the les­sons you learn within that, you can apply to every facet of your life. You’re so pres­ent in those things that when you learn something new, you can really take it to heart and use it in a lot of places in your life.”??Seriously taking up the drums in ele­mentary school, Christopher first picked up the guitar in seventh grade. From the first strum, she was hooked.??“As soon as I started playing guitar, as soon as I learned my first couple songs, I started changing them up, even writing my own,” she said. “Being able to express myself and have those feelings was a big part of the beginning.”??Christopher’s father taught her her first two tunes – “Johnny B. Goode” and “Brown-Eyed Girl” – and from there it was on. Christopher has been perform­ing since 16, writing more than 100 songs and traveling the country, then the world, for her love of music.??After graduating high school, she at­tended The School for Music Vocations in Creston, Iowa, and upon graduation, traveled to Springfield, Mo. There, she formed a band and started touring “al­most non-stop” following the indepen­dent release of her first album, “Alpha.”??After a 500-mile hike along Spain’s Camino de Santiago last summer – “I took my ukulele, wrote a bunch of songs and didn’t set foot in a vehicle for months,” she said – Christopher needed a rest, coming of nearly a decade of almost endless touring.??“When we got back, I just couldn’t get back into playing six nights a week right away,” she said.??After the dissolution of a five-year relationship, Christopher first set foot in the Land of Enchantment two years ago.??Her parents had moved the horse ranch to Anthony, N.M., and Christo­pher had been visiting several times a year, without ever coming to Las Cruces.??“I picked up a gig here and there in El Paso while I was down, but I didn’t know (Las Cruces) at all,” she said.??At a New Year’s Eve show at the Oasis in downtown El Paso, Christopher met Las Crucen Daniel Park and said she was taken aback by the talent from the City of the Crosses.??“I didn’t know who he was,” she said, “and when I saw him, I said, “holy …” I had never seen anyone else live-loop like that. I got his information and stayed in contact with him. After I got back from tour in (Colorado), I reached out to him and he put me in contact with Rein (Gar­cia).”??Christopher’s first gig in Las Cruces took place in early March, at The Game Sports Bar & Grill. Since then, she’s upped the pace of an increasingly busy performance schedule, met “a ton” of musicians she cares for and respects and has found in - Las Cruces Bulletin

She sings rock. She sings jazz. She performs solo and with her rock band at Cartoons and the Springfield Brewing Company.
Tiffany Christopher seems comfortable in about any setting, not only because she's a gifted singer, but because her exuberant personality comes across as she performs.

When she's onstage, the audience has a good time because Christopher has a good time.

The Tiffany Christopher Band — Christopher on lead vocals and guitar, Chester Ellis on lead guitar, Jeff Gabossi on drums and John Bamman on bass — perform at the Outland Friday night at 9:30.

I've written about Christopher's jazz chops in this space before. When she sings at the Brew Co. on Thursday nights (except for tonight) she's the antithesis of doe-eyed, lullaby crooners like Norah Jones. She's animated, breathing life into the music.

But Christopher's true forte is the original music she performs with her band. It's the setting in which she can be herself.

Her music is a hybrid, drawing on folk, pop and blues. She counts Ella Fitzgerald, Ani DiFranco and Jeff Buckley as vocal influences.

The songs are more complex than the average pop song, too, with story-like narratives and jazz-inspired chord changes.

With a goal of expanding to a regional level, Christopher says she's moving into more of a pop direction.

"The new tunes I'm writing are very commercial," says Christopher, 23. "Very 'Your Body Is A Wonderland,' very John Mayer or Dave Matthews. They really appeal to the crowd."

The band burned its midnight oil in the studio this week, staying up until the wee hours recording a live (meaning no overdubs) demo to help it earn out-of-town gigs.

Christopher moved to the Ozarks about two years ago from Iowa, where she earned a college degree in music. Learning the ins and outs of music theory helped her better express her artistic side, which has come naturally most of her life, Christopher says.

"My songwriting has really taken off since I came here," she says. "(I'm) able to sit back, take all the information I received at college and start slowly plugging it into my life and just ... express myself."

Christopher can't help but express herself when she sings. She a skilled guitarist, too.

Even when I've seen her at shows, she's almost always dancing like mad. The girl loves music, and that makes liking her original music all that much easier for the rest of us.

Contact reporter Michael A. Brothers at mbrothers@News-Leader.com

- Springfield News-Leader

“I want to be a prophet like Bob Marley,” said the namesake frontwoman of the jazzy/blues rock group, the Tiffany Christopher Band. “That's what I want to do. I don't want to be a rock star like Christina Aguilera. That's not what's it's about for me.”

Hailing from Springfield, Mo., Christopher has no qualms about non-conformity. This 25-year-old intense and gifted singer/songwriter is so impassioned to perform her own way, she has combed the country for people to support her musical ambition and even turned down a half-dozen record contracts from different labels.

On Aug. 31, the Tiffany Christopher Band stops at the Village Idiot in Maumee to make another recruiting effort to its growing fan base.

Christopher has spent her life in the music business fighting the odds. After running away from her small-town Illinois home at the age of 16, Christopher escaped to travel the country and experience life in the most Bohemian of ways. Though she graduated from a musical conservatory in Iowa, studied and composed an impressive catalog of original jazzy and soulful rock songs, and even spent years playing clubs throughout the South and into the west coast, according to Christopher, her musical career has still been hindered by the fact that she's a woman.

“I've gone through the gauntlet of men in the music business who have this predisposition toward me, when all I want to do is play music just like them,” she said. “All these older jazz guys were like, ‘Hey little girl, you don't know anything' and then they would not give me the opportunity to do what I wanted. Then, when I finally did get the opportunity, they all flipped over backwards. We still play venues that I used to play acoustic for and now we're headlining. And the guys that were holding me back are now opening for us.”

While the drawbacks exist, so do the advantages, contends Christopher, who bills the band as a mixture of “rock, jazz, blues and smoldering sexuality.”

“Sometimes the stories in my songs have to do with sexual experiences. I'm a sexual person and I think people might come to a show to see a hot chick. I know that's a useful tool to get people out to the show. But when they get there and realize that they've never heard a woman do this before, it doesn't even matter if it's a chick or not. It's just unbelievable.”

- Michael Punsalan

January 15, 2006

KEYSTONE - She scats like a 60s jazz diva and has guitar chops like a rock goddess. Balancing on this tightrope of musical styles, performer Tiffany Christopher stands alone, daring anyone to pigeonhole her unique eclecticism.

Her dark-tinged, blues-inflected voice reaches down into the gut - and wrenches. This, combined with the conversational intimacy of her lyrics, gives Christopher's performances a haunting quality, half-edgy, half-wistful.

The Springfield Miss.-based musician will return to Colorado this month, performing on Jan. 20 at the Great Northern Tavern in Keystone along with her musical colleague, violinist Hilary Murray.

Christopher said that her own brand of musical eclecticism comes naturally.

"All my friends listen to so many different types of music - Pink Floyd, Mozart, Jimi Hendrix, Ani DiFranco, Leo Kottke," said Christopher. "And there are so many musicians now that go from one spectrum to another. It's a curse for those trying to get big in the music business because record labels want you to categorize yourself. How do you market four different genres?"

This tendency to pigeonhole performers into categories has caused many of today's musicians to stay with independent labels, and Christopher is no exception.

"I don't want to lose the message, the words and philosophy we're sending," she said. "It's about helping people to feel good."

While some of today's recording artists might feel intimidated by the prevailing musical tastes that propel teen idols such as Britney Spears to the fore, Christopher feels that she doesn't need to compete with what she calls "bubble-gum pop."

"Where I'm playing right now, Britney Spears wouldn't be playing, so she wouldn't knock me out of a gig," said Christopher. "But that kind of cookie-cutter music is closing the minds of a lot of record companies.

"That music is not helping anyone or doing anyone any good, but the record companies will make billions," she added.

"As an analogy, it's just like we know we should use solar power and biodiesel but guys out there want to make millions of dollars off of oil and they won't convert because they're making too much money doing what they're doing."

Christopher views her music as part of a mission to reach out to people and unite them in empathy.

"When I was a kid I just wanted to be a rock star and show my hometown I could be a badass," she said. "But now, my favorite part of performing is playing with other great musicians and making the audience feel good.

"I want to be a part of a movement," she added. "I'm studying philosophy, and I'm putting this into my music through sound and vibration. I want to pull together everybody's energy in the audience, focusing on the same idea and vibrations."

While she usually tours with the Tiffany Christopher Band, for her gig at the Great Northern Tavern Christopher will be performing as a duo with violinist Hilary Murray. In the year since Murray joined Christopher's band, the two have formed a close musical alliance. "We have the same musical vision, and she has so much drive," said Christopher.

- KEELY BROWN

Having established a devoted fan base in the Ozarks with The Tiffany Christopher Band, Tiffany Christopher is now setting her sights on the Rockies. But instead of bringing her whole band with her, she’s meeting up with musicians from the Front Range to present a different musical concoction billed as Tiffany Christopher and Friends.

Christopher’s jazzy, sweltering vocals unify what’s not a permanent band, but more of a jam session where experienced musicians blend folk-inspired violin stylings with a bluesy guitar, solid drumming and funky basslines.

“It’s kind of an experiment,” said Christopher in a recent interview with The Marquee. “But I know it’s going to go really well because we’re all strong players.”

Violinist Hilary Murray, a regular performer with Victor Barnes, and bassist Brian Adams of the Boulder mainstay Phix, will welcome Christopher and her longtime drummer Justin Gabossi for an entire series of shows along the Front Range.

Though Christopher and Gabossi currently live around Springfield, Mo, experience and communication will bridge the physical gap between the Friends. “All of us are really good improvisers, so it’ll be a tight show,” said Christopher. “I gave them all the material they’re going to need and they’re working really hard on it. We communicate a lot, and I send them charts and bass lines.”

Pretty elaborate for what she described as “just four friends getting together, traveling around Colorado, snowboarding and playing music.”

Christopher’s sophistication no doubt comes from the time she spent at Iowa’s School of Music Vocations. After earning her technical stripes, she moved to Missouri and nursed her main project, the Tiffany Christopher Band, into a regionally recognized name that continues to garner attention.

“At college I got all the tools, and then getting out of college and moving [to Springfield], I learned how to use them. I learned how to become a performer.”

Violinist and backup vocalist Murray, however, credits family for her strong musical foundation. Casual jam sessions functioned as improvisation classes and she never spent much time in school.

“I got three full ride scholarships to different colleges,” she said. “I went for two quarters and dropped out because I was sick of people telling me how to play.” Murray’s current platform is with Fort Collins bluegrass act Victor Barnes.

Phix bassist and Friends performer Brian Adams, who’s also from Springfield, met Christopher on the scene a few years ago when their bands played the same show. He and Murray organized the Friends mini-tour to help promote TCB’s expansion beyond the Midwest.

“[Christopher’s] got an amazing voice, a great stage personality and I think she’ll blow some people away out here,” said Adams.

• Tiffany Christopher and Friends

:: Avogadro’s Number :: Feb. 8

:: Aggie Theatre :: Feb. 10

:: Cactus Jack’s :: Feb. 11

:: Mountain Sun:: Feb. 13

:: Sanchos Broken Arrow :: Feb. 14

:: Conor O’Neill’s (Fort Collins) :: Feb. 19

Spectate if you Gravitate:

• Ella Fitzgerald
• Stevie Wonder
• Ani DiFranco

By: Rachel Barbara

- The Marquee - Boulder, CO

Having established a devoted fan base in the Ozarks with The Tiffany Christopher Band, Tiffany Christopher is now setting her sights on the Rockies. But instead of bringing her whole band with her, she’s meeting up with musicians from the Front Range to present a different musical concoction billed as Tiffany Christopher and Friends.

Christopher’s jazzy, sweltering vocals unify what’s not a permanent band, but more of a jam session where experienced musicians blend folk-inspired violin stylings with a bluesy guitar, solid drumming and funky basslines.

“It’s kind of an experiment,” said Christopher in a recent interview with The Marquee. “But I know it’s going to go really well because we’re all strong players.”

Violinist Hilary Murray, a regular performer with Victor Barnes, and bassist Brian Adams of the Boulder mainstay Phix, will welcome Christopher and her longtime drummer Justin Gabossi for an entire series of shows along the Front Range.

Though Christopher and Gabossi currently live around Springfield, Mo, experience and communication will bridge the physical gap between the Friends. “All of us are really good improvisers, so it’ll be a tight show,” said Christopher. “I gave them all the material they’re going to need and they’re working really hard on it. We communicate a lot, and I send them charts and bass lines.”

Pretty elaborate for what she described as “just four friends getting together, traveling around Colorado, snowboarding and playing music.”

Christopher’s sophistication no doubt comes from the time she spent at Iowa’s School of Music Vocations. After earning her technical stripes, she moved to Missouri and nursed her main project, the Tiffany Christopher Band, into a regionally recognized name that continues to garner attention.

“At college I got all the tools, and then getting out of college and moving [to Springfield], I learned how to use them. I learned how to become a performer.”

Violinist and backup vocalist Murray, however, credits family for her strong musical foundation. Casual jam sessions functioned as improvisation classes and she never spent much time in school.

“I got three full ride scholarships to different colleges,” she said. “I went for two quarters and dropped out because I was sick of people telling me how to play.” Murray’s current platform is with Fort Collins bluegrass act Victor Barnes.

Phix bassist and Friends performer Brian Adams, who’s also from Springfield, met Christopher on the scene a few years ago when their bands played the same show. He and Murray organized the Friends mini-tour to help promote TCB’s expansion beyond the Midwest.

“[Christopher’s] got an amazing voice, a great stage personality and I think she’ll blow some people away out here,” said Adams.

• Tiffany Christopher and Friends

:: Avogadro’s Number :: Feb. 8

:: Aggie Theatre :: Feb. 10

:: Cactus Jack’s :: Feb. 11

:: Mountain Sun:: Feb. 13

:: Sanchos Broken Arrow :: Feb. 14

:: Conor O’Neill’s (Fort Collins) :: Feb. 19

Spectate if you Gravitate:

• Ella Fitzgerald
• Stevie Wonder
• Ani DiFranco

By: Rachel Barbara

- The Marquee - Boulder, CO

Lead singer's brother was in Strang Neighbors

Even though her band is based in Springfield, Mo., Tiffany Christopher knows her way around the Quad-Cities.

She grew up in Galena, Ill., and would frequently travel this direction to see her brother, Terry Wallace, when he was a singer in veteran Q-C band Strange Neighbors.

"When i was 14 or 15, I used to travel to the Quad Cities and watch them play," she said. "And sneak into the bars."

The 24-tear-old still has a lot of friends and family in the region, which made booking a date tonight at the Rock Island Brewing Co. a logical choice.

"I know it's a good area for the band to tap into," Christopher said in a phone interview from a tour stop in Chicago. "We're trying to break into the Iowa scene, but it's tough because it's either national acts or good-drawing local bands."

That hasn't stopped Christopher, who also does some of the booking for the band, to get dates in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Ames and Des Moines.

Besides being the sing, T.C. also writes the words and music for the band's songs, after learning jazz arrangement and composition at college.

She said her compositions fall into three different categories, which are narrative plotlines ("fictional stories I pull out of my ass"), philosophical songs and "love songs, I guess."

Variety is the key for the Tiffany Christopher Band, she said, which can segue from a swanky jazz number to an Allman Brothers rocker to reggae to hard rock to funk.

"Nowadays, everybody's eclectic," she said. "All of the bands have so much to go off of from the past 100 years that it kind of coagulates and gets together."

"All of it's got this common thread to it, which is that it's got the same musicians playing it, and all the integrity and expressions and focus coming through different styles," she said. "That variety brings the band audiences ranging from pre-teens to those in their 50's and 60's."

"We're bringing people together, and that's the message, too," she said.

The band has left its Ozarks home frequently, trying to build up regional fan bases in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Virginia, West Virginia, Iowa, and the rest of Missouri.

It's all with the hopes of breaking nationally, Christopher said.

"We definitely want to get nationwide recognition and there's a certain level of unity we want to have," said Christopher, whose band is hoping for an independent label rather than a major. "We don't want to sell out."

By: David Burke - Quad-City times/GO

Tiffany Christopher Band

The Springfield Mo., music scene just seems to keep on cranking out talented musicians, and you can add the Tiffany Christopher Band to that list. Led by vocalist and guitarist Christopher, this quintet has been gaining a growing fan base in St. Louis with regular visits to the Oyster Bar and the Venice over the past few months. Christopher - who writes the lyrics for the band's originals - also plays strong rhythm guitar. Add the powerful lead-guitar work of Chester Ellis and the dynamic violin of Hillary Murray over the driving rhythm of bassist John Bamman and drummer Justin Gabossi, and you've got a combination that can handle anything from straight-ahead rock and alternative country sounds to jam-band grooves. Christopher, who also fronts a larger jazz band in Springfield, holds it all together with her strong stage presence. Christopher and the band have been recording many recent gigs for an upcoming live recording - definitely the best way to hear this band. (TP) - St. Louis Post Dispatch

Lead singer's brother was in Strang Neighbors

Even though her band is based in Springfield, Mo., Tiffany Christopher knows her way around the Quad-Cities.

She grew up in Galena, Ill., and would frequently travel this direction to see her brother, Terry Wallace, when he was a singer in veteran Q-C band Strange Neighbors.

"When i was 14 or 15, I used to travel to the Quad Cities and watch them play," she said. "And sneak into the bars."

The 24-tear-old still has a lot of friends and family in the region, which made booking a date tonight at the Rock Island Brewing Co. a logical choice.

"I know it's a good area for the band to tap into," Christopher said in a phone interview from a tour stop in Chicago. "We're trying to break into the Iowa scene, but it's tough because it's either national acts or good-drawing local bands."

That hasn't stopped Christopher, who also does some of the booking for the band, to get dates in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Ames and Des Moines.

Besides being the sing, T.C. also writes the words and music for the band's songs, after learning jazz arrangement and composition at college.

She said her compositions fall into three different categories, which are narrative plotlines ("fictional stories I pull out of my ass"), philosophical songs and "love songs, I guess."

Variety is the key for the Tiffany Christopher Band, she said, which can segue from a swanky jazz number to an Allman Brothers rocker to reggae to hard rock to funk.

"Nowadays, everybody's eclectic," she said. "All of the bands have so much to go off of from the past 100 years that it kind of coagulates and gets together."

"All of it's got this common thread to it, which is that it's got the same musicians playing it, and all the integrity and expressions and focus coming through different styles," she said. "That variety brings the band audiences ranging from pre-teens to those in their 50's and 60's."

"We're bringing people together, and that's the message, too," she said.

The band has left its Ozarks home frequently, trying to build up regional fan bases in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Virginia, West Virginia, Iowa, and the rest of Missouri.

It's all with the hopes of breaking nationally, Christopher said.

"We definitely want to get nationwide recognition and there's a certain level of unity we want to have," said Christopher, whose band is hoping for an independent label rather than a major. "We don't want to sell out."

By: David Burke - Quad-City times/GO

Thanks to a big-time music producer, Tiffany Christopher may be ready to take the next step in the industry.

Christopher — who was raised in Galena, Ill., and is the sister of Terry Wallace, a drummer-singer in the longtime Quad-City band Strange Neighbors — is in the middle of recording a three-song EP, produced by Pete Matthews at Ardent Studios in Memphis.

“I’ve been paying a lot of attention to the recording process lately, and it’s been inspiring to be able to think about your songs and the future,” Christopher said from her home in Fayetteville, Ark. “I’ve got a fire burning.”

Matthews produced the debut album for the band Evanescence. Christopher said Matthews had been trying to schedule time to master her recording in between two other projects he’s producing: one by Huey Lewis and the News, the other from Devon Allman.

The producer heard the performer thanks to a mutual friend. She had to raise some of the money herself to hire him as a producer, but he agreed to cut his price.

“He’s kind of a bigwig. He has a lot of faith in what we’re doing,” she said.

While Christopher used to describe her sound as a mix of U2, Pat Benatar and Jason Mraz, she’s been inspired to go in more of an Americana direction, almost to the point of Southern rock.

She’s learning more about using other instruments in her songs, as well as speaking up for herself.

“I’m not so scared to voice my opinion now because I feel like I have a good idea of how the whole concept of the song should be,” she said.

The EP is expected to be released in the spring.

Christopher will return to the Quad-Cities for three shows this month. This weekend, she’ll play solo, but she’ll be joined at other dates next weekend by drummer Eric Wilson and bass player B.J. Loveless. - Quad City Times - David Burke/Thursday, January 14, 2010

By: Tamra Testerman 12/26/19


Self-described folk-rock, alternative Americana, R&B and hip-hop troubadour Tiffany Christopher is on a mission "to spark each individual's creative fire and unify us through music, movement and laughter."
This one-woman powerhouse brings her show to Taos Saturday (Dec. 28) from 6:30-9:30 p.m. There's no cover charge at The Taos Inn, 125 Paseo del Pueblo Norte.
Between a busy touring and recording schedule Christopher agreed to answer a few questions for Tempo about her music, what she sings in the shower, her process and what to expect if you come to her show.
What moved you to music as a profession?
It was a progression that started the day I was born. Ha! No, I was the traditional band geek who went to college for music and then began playing in a national touring band. Performing and managing that group led me to spending time in studios, which is where I got my feet wet recording and producing, which brought me to the present day shenanigans and goings-on!
I grew up on a horse ranch. My father played guitar around the house when I was a kid. Somewhere between the stories I was hearing in the songs and the rhythm of riding horses came my musical spirit.
Can you describe your creative process?
It varies from day to day. Music is therapy for me. I go to songwriting like you would go to a friend when something troubles you. Music has always been there to release the pressure in my head and heart. Songwriting is also an art form, and the study of it is an ongoing process. I co-create with others and produce their songs. My arranging helps build out their sonic story. I write the music within a recording program, and the lyrics come later.
I've been dabbling with new ways to approach music. Jason Caligaris, a cinematographer I work with, will edit our video footage to another musician's song he feels fits the vibe of the edit. I then take some elements of the song and write something that fits the edit and resembles the tune. It's a wonderful new way we have been co-creating.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Oh this is tough ... so many amazing creators. Queen, Lizzo, Timbaland, Gregory Alan Isakov, Indigo Girls, Deadmau5, Danny Elfman and Cole Porter - though I know I've missed that boat! The reasons are vast as music is an ocean of harmony. From some artists I would want to learn their process of songwriting and production. I would be interested in how others cut their vocals in the studio.
If you could go open a show for any artist, who would it be?
John Butler Trio -- nuff said.
Do you sing in the shower?

I am warming up my voice in the shower so only scales. However, occasionally I bust out an Olivia Newton John number.
What would you do, if not for your music career?
Large animal vet, horse trainer, yoga instructor, motorcycle repair and rebuild, nutritional therapist or a comedian.
What is your favorite song to perform?
I care more about the complete experience of a show than a specific tune. More often than not, my set list follows the energy of the crowd. I'm in the moment.
Which musicians do you admire?
Nathaniel Rateliff, U2, Nahko and Medicine for The People, Rising Appalachia, Ani DiFranco, Indigo Girls, John Butler, Lukas Nelson, Bob Marley. There's so many more. It comes down to integrity and honesty within the music and message. They are poets singing about the human condition and also the imbalance in these times. They are using their momentum to better the world.
What is the best advice you've heard?
Measure twice, cut once.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
We are young as the spine is flexible!
What's next for you?
I'm taking the time to delve deep into the sounds of my soul. I've gained some new tools and instruments and am embarking into a different era of my creativity. Also, teaching and creating a sonic yoga integration course as I am here to make music and move bodies.
What can our readers expect when they show up to see you perform?

They can expect to hear good grooves, ripping leads, new tunes, hot melodies - all while shaking it hard on the dance floor. Oh yeah ... and laughter. Always laughter.
Anything else you'd like to add?
I launched a new crowdfunding campaign on Patreon. For as little as one buck a month you can help support creators and their creations. It's an amazing platform that bridges the fan to artist connection. Patreon is a way for people who feel vested in the success of an artist they love, to invest in that artist.
(Visit patreon.com/tiffanychristopher.) - Taos Tempo