beth sass
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
January 16, 2003
"I Forgive Myself" Beth Sass is “sassy”! She reminds me of former teen singing star, Debbie Gibson, if she had gone Country instead of going into musical theater. Beth has a lovley, lilting voice and can hit all the high notes. The more you hear her songs, the more they grow on you. I like her better than Faith Hill, too. On “I Forgive Myself” -- which is like a country version of Joan Jett’s immortal “I Hate Myself for Loving You” -- it’s refreshing that she sings “I don't even want to work it out,” rather than something ultra-lame like “take me back or I’ll die,” because lyrics like that are so played and make me want to scream and punch walls. I noticed also that her performance of this fine song recalls the great Judy Collins and I can imagine hearing Beth belt out an awesome cover version of Ian Tyson’s “Some Day Soon” (which Judy covered so definitively way back in the day). That would rule.
- Gail Worley
Song: "Naomi":
"super hook.. arrangement is very professional, and really first class. This has super lyrics, well written, super vocalist with tons of range and expression, and full of emotion singing these great lyrics.. and the talented musicians.. very talented.. love the guitars.. the violin, the steel.. this is one classy piece.. perfect performance, ... standing O's to ya... and encore encore.. please.. do not tweak a thing,, just get this out, now.. it is great as is.. wow.. blows me away, the mind pictures that are painted, the way it tugs at my soul.. this is it .. this is great.. second time through, i am speechless.. great great performance, and production.."
Reviewed by: PCL from Stillwater, Oklahoma - Signature Review
Discography
"Seven Songs"
This project was produced and engineered at Soundwave Studio, Nashville, by Richard Adler (Allison Krauss/Neil Young/Natalie Cole, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Doc Watson, Marty Stuart). In his own words: "Real musicians playing real drums, bass, and guitars provide an earthy palette of support, all the while staying within the bounds of elegant simplicity and focus on Beth's words. A breath of fresh air to those who are tired of drum machines and unreal, unidentifiable synthesized instruments."
Vocals and Piano: Beth Sass
Acoustic and Electric Guitars: John Mahoney(The Platters/The Drifters/The Herd)
Bass: Scott Lilliott (Loretta Holloway/Texas/Budget Symphony)
Drums and Percussion: Kathy Burkly(Greg Piccolo/Girls Night Out/Sandy Martin)
Background vocal and coaching: Sally Jones(Pinecastle Records)
Organ: Steve Conn
Mastered at Americana Mastering, Nashville, by John Eberle.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
By 12, Beth, inspired by her poet mother and artists such as the Beatles, Laura Nyro, Dusty Springfield, The Carpenters, Judy Collins Leonard Cohen , she wrote her first song. By 8th grade, she was part of a duo with a friend, that lasted throughout high school and resulted in a vinyl record.
Beth attended Berklee College Of Music where she studied composition. Becoming known for her poignant songwriting and elegant piano work, her artistic identity was solidified. As Berklee suggested, she sent her compositions to Nashville, where Sony (then Tree Publishing) signed songs from her catalog. While performing in the Boston area as a solo artist at colleges and coffee houses and suddenly, fraught with angst that was captured and recycled into songs, she found herself a huge draw at massively attended piano bars. She also spent several years on the New England Country Music circuit, fronting her own band.
Beth moved to Nashville formally, where she was signed as a staff songwriter at Multimedia Music and later Alabama Band’s Maypop Music Group, where she was mentored by great country lyricists Don Pfrimmer and the late John Jarrard, while also supporting herself as honky-tonk country keyboardist, and piano-bar and demo singer. She also toured for several years as keyboard player, for acts like Herb Reed and the Platters, The Drifters and The Coasters.
She recorded Seven Songs , with producer Richard Adler (Neil Young, Dolly Parton, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, Alison Krauss), featuring a live band. “Naomi” from Seven Songs hit Indie Music Community Garageband.com, reaching #1 in Acoustic. Also from Seven Songs, her song “Stampede” was chosen for a Shuteye Records Americana compilation,The United States of Americana.
Her next 2012 release, Knowing Me, was produced by her and Jerome Kimbrough. “Just one man worked best for me on this record,” says Beth, who says Kimbrough was invaluable. “We did it all ourselves. This was a product of two people having a big conversation…It’s six songs and six emotional places that I hit over the course of a season. It’s a season of feelings.”
“My goal”, she says, “is to never stop being there for myself creatively…and that the fruit of my caring falls into the hands and the hearts and the ears of an audience, that it’s not just in my own backyard, that as many people as are supposed to be on the receiving end, get to be.”
Band Members
Links
