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The NY Songwriter's Circle
After 13 years it has become a bonafide NY institution., it was started by old friends of ours, Tina Schaffer and Peter Zizzo…and yet I had never been to one of their shows until this week. There is NO excuse for that…I am just lame. If the past 13 years has been as good as this past Monday was, then I will forever regret not going sooner. A wonderful acoustic turn-taking format which originated at the 'Writer's in the Round" in Nashville - the stage is filled with brilliant singer/songwriters who each take a turn at playing until they have each played 3 songs. You'd be hard pressed to find this much great music jammed into little over an hour anywhere else.
What finally brought me out to The Bitter End on a chilly December Monday night, was that one of the artists performing was my friend Kyle Paas who was part of an acoustic version of Blindswitch with his buddy David Litvinsky. That Kyle Paas…he plays with EVERYBODY; Granian/Kill the Alarm, Wes Hutchinson, Deena Goodman, Blindswitch….and somehow finds time to have a kick-ass solo thing too. For a while this summer he seemed to be in every band I went to see…then he went off to hide in some recording studio somewhere for a couple of months, so by December I was jonsing for a Paas fix.
The stage is lined up with artists, acoustic guitars by their sides…my buddy, Deena Goodman is hosting this particular event - she introduces the artists:
Kyle and Dave, Dana Alexander, Luke White, Brianna Sage and Rex Moroux
I don't have enough time to go into a review of each artist in detail, suffice it to say, they were all really good - but I am going to highlight the one artist I was most impressed with:
Brianna Sage
I was immediately intrigued when Deena mentioned in the introduction that Brianna had been chosen by Miles Copeland to attend the excusive song-writing retreat at his castle, Chateau de Marouatte, in the South of France. For a time these retreats were run every spring and named "Printemps de Troubadours" (or Springtime of Singers), and hosted newcomers as well as legendary artists from EVERY genre. Artists who have attended range from Cher, Carole King, Ted Nugent, Jeff Beck, Jon Bon Jovi and Keith Urban. It was, in fact, one of these retreats where David Poe and Duncan Sheik met for the first time which turned out to be an amazing musical paring. I could go on for an entire blog about how brilliant these retreats are, but the point is you've got to be Fu*king amazing just to get invited…so I knew this Brianna was going to be special before she even played a note.
Yup. She was. Voice as clear as a bell. Every song she played was great: "Ana" which can be found on her debut CD In My Hands is beautiful and haunting with killer chord changes (which seems to be the hallmark of her writing). "After Taste" more great hooks, and finishing off with "The Letter" which is clearly a hit. I expect you'll be hearing her name quite a lot in the not too distant future. - B.J. Barratt (B. Sharp Showcases)
I invited Brianna to come to our home for a House Concert because I wanted to share her amazing talent with my friends and family. The first time I saw her perform live was at another House Concert. I was moved to tears by her soulful voice that truly rocked my soul. To have an amazing artist sing for you in a private setting with family and friends is pure bliss. Then to have Brianna and her drummer Clancy really chat and share themselves with my guests was a unique gift. She is so generous not only with her music but with her kind words and her open heart to others. I have hosted other house concerts but what makes Brianna unique is how she has two sets which allows plenty of time for your guests to eat and mingle. My friends and family are still talking about what a great show she put on and what an amazing evening it was for all! It truly was a Beyond the Bus Stop evening! - Suzy Stauffer
This summer, we hosted Brianna Sage for a private house concert at our home in New Jersey. We are big fans of Brianna so this was something we were very excited about it. Words truly cannot describe what a fun and special night it was. A night we will not forget for a long time, if ever. Brianna Sage is so talented and such a wonderful artist. She can really ROCK! Her beautiful voice does touch your soul. House concerts are a very intimate way to share music with fabulous artists. A truly, unique and special time. We had about 60 guests who were incredibly moved by the experience. We would absolutely host Brianna again for another show. We have since attended another house show with her performing. Always a very special time. Brianna, thank you for giving so much of yourself through your beautiful songs. You are beautiful inside and out. - Tracy Currie
"Funky female singer/songwriter Brianna Sage is a great showwoman in a genre that’s bloated and confined to some extent. She breathes life into poignant lyrics that challenge what you’d expect a woman to sing about. I only wish that when people close their eyes and think of female singer/songwriters the image of Brianna Sage would come to forefront immediately instead of some of the lame “artists” that the major labels throw at us—yes I’m talking about you Avril."
- J-Sin, Smother.net
Discography
"In My Hands" Brianna Sage full length album 2006
Radio Airplay "Speedboat" off of "In My Hands" played on:
KYSL FRISCO, CO
KDNK CARBONDALE, CO
WMWV CONWAY, NH
KCLC ST. LOUIS, MO
KUWR LARAMIE, WY
KZMV BRECKENRIDGE, CO
KAXE GRAND RAPIDS, MN
KZRC BAY CITY, TX
KCUV DENVER, CO
KFAN FREDRICKSBURG, TX
KVNF PAONIA, CO
Photos
Bio
Everything is in my hands, but can't be planned. . .Everything is in my hands, so here I stand. . .
Poised with infectious melodies and a mature lyrical sensibility, the music of Brianna Sage exemplifies the beauty that comes from following a dream and finding yourself along the way. With the release of her debut CD, In My Hands, Sage demonstrates her natural ability to craft catchy rock songs that highlight her considerable vocal talent. Sage's music reveals an unwavering determination to find her way, all the while making the most of every step on the journey.
Her talents were first recognized by former Police manager Miles Copeland who signed her to a management and publishing deal in the Spring of 2001 when she was 17 years old. Copeland soon invited Sage to attend a songwriting retreat that he hosted at a castle in France. Along with twenty-four other songwriters from all genres of music, Sage had the opportunity to write with some of the best and most established writers in the business, including Carole King and Mark Hudson. "It was an amazing experience," Sage remembers. Due to the effects September 11th had on the music industry and a desire to change her musical direction, Sage later parted ways with Copeland, but the time at the castle proved to have had an added bonus. It was there that she first crossed paths with the person who would produce her first album, In My Hands, Marc Copely.
What began with Brianna Sage and Marc Copely merely writing songs together, including Love and Happiness, and the title track, In My Hands, quickly evolved into Copely producing the entire album. Copely's background as both a solo artist, songwriter and guitarist complemented Brianna Sage's vision for how the twelve tracks on the record were presented. Copely's instincts and skills proved invaluable with aiding Sage in bringing her music to life. " In My Hands is one of the most personal songs on the record for that time in my life," explains Sage. "When Marc and I wrote that song, he said, "I want this song to be about where you are in your life right now.' It was about being in situation where you feel like you're ready and everything is in you hands, but you can't do anything with it. It still just has to come."
Counting Jackson Browne, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Madonna and Sarah McLachlan amongst her musical influences, Brianna Sage's style lends itself to a seamless ability to write and perform songs conceived from a variety of backgrounds. "I was a huge Sarah McLachlan fan. When Fumbling Towards Ecstasy came out, it completely changed my life. I devoured the record. The songwriting on it was unbelievable." Now based in New York City, Sage seized the chance to write with several the city's best up and coming artists/songwriters like Jess Klein, with whom she wrote Speedboat, a song about her childhood in Texas, JJ Appleton, Alyson Faith and Jo Davidson. "Jo Davidson is an amazing singer/songwriter. We've written over thirty songs together including Out of Here . We just clicked. She has a way with words," enthuses Sage.
Armed with a passion for singing that's been flowing through her veins since early childhood, a love of the art of performing drives Brianna Sage. "My dream my whole life has always been to be on stage performing in front of thousands of people. . . to be able to do what I do and to share that with people. To have my music touch people is a great feeling."
In the first single, Words, Brianna Sage sings To have and to hold / I need to be bold / To follow my vision / A constant collision. . . No, words won't make you understand who I am. "Words is the song that represents me the most. It's something different. It's what I wanted--- something that stands out." And, indeed Brianna Sage is poised to do exactly that.
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