Music
Press
"Special mention goes out to Christina Mason who offered a few tough songs with her raspy vocals, strong piano lines and beautiful melodies. There is a place beyond the talk of men that is calm but never quiet." - Edward Gorsh for jezebelmusic.com - jezebelmusic.com
"Inventive and interesting. This sounds like the kind of music that should have a big underground following." - artistweekly.com
Christina plays a piano, approaching the instrument with the clunky, swaggering songwriting style of Tom Waits. Her voice croons more than creeks, however, which helps the songs slip down a bit easier. Check out "The Circulation Game" for a great introduction to her work. - Ben Kreiger
Discography
Christina Mason EP - 2007
The Circulation Game (single) - 2006
The Thin Line (LP)- 2002
Photos
Bio
On top of layered drums, airy woodwinds and irreverent beats, Christina Bernard's voice glides with a smoky and deliberate style. At times a bit of a mezzo-soprano tease, the range and depth of her voice is matched only by the unlikely structure of her songs. With the brood and whimsy of Tom Waits and the dreaminess of Portishead, Christina butters up the sweet acidic romantic in us all.
Born in Bermuda, the child of a pastor and a sound tech, Christina comes from a musical family. She received her first piano at age twelve and spent her adolescent years playing the flute and performing in a rock band for packed services at a ten thousand member Ohio mega-church. Questioning her position in the church, she decided to quit and relocate to Chicago where she became a flight attendant and began performing her innovative songs at open mics eventually joining the ranks of other female songstresses such as Norah Jones at the city’s Chick Singer Night Showcase.
Bored with Chicago, Christina caught a train to New York City and shacked up in youth hostels and sketchy shares finally settling in a 42nd Street loft curiously equipped with a full stage, grand piano and stage lighting. Here, she began the notorious monthly music series, The Local Epiphany, a popular gathering that played host to notable local artists such as Soce the Elemental Wizard, Paula Valstein, and Brer Brian. Eventually abandoning the apartment due to increasing conflicts with some rather mentally ill roommates, Ms. Bernard continued on to play at NYC songwriter stalwarts such as Sidewalk Café and the Knitting Factory securing her a spot on an Atlantic Records Benefit compilation curated by Rob Thomas. Although the entire project was canceled, she placed songs in a few independent films, performed on MNN’s Branecandi, and teamed up with the Hit Factory’s Jason Dale and Tainted Blue Studio’s Patrick Shaw to produce her early recordings.
Largely recorded in her apartment, Christina’s latest EP is a collection of elegant rants celebrating all the glorious pain of love and life. Lush and clever orchestrations are bound by the solid rhythmic melodies of her piano and give support to the rich and gorgeous tone of the vocals. Along with savvy and smart lyrics, there is a kind of unique brilliance to the structure of her songs that puts Christina in a position as a singer/songwriter like no other.
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