Jane O Brien
Gig Seeker Pro

Jane O Brien

Band Jazz Singer/Songwriter

Calendar

This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

Press


"Picturesque undertones. Enchanting: Jane O'Brien and Band in Lutterbeker"

It is the contradictions which make life what it is. Many of us would like to block out the fact that tragedy and hu-
mour, beauty and pain, joy and fear lie side by side but Jane O’Brien is fascinated by exactly these contrasts.
On stage the singer and songwriter from Dublin does not present kitsch folk, instead, in the company of her
band, she spins a magical web of plaintive pop and lyrical jazz combined with free improvisation. With a key
change here and a shift in rhythm there, Jane, with her crystal clear voice, creates a taut atmosphere in which
to tell her stories. The small woman with the cute side curls can certainly hammer out a note. She brings me-
lancholy, dreamy romanticism to life with her strong voice and pulsating rhythms. When she is not playing the
guitar she plays a circus snare or the Irish bodhrán with its characteristic deep soft tone ...
... Jane O’Brien “twists and turns” in bed wracked with worries about love as the “full moon’s rising” and stares
at the ceiling “...maybe I should paint this room Magnolia”. The audience in the packed Lutterbeker is enchan-
ted. They are moved when she calls to her ageing, senile father “Daddy don’t cry, Daddy don’t die” and are
amused by the chat up tactics of Mr. Armani, a slick New Yorker to whom she hisses “You’re only a suit”. She
can be as sharp as Anne Clarke when she sings of fear on the streets at night to a march rhythm and follows it
with a hymn to the Dublin mountains. Among others the band reminds one of their French colleagues Dit Terzi
as the bizarre is mixed with picturesque undertones ... Despite the seriousness of some of her songs Jane
consoles you with her clear voice and the twinkle in her eye. Simply enchanting!
Kieler Nachrichten (Kiel News)
- Kieler Nachrichten


"Brave tin soldier of love: Jane O'Brien"

... Members of the audience who only knew the Dubliner as a folk singer got to know a new Jane O’Brien. In
the CD booklet the music is described as “pop jazz” but “soul folk” would have been equally as fitting. She
remains unmistakable, this unusual mixture of hints of Sinead O’Connor and Björk, often containing fast drum
rhythms coupled with emotionally charged yet relaxed melodies. Despite cracking hoarseness due to a cold
(presenting an unintentional though fascinating new facet) her voice remained on course through carefully
timed leaps through the universe of sound ...
... Because Jane O’Brien, who has the lustre of Tanita Tikaram and the accusation of the Cranberries, sticks
very closely to themes in her songs. She has a big heart for the giant lovers in “Whales Kiss” who’s song is
represented by the saxophone, anger against the polluters in “Little Bird” and equally contempt for the faint-
hearted. The ocean is vast and it takes a great deal of strength to shine light into the darkness. Jane O’Brien, this
brave tin soldier of love, has this strength, marching to her bodhrán and her circus snare drum.
Kieler Nachrichten (Kiel News) - Kieler Nachrichten


"Selection of CD reviews for Jane with S.T.A.R."

CD reviews for Jane O‘Brien with S.T.A.R.

... a clever Melange, cooly thought out and shot through with realistic meloncholy which Jane O‘Brien‘s ela-
stic alto voice fills with human warmth ...
Neue Zürcher Zeitung (New Zurich Newspaper)

... Hip hop, soul and folk come together in S.T.A.R. to make a cool sound to which Jane O‘Brien‘s full rounded
voice adds it‘s own special warmth ...
Der Spiegel

...her warm, expressive and sometimes fragile voice creates a meloncholy and inspired sound that must be
heard...
Zentral Nerv, Zeitung für Musiker in Bayern (Central nerve, magazine for musicians in Bavaria)

... what fascinated me most was Jane O‘Brien‘s voice. Again and again she manages to give the songs an
unfathomable depth. They can certainly hold thir own against bands such as Portishead or Moloko ...
Trend Journal
- Various


"Berührend Irischer Jazzpop mit viel Gefühl"

Gelegentlich tut es einfach gut, ein Konzert zu erleben, wo jemand allein aus Liebe zur Musik auf der Bühne steht. Nicht weil das schnelle Geld lockt oder ein Girlie meint, drei Akkorde und ein verführerisches Lächeln würden für eine Musikerkarriere genügen. Nein, einfach ein Abend, der trotz fehlender Besuchermassen tief berührende Seelenklänge offenbart - wie jetzt bei Jane O'Brien im Stage Club. (24.06.07)

Eine nicht mehr ganz junge Sängerin und Songwriterin aus Irland, die schon seit bald zwei Jahrzehnten in Hamburg lebt, verschiedene Gesangs- und Bandformationen durchlaufen und offenbar nun in einer Formation mit Klavier, Bass und Schlagzeug zu ihrer ganz eigenen Musik gefunden hat. Sicher auch dank der wirklich guten, vor allem aber einfühlsamen Instrumental-Kollegen Andreas Günther, Carsten Körtling und Dörte Schüler - vor allem Günther, der Mann am Flügel, überrascht immer wieder mit originellen Einwürfen.

"Cooler irischer Jazzpop mit viel Gefühl", beschreibt Jane O'Brien ihre Musik. Und doch bieten die Songs weit mehr als nur ein paar hübsche Melodien mit Jazzeinsprengseln. Zum einen, weil ihre kleinen Geschichten auch musikalisch und stilistisch immer wieder unvorhergesehene Wendungen nehmen, Ballade mit Folk, rockige Töne mit TripHop-Anleihen abwechseln. Zum anderen aber durch O'Briens klare, intensive Stimme, die den Zuhörer vom ersten Ton an in ihren Bann schlägt. Manchmal gebiert die Liebe eben auch im Kleinen ganz große Musik.

CHRISTOPH FORSTHOFF

(MOPO vom 26.06.2007 / SEITE 12-13) - Hamburger Morgenpost


Discography

Discography
"Jane O'Brien" JANE O’BRIEN 2006
Available from CD Baby and many download stores including itunes
Official German release October 2007 by Blue Cat
Jane O'Brien: Vocals, Bodhrán
Martin Stieber: Drums
Andreas Günther: Fender Rhodes
Karsten Körtling: Bass
"Banshee" and other tracks from this album have had airplay in Ireland and streaming in Germany

"Strawberry Soufflé" JANE O'BRIEN AND BAND 2000

"Simply Travelling Around Reality" S.T.A.R.
Out to Lunch/PIAS, Germany/Rough Trade 1996
Jane O'Brien: Vocals, lyrics and melodies

"Enchanted Ways" BOREEN 1997
Jane O'Brien: Vocals, Bodhrán

Photos

Bio

News: Review from the Hamburger Morgenpost 26.06.07. of concert in Stage Club, Hamburg 24.06.07

Moving Irish Jazz-pop with a lot of emotion
CHRISTOPH FORSTHOFF
Sometimes it is simply good to experience a concert where someone stands on the stage purely for the love of music. Not, because they are attracted by a quick buck, or some girlie thinks that three chords and a seductive smile is enough for a music career. No, simply an evening where the music comes from the soul, touches the audience deeply and gets right under the skin, just like tonight with Jane O'Brien in the Stage Club.

O'Brien, a singer/songwriter from Ireland who has lived in Hamburg for nearly two decades, has gone through a variety of singing and band formations and has now obviously found her own music in a line-up with piano, bass and drums. Thanks certainly to the really good and sensitive musicians, Andreas Guenther, Karsten Koertling and Doerte Schueler, especially Guenther, the man on the grand piano, who time and again surprises with original licks and runs which he nonchalantly throws in.

Jane O'Brien describes her music as "cool Irish pop-jazz with a lot of emotion". And certainly the songs offer a lot more than a couple of pretty melodies decorated with jazz elements. For one thing her little stories take unexpected turns again and again both musically and stylistically, ballads with folk, rock sounds with trip hop leanings. And then there's O'Brien's clear, intense voice, which takes the listener along with it from the very first note. Sometimes even in a small setting love produces really big music.
Hamburger Morning Post 26.06.07

Dublin born singer/songwriter Jane O'Brien has been living and performing in Spain and Germany for many years and has just completed her "debut" album "jane o'brien" with her new band, Dörte Schüler on drums (on the album - Martin Stieber), Carsten Körtling on bass and Andreas Günther on keyboards. This album is already available from CD Baby.com, itunes, and many other download stores and will have it's official German release in September 2007 under the Blue Cat Label, Berlin.

Jane O'Brien is a dymanic and passionate performer with a rich elastic alto voice who sings from the heart and does not hide behind show but bares her soul in both her lyrics and in the emotion she brings to every performance.

Her songs are a snapshot album of her experiences and observations. Songs such as "Banshee" or "Sanctuary" contain the cry and longing of her Irish heritage whereas "I'm never coming back" an answer to telephone terror, “Strawberry Soufflé” a steamy elegy to daytime sex, "My time" or "Peacetime" reveal the raw honesty and guts which is typical of Jane O'Brien. Her roots are firmly based in jazz, folk and pop, but she will delve into other styles to suit a song such as the drum and bass inspired "Blooming".

Biography
Jane O'Brien's desire to be a performer springs from a moment back in her hometown, Dublin. Sitting in the front row at the legendary Gavin Friday's Cabaret at the Waterfront Club., looking up at Bono, and other members of U2 and The Hot House Flowers jamming she realised she too belonged on stage and hopped up to join them with an impromptu backing vocal. From then on she was hooked.

1988-90 founder member of the all-women-international a-capella group “Stupendams” in Barcelona, Spain. Performed a wide range of music, from pop to madrigals to swing, at venues and festivals all over northern Spain.

1990 moved to Hamburg, Germany.
Solo jazz singer in the legendary Dennis Swing Club in Hamburg sang with most of the well known jazz musicians in the city including Percy Heath from the visiting Modern Jazz Quartet.

1993 formed the funk/pop duo “A Distant Touch” with the Hungarian guitarist Ferenc Kiss. Wrote, co-produced and performed many songs including "Whales Kiss" written for the Greenpeace anti-whaling campaign and performed at the international convention in Germany in 1994

1995 founded the band traditional Irish folk band “Boreen”with four German/“Irish“ musicians. Wowed audiences big and small all over Germany Until the end of 2001.
1997 produced the CD “Enchanted Ways”.

1995 formed the trip-hop project “S.T.A.R.” with conposer/programmer Uwe Haas.1996 released the CD “Simply Travelling Around Reality” under the PIAS/Freibank label with distribution in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Benelux countries by Rough Trade.

Since 2000 Jane has had her own band in various formations and has played at a wide variety of venues all around Germany including clubs, festivals and art‘s centres.

In the summer of 2006 she toured Ireland for the first time with her band.