Jeannie Gagné

Corvallis Gazette-Times:
East Coast Singer Swings Through

Jeannie Gagné joins up with local band for vocal jazz performance
by Mary Ann Albright

In her first visit to Oregon, jazz vocalist Jeannie Gagné will fuse her Beantown stylings with Corvallis musicians Neal Grandstaff, Ray Brassfield and Lou Chavez for an evening of jazz, soul and R&B.

Gagné's concert, "East Coast Singer, West Coast Band," will feature some original songs, touching on themes of love, relationships, motherhood and spirituality. She'll also offer a new take on standards such as Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Pride and Joy," Etta James's "Something's Got A Hold On Me" and Bonnie Raitt's "Give It Up Or Let Me Go."

Thanks to a four-octave range, Gagné is able to tackle songs with husky alto notes, lilting soprano passages and everything in between.

Her sound has been compared to everyone from Shawn Colvin to Sarah McLachlan to Sheryl Crow, and her earliest influences included Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, the Grateful Dead, Laura Nyro and the soundtrack to "West Side Story."

While Gagné leans heavily toward "soulful jazz," she's hesitant to box herself into any particular genre.

"My music doesn't fit neatly into one tidy category," she said. "It's just good music."

Gagné has two solo albums available. On the most recent, 2005's "Must Be Love," she sings the blues.

From a stunning cover of Carole King's "You've Got a Friend," with stellar saxophone and background vocals, to the guitar-heavy "Too Good," a sad exploration of a love too good to be true, to the great Billie Holiday classic "God Bless the Child," Gagné explores a range of sounds, styles and emotions.

Her first release, "Wide Open Heart" (1995), has more of a pop flavor, and all songs are written or co-written by Gagné.

Gagné, a mother of two, lives near Boston and is on the faculty at Berklee College of Music.

She has sung with Philip Glass, opened for Barenaked Ladies, performed for NBC-TV with comedians Penn and Teller, toured with reggae artist Frankie Paul and lent her voice to the soundtrack for the feature film "Anima Mundi" (1993). She's been featured on PBS's "All Things Considered" and the "CBS Evening News."

Gagné leads workshops around the country on achieving personal empowerment through singing, jazz and pop improvisation and movement. She is working on a book for vocalists addressing both pedagogy and performance.

Gagné is active in the Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network and the Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly. She also is a master of Reiki, the Japanese art of energy healing.

Accompanying Gagné at her Corvallis gig will be Grandstaff, a guitarist and singer who teaches jazz improvisation at Oregon State University, bassist Brassfield and drummer Chavez. Gagné will also perform in Ashland and Portland during her visit to Oregon. - Corvallis Gazette Times

Corvallis Gazette-Times:
East Coast Singer Swings Through

Jeannie Gagné joins up with local band for vocal jazz performance
by Mary Ann Albright

In her first visit to Oregon, jazz vocalist Jeannie Gagné will fuse her Beantown stylings with Corvallis musicians Neal Grandstaff, Ray Brassfield and Lou Chavez for an evening of jazz, soul and R&B.

Gagné's concert, "East Coast Singer, West Coast Band," will feature some original songs, touching on themes of love, relationships, motherhood and spirituality. She'll also offer a new take on standards such as Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Pride and Joy," Etta James's "Something's Got A Hold On Me" and Bonnie Raitt's "Give It Up Or Let Me Go."

Thanks to a four-octave range, Gagné is able to tackle songs with husky alto notes, lilting soprano passages and everything in between.

Her sound has been compared to everyone from Shawn Colvin to Sarah McLachlan to Sheryl Crow, and her earliest influences included Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, the Grateful Dead, Laura Nyro and the soundtrack to "West Side Story."

While Gagné leans heavily toward "soulful jazz," she's hesitant to box herself into any particular genre.

"My music doesn't fit neatly into one tidy category," she said. "It's just good music."

Gagné has two solo albums available. On the most recent, 2005's "Must Be Love," she sings the blues.

From a stunning cover of Carole King's "You've Got a Friend," with stellar saxophone and background vocals, to the guitar-heavy "Too Good," a sad exploration of a love too good to be true, to the great Billie Holiday classic "God Bless the Child," Gagné explores a range of sounds, styles and emotions.

Her first release, "Wide Open Heart" (1995), has more of a pop flavor, and all songs are written or co-written by Gagné.

Gagné, a mother of two, lives near Boston and is on the faculty at Berklee College of Music.

She has sung with Philip Glass, opened for Barenaked Ladies, performed for NBC-TV with comedians Penn and Teller, toured with reggae artist Frankie Paul and lent her voice to the soundtrack for the feature film "Anima Mundi" (1993). She's been featured on PBS's "All Things Considered" and the "CBS Evening News."

Gagné leads workshops around the country on achieving personal empowerment through singing, jazz and pop improvisation and movement. She is working on a book for vocalists addressing both pedagogy and performance.

Gagné is active in the Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network and the Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly. She also is a master of Reiki, the Japanese art of energy healing.

Accompanying Gagné at her Corvallis gig will be Grandstaff, a guitarist and singer who teaches jazz improvisation at Oregon State University, bassist Brassfield and drummer Chavez. Gagné will also perform in Ashland and Portland during her visit to Oregon. - Corvallis Gazette Times

What's the Buzz?

The girl can sing. A Class Act. ~ Music Technology Magazine
Few vocalists create images and stir emotions merely with the sound of their voice, independent of the subject matter of the song. All the great ones do, and Jeannie does, too. Everybody needs a songbird in their lives. Try this one in yours. ~ Downtown Magazine, New York City
In an era when singer-songwriters are a dime a dozen we are constantly being bombarded with marginal talent. That's what so good about a sweet messenger like Ms. Gagné, whose voice may be favorably compared with Shawn Colvin, Suzanne Vega or Joni Mitchell at times. ~ Downtown Magazine
Jeannie Gagné's music is soulful, relevant, and beautiful. In Wide Open Heart, she explores a diverse range of topics from love to motherhood. The music manages to offer both delicious pop/folk goodness and a wholesome humanity to it all at once. ~ iTunes review
About halfway through listening to "Wide Open Heart," the first solo effort by Jeannie Gagné, you start to pick up the threads of a theme. The songs range widely in topic, from a shooting in the city to overcoming anger and loss to the joys of motherhood, but each is a slice of life recounted by a keen observer with a tender heart wide open to whatever life has to offer. ~New Bedford Standard Times
WOW!!! Thank you for bringing Jeannie Gagné to Corvallis (Oregon). What a fabulous performer and one of the finest evenings of music I have ever experienced. I loved the set which included some of my most favorite tunes. I thought her version of "Round Midnight" the best ever as well as her Carol King song and "That Was Me" were terriffic! She holds nothing back; is totally committed to the music . . .what fun it must have been for the trio to work with her . . .everytime I looked at them they were smiling in what must have been total satisfaction with the experience.
A great evening. Thank you. -George
She has a superb liturgical sense; it is a gift. UU [Unitarian Universalism], as we understand it together, incorporates a cultural diversity that is very challenging musically. So she's apt to have a Japanese hymn one week and spirituals another. ~ Rev. Tricia Tummino, Middleborough Unitarian/Universalist Society
Jeannie is one of the most talented and promising singer/songwriters I have the pleasure to know. Her knack for melody leaves you humming her tunes. The images in her lyrics pop out at you. Her exceptional ear for musical arrangement, especially percussive and vocal choices, enhances an overall sound that is distinctive, original and memorable. I have also seen Jeannie perform, and she is magnetic and powerful. ~ Bob Leone, The Songwriter's Hall of Fame
There are as many so-so female pop vocalists around as there are phone messages tacked on NACB's bulletin board, but the really moving voices are few and far between. Somewhere between the soft songspeak of Suzanne Vega and the sweet joyfulness of Amy Grant lies the enchanting voice of Jeannie Gagné. Her songs are by turns frenetic, fulfilling and just plain old style pop fun. ~ College Broadcaster, Choice Cuts
Every town has its share of celebrities, and ours may very well be the home of the next musical mega-star when Jeannie Gagné does, as she says, 'What I do best.' The work on her CD "Wide Open Heart" is similar to the work of Sarah McLachlan or Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies. The CD is a mix of affirmations about life, about love, and some good-natured giggles on life as a mom, and how that works in the life of the artist. ~ The Middleboro Gazette

What fans are saying about Jeannie's concerts:
Sometimes performers just "perform" and don't relate to the audience the way you do. How you encourage and involve your audience adds so much to your performance;it becomes a shared experience, lifts the spirit. "Music is the language of the soul" and you make a live performance truly alive. Loved the tone and quality of your voice - jeanniegagne.com

What's the Buzz?

The girl can sing. A Class Act. ~ Music Technology Magazine
Few vocalists create images and stir emotions merely with the sound of their voice, independent of the subject matter of the song. All the great ones do, and Jeannie does, too. Everybody needs a songbird in their lives. Try this one in yours. ~ Downtown Magazine, New York City
In an era when singer-songwriters are a dime a dozen we are constantly being bombarded with marginal talent. That's what so good about a sweet messenger like Ms. Gagné, whose voice may be favorably compared with Shawn Colvin, Suzanne Vega or Joni Mitchell at times. ~ Downtown Magazine
Jeannie Gagné's music is soulful, relevant, and beautiful. In Wide Open Heart, she explores a diverse range of topics from love to motherhood. The music manages to offer both delicious pop/folk goodness and a wholesome humanity to it all at once. ~ iTunes review
About halfway through listening to "Wide Open Heart," the first solo effort by Jeannie Gagné, you start to pick up the threads of a theme. The songs range widely in topic, from a shooting in the city to overcoming anger and loss to the joys of motherhood, but each is a slice of life recounted by a keen observer with a tender heart wide open to whatever life has to offer. ~New Bedford Standard Times
WOW!!! Thank you for bringing Jeannie Gagné to Corvallis (Oregon). What a fabulous performer and one of the finest evenings of music I have ever experienced. I loved the set which included some of my most favorite tunes. I thought her version of "Round Midnight" the best ever as well as her Carol King song and "That Was Me" were terriffic! She holds nothing back; is totally committed to the music . . .what fun it must have been for the trio to work with her . . .everytime I looked at them they were smiling in what must have been total satisfaction with the experience.
A great evening. Thank you. -George
She has a superb liturgical sense; it is a gift. UU [Unitarian Universalism], as we understand it together, incorporates a cultural diversity that is very challenging musically. So she's apt to have a Japanese hymn one week and spirituals another. ~ Rev. Tricia Tummino, Middleborough Unitarian/Universalist Society
Jeannie is one of the most talented and promising singer/songwriters I have the pleasure to know. Her knack for melody leaves you humming her tunes. The images in her lyrics pop out at you. Her exceptional ear for musical arrangement, especially percussive and vocal choices, enhances an overall sound that is distinctive, original and memorable. I have also seen Jeannie perform, and she is magnetic and powerful. ~ Bob Leone, The Songwriter's Hall of Fame
There are as many so-so female pop vocalists around as there are phone messages tacked on NACB's bulletin board, but the really moving voices are few and far between. Somewhere between the soft songspeak of Suzanne Vega and the sweet joyfulness of Amy Grant lies the enchanting voice of Jeannie Gagné. Her songs are by turns frenetic, fulfilling and just plain old style pop fun. ~ College Broadcaster, Choice Cuts
Every town has its share of celebrities, and ours may very well be the home of the next musical mega-star when Jeannie Gagné does, as she says, 'What I do best.' The work on her CD "Wide Open Heart" is similar to the work of Sarah McLachlan or Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies. The CD is a mix of affirmations about life, about love, and some good-natured giggles on life as a mom, and how that works in the life of the artist. ~ The Middleboro Gazette

What fans are saying about Jeannie's concerts:
Sometimes performers just "perform" and don't relate to the audience the way you do. How you encourage and involve your audience adds so much to your performance;it becomes a shared experience, lifts the spirit. "Music is the language of the soul" and you make a live performance truly alive. Loved the tone and quality of your voice - jeanniegagne.com

"Few vocalists create images and stir emotions merely with the sound of their voice.
All the great ones do, and Jeannie does, too." –NYC's Downtown Magazine
“Moving, soulful, powerful” –these three words are used often to describe Jeannie Gagné’s 4-1/2 octave voice. Her latest jazz CD Closer to Bliss reflects on life’s journey, the ups and the downs, ultimately concluding that we are blessed to be here. The opening track, “All Creatures of the Earth and Sky” with haunting soprano sax work by Stan Strickland (Miles Davis, Herbie Mann), echoes Jeannie’s conviction in the connectedness of all things. Her samba tune track 3, “Dance With Me,” says “celebrate!” featuring percussion by master drummer Ricardo Monzon (Boston Pops, Walter Beasley). “What really matters,” Gagné says, “is spreading a little love every day through the music we make.”
Through her 25-year career Jeannie Gagné (“gon-YAY”) has worked with Philip Glass, George Duke, opened for Bare Naked Ladies, for NBC-TV with comedians Penn and Teller, toured with reggae legend Frankie Paul, and appears on the soundtrack for the feature film "Anima Mundi" (1993). Press coverage includes feature stories on PBS's All Things Considered, the CBS Evening News, People Magazine, by New York City TV and by numerous newspapers. She has worked alongside greats like Livingston Taylor, Walter Beasley, Terri Lynn Carrington, Grammy winner Mark Walker, Thaddeus Hogarth (Tower of Power, Average White Band), Shawn Pelton (SNL, Springsteen).
Since growing up in New York City and frequenting jazz clubs in her teens, while studying piano, voice, and writing songs, Jeannie Gagné has been immersed in an eclectic mix of music. Experiencing the best of the best in New York helped her to hone her craft as a vocal jazz musician. As a young child, Jeannie sang with her family in the Tri-Cities opera and was singing before she spoke. She has always known that music is her calling. Everyone who sees her live comes away moved by how deeply music is embedded in her cells.
“Jeannie is a very well respected vocalist in the world of music with a beautiful instrument.” Lauren Kinhan, New York Voices
When she sings, Jeannie’s experience is almost spiritual, joyous. Her way of reaching audiences leaves them coming away uplifted and moved. Jeannie was once astonished to be greeted by a woman after a performance who said, tearfully, “Thank you. I am battling cancer, and hearing you sing has made it easier for me.” Others often say, “Inspiring.” “Rare concert.” “Brilliant.”
Ironically, Jeannie herself fell ill in the 1990s. This “energizer bunny” found herself stuck on the sofa for two years, in pain and immobile. Forced to take a break from performing, she focused her attention on nurturing her young children. She fought hard to regain her strength, becoming a Reiki Master in the process. When the family moved to Boston, Jeannie was snatched up as a professor at the world-renowned Berklee College of Music. She has embraced a natural proclivity for teaching—inspired daily by her Grammy-winning colleagues and extraordinary students. She teaches voice and performance in jazz, blues, pop/rock, and classical styles. She also co-directs the Performance Wellness Institute. Her new book, “Your Singing Voice: Contemporary Technique, Expression and Spirit” (2012, Berklee Press/Hal Leonard), stresses a mind-body approach to contemporary singing, wellness, and personal authenticity. On “Closer to Bliss,” Jeannie writes and sings about the life-long journey that keeps bringing us closer to serenity, hope, and learning to gracefully embrace those things we treasure most.
“A Class Act. The girl can sing.” -Music Technology Magazine
Jazz Radio Interview Requests and Inquiries /Jazzzdog Promotions: Jane Dashow 212-679-1445 jazzzdog@nyc.rr.com Cindy Budd 818-299-1202 marvdog124@aol.com
- Jazzzdog promotions

"Few vocalists create images and stir emotions merely with the sound of their voice.
All the great ones do, and Jeannie does, too." –NYC's Downtown Magazine
“Moving, soulful, powerful” –these three words are used often to describe Jeannie Gagné’s 4-1/2 octave voice. Her latest jazz CD Closer to Bliss reflects on life’s journey, the ups and the downs, ultimately concluding that we are blessed to be here. The opening track, “All Creatures of the Earth and Sky” with haunting soprano sax work by Stan Strickland (Miles Davis, Herbie Mann), echoes Jeannie’s conviction in the connectedness of all things. Her samba tune track 3, “Dance With Me,” says “celebrate!” featuring percussion by master drummer Ricardo Monzon (Boston Pops, Walter Beasley). “What really matters,” Gagné says, “is spreading a little love every day through the music we make.”
Through her 25-year career Jeannie Gagné (“gon-YAY”) has worked with Philip Glass, George Duke, opened for Bare Naked Ladies, for NBC-TV with comedians Penn and Teller, toured with reggae legend Frankie Paul, and appears on the soundtrack for the feature film "Anima Mundi" (1993). Press coverage includes feature stories on PBS's All Things Considered, the CBS Evening News, People Magazine, by New York City TV and by numerous newspapers. She has worked alongside greats like Livingston Taylor, Walter Beasley, Terri Lynn Carrington, Grammy winner Mark Walker, Thaddeus Hogarth (Tower of Power, Average White Band), Shawn Pelton (SNL, Springsteen).
Since growing up in New York City and frequenting jazz clubs in her teens, while studying piano, voice, and writing songs, Jeannie Gagné has been immersed in an eclectic mix of music. Experiencing the best of the best in New York helped her to hone her craft as a vocal jazz musician. As a young child, Jeannie sang with her family in the Tri-Cities opera and was singing before she spoke. She has always known that music is her calling. Everyone who sees her live comes away moved by how deeply music is embedded in her cells.
“Jeannie is a very well respected vocalist in the world of music with a beautiful instrument.” Lauren Kinhan, New York Voices
When she sings, Jeannie’s experience is almost spiritual, joyous. Her way of reaching audiences leaves them coming away uplifted and moved. Jeannie was once astonished to be greeted by a woman after a performance who said, tearfully, “Thank you. I am battling cancer, and hearing you sing has made it easier for me.” Others often say, “Inspiring.” “Rare concert.” “Brilliant.”
Ironically, Jeannie herself fell ill in the 1990s. This “energizer bunny” found herself stuck on the sofa for two years, in pain and immobile. Forced to take a break from performing, she focused her attention on nurturing her young children. She fought hard to regain her strength, becoming a Reiki Master in the process. When the family moved to Boston, Jeannie was snatched up as a professor at the world-renowned Berklee College of Music. She has embraced a natural proclivity for teaching—inspired daily by her Grammy-winning colleagues and extraordinary students. She teaches voice and performance in jazz, blues, pop/rock, and classical styles. She also co-directs the Performance Wellness Institute. Her new book, “Your Singing Voice: Contemporary Technique, Expression and Spirit” (2012, Berklee Press/Hal Leonard), stresses a mind-body approach to contemporary singing, wellness, and personal authenticity. On “Closer to Bliss,” Jeannie writes and sings about the life-long journey that keeps bringing us closer to serenity, hope, and learning to gracefully embrace those things we treasure most.
“A Class Act. The girl can sing.” -Music Technology Magazine
Jazz Radio Interview Requests and Inquiries /Jazzzdog Promotions: Jane Dashow 212-679-1445 jazzzdog@nyc.rr.com Cindy Budd 818-299-1202 marvdog124@aol.com
- Jazzzdog promotions