Music
Press
I'm proud to present to you my first review of a jazz album. And a very good one I might add. Jennifer Parde is an obviously talented jazz vocalist. Her talents beyond her voice lie strongly in arranging old standards. The few original tunes on her album are definitely strong, but it seems she finds most of her creativity in altering standards with her own twist of "Pardeness".
I also found the production quality to be quite immaculate for a debut album. And the level of musicianship from all who perform is outstanding. Anyone who enjoys listening to good jazz would enjoy this album.
"Morning Has Broken" has great interludes of harmonic expression that are intertwined with the lyrical song. This was the first thing that caught my attention. I also found consistently that Parde shines with the accompaniment of guitarist Rob Levit.
Of Parde's original tunes my favorite by far is "Black Unicorn" which is dark, mysterious, and refreshing. I would strongly recommend that Parde spend some more time writing her own tunes. Her lyrics are gems and when the song is good, it's real good. So, I can see much growth in this direction and would also love to see her experiment more with her own tunes as she does on the standards such as "Lazy Afternoon", which has a large improvisational section that moves and changes unexpectedly. Her original tune, "Undertide", starts to explore this more fully.
Overall, Parde has captured a side of jazz music that I have missed. I'm happy to hear the more natural side of jazz, with themes that are more unique than broken hearts and true love. Her music focuses on the mystical and natural, thus the title of her album, "Natural Surreality". - Ultra Indie Album Reviews
Discography
"Natural Surreality"--first album, released in September 2007 (just now marketing for airplay)
Photos
Bio
I have been singing jazz for over 10 years (since high school), so, musically, it is my first and truest love. I have been influenced by so many jazz singers, both classic and modern, ranging from Sarah Vaughan (my first favorite jazz singer) to June Christy to Mark Murphy to Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves and Luciana Souza. Jazz singing is truly in my veins, and even when I sing a pop song, I reinterpret and rephrase as a jazz singer.
I have been singing in a trio format since college, and continue to do so, but I must admit at some point--a few years ago--I became equally taken by GOOD pop music and singer-songwriters, such as Bjork, Death Cab for Cutie, Andrew Bird, Vienna Teng, Norah Jones and Jamie Cullum. I admire all of these artists for their work, which is at once accessible, creative and original--and which has great textures combined with great meaning. Norah Jones and Jamie Cullum, especially, I admire for their jazz background, which seeps into their "pop" work in subtle and creative ways. And my favorite singer of all time is Eva Cassidy, who is endlessly and deeply provocative and impossible to pin down to one genre.
And so, my music is one part jazz and one part pop, which alot of heart and a large amount of space thrown in for good measure. I often perform solo, as a singer/pianist, but I also enjoy playing with firstrate (jazz!) musicians, and thus playing all the more deeply with changing meters, with vocal improvisation, and with fluctuating musical textures.
I have just released my first album, which is called "Natural Surreality". The songs vary in mood—sometimes reverent, sometimes playful, sometimes reflective and oftentimes spiritual. There are updated jazz standards as well as freshly reinterpreted pop songs—some well-known and some personal favorites. In addition, there are four original songs on the album. Amy Obenski, of "Ultra Indie Album Reviews", says: "Parde has captured a side of jazz music that I have missed. I'm happy to hear the more natural side of jazz, with themes that are more unique than broken hearts and true love. Her music focuses on the mystical and natural. . ."
Links
