Music
Press
Jodie Borle comes at the world preferring songs from the pop cannon to taking yet another stab at a classic. She does so expressively, injecting her sweet alto into songs from several local writers as well as Squeeze’s Tempted, Blue Rodeo’s Hasn’t Hit Me Yet, Tom Waits’ San Diego Serenade and Natalie Merchant’s San Andreas Fault. Borle handles Waits and Merchant well, but the familiarity of the other two cuts may work against her despite the swinging, funky arrangement of Tempted. None of these is the 10-tracker’s best song, though. That honour falls jointly to album-opener Round and Angel, songs by producer Mark Reeves. The album’s best moments come when Borle finds the room and freedom to make full use of her abilities – soaring with the melodies and lapsing into free-form scatting, which doesn’t happen often enough. Having just won $75K from Cool FM to launch her career, Borle should be able to open many doors with this as her calling card. - Uptown Magazine
Jodie Borle’s debut is a poppish affair, as the Winnipeg singer drops the jazz standards, if not the jazz sensibility, on a 10-song CD that includes the catchy, radio-friendly Round. Borle draws on a variety of songwriters and a host of the city’s musicians for her showcase. The writers range from Winnipegger Mark Reeves, who produced the album, to fellow Manitoban Hal Brolund and Tom Waits. Though Borle cut her teeth on jazz standards, she kicks her career up a notch with a good set of pipes and tunes aimed at a broader audience. * * * * (4 Stars) - Winnipeg Free Press
Local jazz chanteuse Jodie Borle adds her distinctive funky stamp and smooth voice to 11 traditional and non-traditional tunes. New jingles: Hawksley Workman's comforting Common Cold and local roots-rocker Mark Reeves' (who doubles as album producer) bittersweet Everything But You. **(2 snowflakes out of 3) - The Winnipeg Free Press
Discography
Happy Holidays EP-Released 2004
and then I did...-jazgrl Productions 2006 (Koch Records)
Snow-jazgrl Productions 2006
Photos
Bio
When the Asper/CanWest Global camp set out to help create the next Canadian jazz star, they could scarcely have envisioned a better candidate then chanteuse Jodie Borlé. But when the dust settled, Borlé was there in the spotlight, holding an oversized $75,000 cheque and the promise of a shiny new career. A year later, her impressive debut, And then I did, showcased Borle’s sultry, powerful pipes and innovative arrangements, putting an infectious and deeply emotionally connected twist on the jazz-pop genre that belies her 28 years. Ross Porter, former host of CBC’s After Hours, has called Borle "a highly capable performer and one of the bright lights on the scene.” In December 2006, Jodie releases her sophomore album, Snow – a collection of 11 holiday songs.
As the only Manitoba jazz artist to showcase at the Western Canadian Music Awards two years running, Jodie Borlés irresistible, funky, and heavily pop-infused spin on jazz has drawn inevitable comparisons to countrywoman Diana Krall, and for good reason. Young Ms. Borle’s well-crafted quest to expand the jazz songbook has the same potential to reach a broader audience as her famous contemporary. And if Borlés version of Tom Waits classic "San Diego Serenade" fails to give you goose bumps, you’d better check to make sure you have a pulse.
Distributor: Koch Records
Publicity: Race Day Promotions
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