Jen Cass: Difference between revisions
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Born to unusually hip parents in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, singer-songwriter Jen Cass was raised on a healthy mix of folk music, homegrown vegetables, spontaneous dancing, black licorice and Motown. When asked about her childhood Jen muses, "I remember my mom doing pirouettes around the living room with Joan Baez and Simon & Garfunkel blasting in the background. Then dad would pull out his guitar and we'd all sing Kris Kristofferson and Phil Ochs songs. “My sister and I weren’t allowed to watch TV, so we sang, danced and read every book we could get our hands on. By the age of five, I was a miniature troubadour in bad seventies clothing, quoting Jack London and belting out Jim Croce tunes. I love my parents for that.” |
Born to unusually hip parents in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, singer-songwriter Jen Cass was raised on a healthy mix of folk music, homegrown vegetables, spontaneous dancing, black licorice and Motown. When asked about her childhood Jen muses, "I remember my mom doing pirouettes around the living room with Joan Baez and Simon & Garfunkel blasting in the background. Then dad would pull out his guitar and we'd all sing Kris Kristofferson and Phil Ochs songs. “My sister and I weren’t allowed to watch TV, so we sang, danced and read every book we could get our hands on. By the age of five, I was a miniature troubadour in bad seventies clothing, quoting Jack London and belting out Jim Croce tunes. I love my parents for that.” |
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Revision as of 21:32, 26 October 2007
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Born to unusually hip parents in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, singer-songwriter Jen Cass was raised on a healthy mix of folk music, homegrown vegetables, spontaneous dancing, black licorice and Motown. When asked about her childhood Jen muses, "I remember my mom doing pirouettes around the living room with Joan Baez and Simon & Garfunkel blasting in the background. Then dad would pull out his guitar and we'd all sing Kris Kristofferson and Phil Ochs songs. “My sister and I weren’t allowed to watch TV, so we sang, danced and read every book we could get our hands on. By the age of five, I was a miniature troubadour in bad seventies clothing, quoting Jack London and belting out Jim Croce tunes. I love my parents for that.”
While her fashion sense has evolved over time, Jen has always remained true to her roots, writing beautifully crafted songs that draw comparisons to songwriting legends Bob Dylan, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Joni Mitchell, and Lucinda Williams, as well as playwright Eugene O'Neill. Jen's songs have won numerous awards. In 2003, Jen's song "Main Attraction" was selected as a winner in the Folk Category of both the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and the USA Songwriting Competition. "Small Town Boy" was chosen as the GrandPrize Winning Song in the 2006 Great Lakes Songwriting Contest. In the words of Suzanne Glass of Indie-Music.com, “Cass’ songs are lyrical gems. She weaves fables with her words that would make Aesop jealous.”
In November 1996, Jen released her first CD, Brave Enough To Say, and quickly sold over 2000 copies. Jen recorded Brave Enough To Say with the help of the world famous Russian surf-rock band Red Elvises. “We mixed contemporary folk, new country, oatmeal raisin cookies and extreme sleep deprivation to create a totally unique sound,” quips Jen. Rick Nelson of the Tacoma News Tribune agrees, calling Brave Enough To Say an “excellent debut” and Jen a “gifted storyteller with a great voice.” Agenda’s Alan Goldsmith raves, “Jen Cass' power as an artist lies in using her voice to capture pictures of broken American souls, and she paints these heartbreaking snapshots of lives gone wrong like nobody else.”
Since the release of Brave Enough To Say, Jen has played hundreds of gigs throughout the country, impressing fans and critics alike with her powerful performances. In addition to an Emerging Artist Showcase at the 2003 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and an Official Showcase at the 2004 Americana Music Awards, Jen has played shows at The Bluebird Café (Nashville), The Ark (Ann Arbor, MI), IOTA Club & Cafe (Arlington, VA), Uncommon Ground (Chicago), Vic's Music Corner (Rockville, MD), Arlene Grocery (NYC), Northwest Folklife and Bumbershoot (Seattle), NXNW (Portland), Great Blue Heron Festival (Sherman, NY), Hamtramck Blowout, The Music Menu and The Magic Bag (Detroit), and Folk Alliance 2003 & 2004 to name a few. Jen was also a proud member of the first national Indiegrrl tour in 1999. Over time, Jen’s live shows have become increasingly popular, causing one critic to lament, “I attempted to pop into the Jen Cass show last month, but by ten o'clock the club was jammed to the roof and even standing room was not an option.”
After years of tireless touring, Jen caught the attention of producer John Jennings, who has co-produced eight albums and four #1 singles by Mary Chapin Carpenter, as well as discs by John Gorka, Janis Ian, Beausoleil, and many others; and garnered five Grammy Awards (13 nominations) and five CMA Awards (19 nominations). Recorded by Bob Dawson (Mary Chapin Carpenter, Danny Gatton, Cheryl Wheeler) and featuring several members of Mary Chapin Carpenter's band, Skies Burning Red was nominated for 2 Detroit Music Awards and 6 Review Music Awards. Skies Burning Red was #12 on WHFR's Best of 2003 list (between John Mayer and Evanescence), was a Midnight Special Pick Hit of the Week, and received radio play in every US state as well as Canada, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, Japan, and Sweden.
In 2006, Jen and John Jennings collaborated again for Jen's third CD, the critically acclaimed "Accidental Pilgrimage". AP featured the piano work of Grammy winner Jon Carroll, and the steady hands of legendary percussionist Dave Mattacks. "Accidental Pilgrimage"is Cass' most successful release to date, spawning 6 top 100 singles on the folk chart, moderate crossover success on the Americana Chart, and a mega-hit in the form of her protest classic "Dear Mr. President".
Cass currently resides in Michigan with her husband AJ and their 2 children.