Jennifer Kimball

A few gigs, a little news

Rose Jennifer Kris in the Session session at Q Division

Rose, Jennifer, Kris in the Session session at Q Division

Hello friends & fans. As per usual I begin with something like ‘so excited to play some shows!’ So, here they are and then I'm going to delve a little.

4/18 Portland, ME Flask Lounge
5/23 Waltham, MA Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation w/Duke Levine
6/5 Cambridge, MA Club Passim with Duke Levine, co-bill w/Ry Cavanaugh

As most of you know, two factors are involved in my less-than-satisfyingly-crafted newsletters and lack of new songs; one, the small bandwidth I have left for music after my executive director job is done for the day and two, the slow recovery of flexibility in my left hand from last summer’s surgery. But these are not deal breakers, friends! Music is coming back to me. I am progressing on uke and guitar, but drawn to piano again. Easier to reach all the notes I’m hearing. Small notebooks filling up with words. I’m playing with my friend Duke Levine: he plays, I sing. Duke is reinventing previous interpretations of the songs. It is one of the greatest pleasures of my little musical life to get to sing while Duke plays. And I look forward to wherever it is that this duo is going for the next 30 years. (Yup, we’ll be 86 - and that'll be the new 66 right?).

In the last couple of months I’ve had the pleasure of singing on two really interesting projects. Dramatically different from each other: one, loose and flowy, with a live band. I sang a cover song in a well-equipped studio with a flock of other songwriters around. The other, more form-fitting, created in garageband entirely by one person. I got to sing harmony vocals, background ‘da-ba-dah’ vox and a whole verse without even leaving my own house. Now I will tell you about those experiences.

Session Americana is making a new record called Northeast! They invited a bunch of local songwriters to cover songs written by New England songwriters. I sang Patty Griffin’s “Goodbye.” A spectacular song and a great experience performing it live in the studio. Basically I sang the tune three times. After the first run through we talked for a second about the vibe. About how to make it a little bit more our own. Two more takes and that was it. Kris Delmhorst and Ry, co-producers of this SA project sang some harmony vocals. Done. The record’s called Northeast and features songs by Al Anderson, Mark Sandman, Carly Simon, Jonathan Richman, Bill Morissey, Amy Correia… sung by the likes of Rose Polenzani, Merrie Amsterburg, John Powhida, Ali McGuirk, Dinty Child, Kris D, Jeffrey Foucault, Ry… This is such a cool project - check it out here. And join in the kickstarter so you can keep posted about gigs and other doings.

Recording project #2 happened this weekend. Phil Broikos, friend, lawyer, music fan, Berklee grad, prolific songwriter, garage band expert is on a mission to record 288 original songs reflecting the hours in the day starting at midnight. Each song 5 minutes - 12 on a record. 12 midnight to 12 noon. That’s 24. He’s in Album #2. Got to sing on #1 also.

I am reminded of how like birds we are in this overdub recording process. Darting in and out of the song - view of the forest, then in to trees, then the branches, then a single leaf - to work on this part and that part and then winging back out from that leaf to see the whole forest/song again. The hover of a hawk. This is the big picture.

Starting with the forest view, singing down all my prepared ideas a couple times I always find a few new ones. Cool. Glad those are 'on tape.' I mean 'manifested digitally in color on your screen.' Then I fly down into the detail of one phrase/leaf; singing just the upper half of one melodic phrase isolated from it’s lower notes. Yes, timing, choice of notes - yes, in tune, Ok now the lower part. Same thing. Yes! Fly back up and out to the forest/song view - yes, it’s a cool idea AND it works here AND that performance was good. Let’s finish recording it for that other section of the tune. Fly down, back in.

Now singing a verse - make it up as you go - but I have an idea too. It’s like gliding through the evergreen branches. Now fly over them to the chorus. We're in the deciduous grove now - sing harmony with Phil’s lead. Two ideas: one, sing the words along with him (do I keep that harmony note that’s the 7? Is it too dissonant? We like it. Yes, keeping). The expression - matched to lead voice. Timing, yes, good. Right words (was that a ‘go’ or a ‘yeah’?), check. Two, go hover over the maples and sing a second part on the chorus in longer tones. Maybe record a few parts we could use all at the same time (keep those other notes in your head while you sing the new parts). Yup. Good. Before we know it there are nearly 100 tracks of JK vocals and six hours has flown by. A fantastic recording day - completely different vibe from the Session stuff. Loved them both.

Splendid how you can only know so much about what you think you are going to record. And that when you actually fly in there and sit in that forest on that branch next to that leaf, the whole megillah is completely different than listening and singing along in your car or in your kitchen. No fields or buildings rushing past at 65mph. No familiar faces and treasured bowls sitting on kitchen shelves. Headphones on, mic on, eyes closed, forest light dim but the air crisp. Feels shady but clear. Just right. For this song, in this place at this time.

Thank you for supporting live and recorded music.

Cheers,
Jennifer