jennifer greer
Boston, Massachusetts, United States | SELF
Music
Press
The Apiary is finely crafted and as melody driven as they come. Greer transitions from jazz to pop to coffeehouse ballads with an ease known only to few up-and-coming artists. Greer combines variety and consistency to produce an album almost human in its moodiness. - Performer (Northeast)
First class songs, beautiful arranged. If you´re searching for for fresh piano pop edged in Jazz and Blues, take your chance and buy this cd as fast as you can. Her voice is balm for the soul. People who like the music of Tori Amos should listen to her music. This is a perfect album from start to finish.
- Joerg (Reviewer from Germany)
These songs are well written and expertly performed. The piano playing is beautiful as is Greer's voice. The production is great as well. This is a class act.
- Collected Sounds
Jennifer Greer, an accomplished pianist/singer/songwriter from Boston, Massachusetts, sent in this extraordinary project. The jazzy/ambient flavored songs on her sophmore project combine superb musicianship with superior songwriting skills that are a punctuated by her cogent lyrics and an emotionally stimulating voice; a proven formula for critical acclaim. Phenomenal piano playing that transcends proficiency; Jennifer's heart seems to be connected to the piano keys through her fingers which are sure to strike the emotions of anyone who listens. The first track, "Honey Bee," showcases an adroit talent at incorporating multiple melodies and alternative hooks; a technique that she uses throughout the CD. The plush harmonies and provocative guitar playing enhance the listening experience while setting the tone for the brilliance that follows. Jennifer's deep repertoire, distinctive voice, and strong identity will easily put her on the "most likely to succeed" list of industry folks who know true talent and recognize commercial viability; a feat she achieved with a self-produced project. - The Muse's Muse
With coherent lyrics that separate Greer from the latest herd of pretentious lady musicians, a siren’s voice with more range than Reggie Miller, a thicker sound than many six piece bands can achieve. - The Homelander
Jewel Machine is a stunning, sweeping showcase of passion and beauty. Greer is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, a marvelous pianist. Her genuine strength lies in developing sleek, funky, fluctuating musical petterns that show off a pianist influenced by more than the typical assortment of keyboard-based favorites. Backed by an unassuming rhythm section, Greer's piano shares the spotlight with her gorgeous voice, a voice which harnesses a sensual warble...and it's own distinct, sophisticated tonality. The tracks on Jewel Machine contain lyrics that are not only melodically appealing, but outwardly intelligent and wonderfully articulate. Greer's passion and eloquence are constantly apparent, regardless of the song's tempo or style. - The Muse's Muse (2002)
Based on her seven-song EP, Jewel Machine, Jennifer Greer shares more than a little with Tori Amos. She is a piano-playing singer-songwriter with a range encompassing blues to folk to dark, pop-rock tunes. But underneath her piano music, accompanied only by drums, she favors the syncopated rhythms of funk and hip-hop. If you did not listen closely to her lyrics, her sweet, luscious soprano -- perfect accompaniment to her lush, classically-influenced keyboard work -- could delude you into thinking her songs were not full of steamy angst and erotic tension (Why can't you hear me/Do I have to do a birthday striptease?).
The 30-year-old Greer, who lives in the Pioneer Valley, is a native of New York who studied piano as a child. By the time she was 12, poetry had replaced piano as her main passion. After she completed her undergraduate degree at Sarah Lawrence College she continued to publish poetry in various journals, before settling in Northampton and picking up where she left off on the piano. She now combines the poetic impulse with the pianistic, and she will bring both to the stage tomorrow night at Club Red in Pittsfield.
- Berkshire eagle
Jennifer Greer is not only a talented singing piano player, but she's equally gifted in the songwriting and arranging department. Beautiful melodies carried on by Greer's gorgeous voice transcends the boundries of genre and age. The result is nothing short of stunning on her new album "the Apiary." These songs are destined for worldwide download. - Metronome magazine
Yes, we do have a lot of CDs to get through, but this one is so beautiful, so sophisticated and lush in its production and so heavenly in its effect on the listener, you’d think there would have been some kind of glow coming off it.
It feels like the vibes of Carole King, Norah Jones, and Tori Amos got mixed in the studio and wrapped in Greer’s dark velvet voice. This is the most sophisticated, warm and seductive of piano-fueled jazz/pop. It should be played in concert halls with tapestries draped everywhere and scented candles on the piano. It should be played in art galleries during evening showings.
She is always wandering. exploring, playfully slipping into corners and reappearing elsewhere, leaving hints of sandalwood and sage in her wake.
- Indie-Music.com
This woman has one of those passionate voices that seems suited to any kind of music she could ever want to sing. Armed with her piano and back-up band, Greer takes on the world of jazz and pop with flawless clarity.
Distinct moods to each of her songs from languid to aggressive, a complex texture that only gets better with each listen; the Apiary is a stellar performance from start to finish. - Delusions of Adequacy
Discography
1. Jewel Machine (2002)
2. the Apiary (2005)
3. Fistful of Stars (2009)
Photos
Bio
Best Pop Unsigned Artist in Verbicide's Unsigned Artist Issue 2008
Winner, Best Adult Alternative album of 2005 from the Muse's Muse.
Finalist: Boston independent music awards.
Winner: WRSI Singer/Songwriter contest 2002
Jennifer Greers music is an eclectic mix of pop, jazz, and classical traditions, woven into an emotional and highly rhythmic musical journey. Inspired by personal experience, dreams, the natural world, books, film, and sometimes politics, Jennifers songs seek to find a mood and enfold the listener inside it. Her distinctive voice which can soar from earthy and sensual to sweetly lush is showcased in her new album the Apiary, which critics are calling stunning. A true instrumentalist, she explores a wide range of mood and sound, playing the piano with an imagination rarely found in pop or folk today. As a performer, she exudes a passion and joy that is tangible, shameless, and direct.
Jennifer is a New York City native who began writing songs on the piano and singing at the age of eight, then soon after turned to writing poetry. Throughout most of her life she considered poetry her primary art form, had published in journals, and compiled a first book. When she was 25, she took up piano again, first as a solo composer, then two years later incorporating lyrics -- and her songwriting career began. Her moving vocals and innovative piano style were quickly noticed, and within months after her first appearances she was playing at the Towne Crier in Pawling, N.Y., (wining their open-mic competition) and was a regular at the Dark Star Lounge in NYC.
After playing solo throughout New York during 1998, Jennifer moved to Northampton, Mass., in the fall of 1999 and began working with bassist Damian Watson and drummer Brian Peltier to form the Jennifer Greer Trio. Playing in coffeehouses, clubs and colleges throughout the Northeast, she went on to win the WRSI singer-songwriter contest in 2001. Her debut CD Jewel Machine was featured in the December 2003 issue of the national magazine, Performing Songwriter, as one of the best independent releases of 2002. The album is a mix of funky blues, up-beat pop and intimate ballads and features live tracks supported only by percussion.
After a few years of living and working in the Pioneer Valley, writing music and hiking in the woods, Jennifer had written a great deal, and knew it was time to get back in the studio. Having made friends with talented bass player Thomson Kneeland of Kakalla, she was introduced to Warren Amerman, engineer and owner of Rotary Records. Though Warren specializes in recording jazz, his purity of vision, excellence, and enthusiasm to make a great record made him the right choice, leaving Jennifer free-reign to express her sonic vision. The result is the Apiary a gorgeous, vocally lush album of energetic pop/jazz, including several haunting solo pieces recorded at Signature Sounds; Jennifers gift for winning the WRSI contest.
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