Elizabeth Shepherd (musician)
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Elizabeth Shepherd is a Canadian, Montreal-based singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger and producer. Along with artists such as Esperanza Spalding and Jose James, she is often credited with invigorating and reinventing the jazz song and bringing jazz influenced music to a younger audience. Real Detroit Weekly called her "a jazz virtuoso blessed with a pop sensibility",[1] while The London Evening Standard described her as an "insightful singer/songwriter of evident talent and originality".[2]
Shepherd arrived on the international jazz scene when her debut album, Start to Move, was voted among the Top 3 jazz albums of 2006 by the listeners of The Gilles Peterson Show on BBC Radio 1. This collection of mostly original material was nominated for a Juno award (Canada's Grammy equivalent) in 2007.
Although Start to Move would be found in the jazz section at your local music shop, Elizabeth’s blend of jazz-funk, soul, blues and samba reaches far beyond just the jazz massive. Besides is a collection of dancefloor remixes, b sides, exclusives and unreleased gems designed to appeal to all music lovers.
Shepherd's second album of new music Parkdale, released in May 2008, deals sympathetically with its Toronto neighbourhood namesake, which is known for its grit. The album, produced by London-based producer/DJ Nostalgia 77, was also nominated for a Juno award in 2009.
Shepherd's 2010 release, Heavy Falls the Night featured only one cover song: a reworking of the 1970s soft-rock radio staple "Danny's Song". Shepherd produced the album herself, with the exception of the first single "Seven Bucks", which was co-produced by Japanese DJ Mitsu the Beats and climbed up to #37 on the "Tokio Hot 100" chart. The record was praised by jazz and pop critics alike, and was long listed for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize, Canada's most prestigious popular music prize.[3]
2012 brought Shepherd several changes, not the least of which was news that she and her husband were expecting their first child. As she wrote in the liner notes of her most recent record Rewind, "the fears and anticipation surrounding imminent motherhood were largely the impetus to make this record. I knew I needed to keep myself busy during pregnancy, and I knew I had to make something that would connect me to an aspect of myself that wasn't changing as every other piece of my being was." The album, all cover tunes ranging from composers such as Cole Porter and Gershwin Bros. to Kurt Weill and Jose Luis Perales, is dedicated to her daughter Sanna, and is nominated for the 2012 Vocal Jazz Juno award.
Her newest release, The Signal, has been hailed by many critics as a jazz masterpiece. It consists of 10 original and bold compositions whose topics range from motherhood to Monsanto, witchcraft to war, and features Lionel Loueke on guitar. It was long-listed for the prestigious Polaris Prize and was nominated for the 2014 vocal jazz JUNO award.
Biography
Raised by ministers of the Salvation Army, Shepherd had early exposure to choirs and brass bands. Trained extensively in conservatories, Shepherd completed a degree in jazz piano from McGill University. She initially entered the music program to pursue a career in music therapy, turning later to songwriting and performing. She moved to Toronto in 2004 and worked as a server at a piano bar. She became the restaurant’s key entertainer and formed a trio with Scott Kemp on bass and Colin Kingsmore on drums.[4]
Shepherd has sold out jazz clubs across the world, from Tokyo's Cotton Club to the London Jazz Café and Detroit's Cliff Bell's. She has also appeared at festivals on both sides of the Atlantic, including Montreal Jazz Festival, ELB Jazz and the North Sea Jazz Festival. In 2009, she was personally invited by British souljazz star Jamie Cullum to open for him at a sold-out show at the Hollywood Bowl.
Shepherd has appeared and performed live on numerous radio shows, including The Gilles Peterson Show on BBC Radio 1 (UK), J-Wave's Modaista (Japan) and Q with Jian Ghomeshi on CBC Radio (Canada).
Discography
- Start To Move (As The Elizabeth Shepherd Trio) (Do Right Music 2006)
- Besides:Remixes & B-Sides (Do Right Music 2007)
- Parkdale (Do Right Music 2008)
- Heavy Falls The Night (Do Right Music 2010)
- Rewind (Pinwheel Music/Linus Entertainment 2012)
- The Signal (Linus Entertainment 2014)
