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As she continues to develop as a creative artist, Jane Siberry has much to be proud of. On the eve of the release of her 15th recording and as she starts rehearsals for an intensive month of touring, Jane can look back with pride on her accomplishments, and forward with delight at the prospects that continue to unfold for one of contemporary music’s most original creative voices. Throughout her career, a continuing feature of Jane Siberry’s work has been an uncompromising commitment to following her muse wherever it may lead. Immune to fads, trends and fashions, Siberry is an artist who is not afraid to pose difficult musical questions. This aspect of Jane’s artistry is something that perhaps developed before her musical career even began. Jane began her career as a full-time performing artist after graduating from the University of Guelph, one of Canada’s best science schools, with a degree in science and microbiology. Her training in the scientific method; the ability to observe minute changes and think deeply about their impact on greater things; permeates her work. So does the cussed independence of thought that motivated Galileo or Marie Curie to challenge the assumptions and conventional wisdom of their times. It is this independence combined with her unique outlook that has won the passionate loyalty of Jane’s fans, who have followed her through her numerous musical inventions in a multitude of forms, while she maintains her basic commitment to find and describe the essence of what makes us tick. Jane released her first recording in 1981 using the contributions of diners in Guelph restaurants. Waitressing soon gave way to coffeehouses and concerts. By 1984, she was signed to a major label and the result, No Borders Here, produced her first “hit”—”Mimi on the Beach.” A year later, The Speckless Sky went gold and Jane was firmly established as an important artist, a status she has maintained ever since. In 1987, Jane joined forces with Warner/Reprise and produced The Walking and Bound By The Beauty. The latter effort is very likely the only recording on a major label recorded in an apple orchard. Its acoustic simplicity, particularly after the heavier production values of previous works, gave her listeners a hint of the musical twists and turns that would be a feature of Jane’s musical roadmap. That quirky independence caught the ear of Brian Eno, and in 1993 he helped out with her next project—When I Was A Boy. Loaded with hits including “Sail Across The Water,” “Temple,” and “Calling All Angels,” a duet with k.d.lang, When I Was A Boy became Jane’s biggest commercial success and won her a following around the world. When Wim Wenders used “Calling All Angels” in his film Until The End Of The World, it garnered epic status for the song and its author. Following her own path once again, Jane responded to the success of When I Was A Boy by releasing a jazz inspired effort, Maria. She then left the bosom of the majors to start her own label—SHEEBA. Since 1996, SHEEBA has been the vehicle to provide the world with Siberryana in all its forms. The first release, a collection of songs written by Jane in her early teens, was a courageous look back at where she had been. The appropriately titled Teenager was followed by A Day In The Life NYC, an exercise in experimentation – a sound collage of voice mail, yoga classes, cab rides, and studio fun with artists including Joe Jackson, k.d. lang and Darol Anger. Then came the New York Trilogy. The Trilogy is a remarkable work that was recorded at New York’s famous Bottom Line club. It consists of Child–Music for the Christmas Season; Tree–Music for Films and Forests, and Lips–Music for Saying It. If these CDs were all Jane ever recorded, they would stand as a landmark of composition and performance! In 2000, Siberry took another hairpin turn and released the gorgeous Hush, a collection of American and Celtic spirituals and folk songs. In 2001 Jane released City, a selection of collaborations and film score works. Her contribution to Barney is here, alongside a duet with British classical enfant terrible Nigel Kennedy. City is a film festival without pictures, and underscores the cinematic quality of much of Jane’s work. Looking back at almost twenty years of recorded work, Jane Siberry can be proud of working in almost every musical genre, from acoustic folk to electro acoustic audio art, passing through jazz, country, rock and pop along the way. She has used her own distinct take on music and the world to address each style and to make each one her own, leaving behind a body of work that is as enduring as it is diverse. In 2002, Rhino Records produced Love Is Everything—an anthology and tribute to Siberry’s work to date, complete with fifty-two-page booklet. It is both homage to and celebration of a great artist. SHEEBA has also produced three books of Jane's poetry and prose: Swan, One Room School House, and New Year’s Baby. These, along with Jane’s recordings, videos and various ephemera, are all available through the wonders of Internet commerce at www.SHEEBA.ca. A pioneer in marketing her work as well as creating it, Jane has used the potential of the Internet to create a cybernetic community that supports her in every sense, and to give her the independence to create what she wants and reach her audience without intermediaries. In many ways, despite the hardships of running a small business, it is an artist’s dream. In 2003, Jane Siberry began work on her first new recording in some years. Aided by SHEEBA’s Internet brain trust of fans, she decided to reconnoiter one of the tallest peaks in the range of Western music—the classics. Drawing from her experiences of Hush and Child, Jane started to work on what she thought would be a Christmas recording. It soon developed a life of its own and what emerged was a fresh interpretation of music from Handel, Bach, Mendelssohn and other artists who had written spirituals linked to the Christmas season. SHUSHAN the Palace (Hymns of Earth) is a stunning exercise in vocal virtuosity, lush strings and winds,and some of the treasures of the European musical canon. To celebrate its release, Jane and a talented band of associates will hit the road for an intense cross continent concert tour, taking them from New York City to L.A., and from Ottawa to Spruce Grove, Alberta. As 2003 comes to a close Jane is already back at work planning another recording project, with new songs written by her, to be recorded in 2004. This will be the first release of new original work since 1996. As she prepares for her biggest tour in years, she is also working on the draft of a television show and thinking up other, soon to be revealed, creative endeavours. Stay tuned... |
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