Jen Cass
Encyclopedia
Jen Cass is an American
singer-songwriter
born in Detroit, Michigan
.
. Rick Nelson of the Tacoma News Tribune
called Brave Enough To Say an “excellent debut” and Cass a “gifted storyteller with a great voice.” Agenda’s Alan Goldsmith Wrote, “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.”
After the release of Brave Enough To Say, Cass played many gigs throughout the country. Eventually she caught the attention of producer John Jennings
. 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 two Detroit Music Awards and six Review Music Awards. Skies Burning Red was #12 on WHFR's Best of 2003 list, 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, Cass and John Jennings collaborated again for Cass's third CD, Accidental Pilgrimage, which also featured the pianist, Grammy winner Jon Carroll
, and the percussionist Dave Mattacks
. "Accidental Pilgrimage" is Cass's most successful release , spawning six top 100 singles on the folk chart, moderate crossover success on the Americana Chart, and one hit song, "Dear Mr. President".
Cass currently resides in Michigan
with her husband and their two children.
and the USA Songwriting Competition. "Small Town Boy" was chosen as the winning song in the 2006 Great Lakes Songwriting Contest.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
born in Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
Musical career
In November 1996, Cass released her first CD, Brave Enough To Say, and quickly sold over 2,000 copies. She recorded with the help of the Russian surf-rock band Red ElvisesRed Elvises
The Red Elvises are a Russian-American band that performs rock & roll, surf, rockabilly, reggae, lounge and traditional Russian styles of music...
. Rick Nelson of the Tacoma News Tribune
Tacoma News Tribune
The News Tribune is a daily newspaper in Tacoma, Washington, in the United States.-History:It can trace its origins back to the founding of the weekly Tacoma Ledger by R.F. Radabaugh in 1880. The next year, H.C. Patrick founded The News, another weekly. Both papers became dailies in 1883. In 1898,...
called Brave Enough To Say an “excellent debut” and Cass a “gifted storyteller with a great voice.” Agenda’s Alan Goldsmith Wrote, “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.”
After the release of Brave Enough To Say, Cass played many gigs throughout the country. Eventually she caught the attention of producer John Jennings
John Jennings (musician)
John Jennings is an American musician: a guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer.Among his producer work are 8 albums by Mary Chapin Carpenter, as well as releases by Beausoleil, John Gorka, and Janis Ian...
. Recorded by Bob Dawson
Bob Dawson
Bob Dawson was a Canadian radio broadcaster and actor based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Dawson was a fixture on the local radio circuit during the late 1970s and 80's, holding various on air and promotional positions at radio stations such CJOR , CJJC and CKXY...
(Mary Chapin Carpenter
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Mary Chapin Carpenter is an American folk and country music artist. Carpenter spent several years singing in Washington, D.C. clubs before signing in the late 1980s with Columbia Records, who marketed her as a country singer...
, Danny Gatton
Danny Gatton
Danny Gatton was an American guitarist who fused rockabilly, jazz, and country styles to create his own distinctive style of playing. A biography, Unfinished Business: The Life and Times of Danny Gatton by Ralph Heibutzki, was published in 2003. It has a voluminous discography...
, Cheryl Wheeler
Cheryl Wheeler
Cheryl Wheeler is an American singer-songwriter of contemporary folk music, based in New England. To date, she has recorded several folk albums, and has toured extensively throughout the United States....
) and featuring several members of Mary Chapin Carpenter's band, Skies Burning Red was nominated for two Detroit Music Awards and six Review Music Awards. Skies Burning Red was #12 on WHFR's Best of 2003 list, was a Midnight Special Pick Hit of the Week, and received radio play in every US state as well as Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, The Netherlands, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
In 2006, Cass and John Jennings collaborated again for Cass's third CD, Accidental Pilgrimage, which also featured the pianist, Grammy winner Jon Carroll
Jon Carroll
Jon Carroll is a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, beginning in 1982, at that time succeeding Charles McCabe's column. He is featured on the back page of the Datebook on weekdays. Locally, he is best known for his moderate-to-liberal politics and his cat columns.Carroll was born in Los...
, and the percussionist Dave Mattacks
Dave Mattacks
Dave Mattacks is a rock and folk drummer. Best known for his work with Fairport Convention, Mattacks has also worked both as a session musician, and as a performance artist...
. "Accidental Pilgrimage" is Cass's most successful release , spawning six top 100 singles on the folk chart, moderate crossover success on the Americana Chart, and one hit song, "Dear Mr. President".
Cass currently resides in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
with her husband and their two children.
Awards
Cass's songs have won a number of awards. In 2003, her song "Main Attraction" was selected as a winner in the Folk Category of both the John Lennon Songwriting ContestJohn Lennon Songwriting Contest
The John Lennon Songwriting Contest, named for the former member of The Beatles, is a songwriting competition for songwriters, open to amateurs and professionals. The contest accepts instrumental pieces as well as songs with a vocal component. Though all entries must include a CD, cassette, or...
and the USA Songwriting Competition. "Small Town Boy" was chosen as the winning song in the 2006 Great Lakes Songwriting Contest.
Discography
By Blind Justice Records- Accidental Pilgrimage (2006 LP, CD)
- Skies Burning Red (2003 LP, CD)
- Brave Enough To Say (1996 LP, CD)