Area

Jamie Obstbaum, Jamie Leonhart | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 30, 2010)
• Original Release Date: April 15, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: The Orchard
• ASIN: B0000959MB
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,468,434 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Jamie’s first instrument was a violin fashioned out of a butter box, a ruler and an abundance of masking tape – the bow, a stick. She was for certain the envy of the neighborhood. Eventually weaned off the butter/tape axe, she went on to play a real violin – strings and all, for fourteen years. While continuing to pursue greatness in the classical world, Jamie found her voice in her early teens as a member of the interschool Vocal Jazz Ensemble in New York City. In this group she learned that she, known as "the little girl with the big voice," could command attention with her unique sound. This realization gave rise to Jamie’s sound today: honest, bold, soulful and strong.

The granddaughter of a cantor and the youngest of three musically curious children, Jamie grew up surrounded by an array of musical styles. All types of music emanated from the family home: from Sondheim to Chopin, Barry Manilow to the Sex Pistols, traditional Yiddish songs to jazz standards. This mix of styles fueled Jamie’s creativity and curiosity as a performer. On Area, her debut solo CD, Jamie has managed to lasso this multitude of sounds into her own personal signature.

As a songwriter, Jamie first gained attention when her song "It’s Over," co-written by Antoine Silverman, placed sixth in the first International John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Her band at the time, Methuselah Jones, received acclaim for performances at the CMJ Festival and other New York City venues. As co-leader of Methuselah Jones, Jamie worked with noted producers Patrick Dillett (They Might Be Giants, B-52’s) and Rob Stevens (John Lennon Anthology, Yoko Ono).

On area Jamie conveys intimacy and an abundance of strength through her music and lyrics. In certain cases, the lyrics come from another source, and Jamie sets them to music. "If I am not writing the lyric myself, I almost feel that the text that I work from chooses me, although I pretend that I have chosen it!" Jamie says. "I’ll know that I need to set a poem or an idea to music when I find myself singing it as I read it. Or I start to think about it more than anything else, and I find that it simply moves me – without any initial deep analysis of the text. Then I take to task the "burden" of bringing those words to life through music."

Since sawing at the violin in her early years, Jamie has been performing for audiences great and small.

As a vocalist, Jamie has performed as a soloist at both Carnegie Hall and Town Hall in New York City for audiences including the former President Bush. She also performs at some of New York’s finest club venues, including Fez, Makor and The Cutting Room.

Jamie has performed with a cappella groups and gospel choirs; she has participated in the development of off-Broadway shows and gleefully sings on many recordings of friends and colleagues.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars amazing performer, amazing songs, January 1, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Area (Audio CD)

jamie obstbaum is a true artist. her songs are not dull and self-indulgent like a lot of young singer/songwriters are these days. highly recommended. these songs have a lot of character.