Jamie Leonhart: News & Musings

I have been chosen as a featured artist on mycoke.com. They have appropriately chosen to highlight my song "icy drink," a playful summery number, on their site.

Unless you already own a limited-edition copy of this tune (hooray for you) this will be the only place to hear and download it, maybe ever.

So here's what to do:

1. Log on to www.mycoke.com 2. On the menu, click "media central"
3. Click on "music"
4. Click on the second "pop"
5. Voila - click on "icy drink" to listen and download.

Enjoy.

All joking aside, I think that I am obsessed with Elvis Costello. As I type, I hope that maybe he'll read this and...? I don't know what the "and" is, but it's surely something good.

I saw him perform twice this week, once at the special webcast at the Ed Sullivan Theater, then at the Nokia Theater for a full show - 2+ hours of amazing songs performed passionately by the whole band.

It's the vitality, daring, passion and intelligence that I am drawn to. The commitment to creating, learning and the pushing of the expected boundaries.

Maybe I'm not obsessed, just deeply deeply inspired.

x jamie

The past few weeks have been amazing and tense and promising and nerve-wracking. Life, right?

We completed recording and mixing my CD and are now sitting with a potential order. I think that the release will not officially be until the early fall, but some leaks will probably occur...
I have the good fortune of having amazing talent on my CD, including:

Gary Wang
Marc Dalio
Joe Strasser
Katie Scheele
Rob Jost
Paul Olenick
Michael Blake
Gili Sharett
Christine Kim
and many other extremely talented folks.

Michael's production and arrangements are amazing.

I'm happy.

Also happy about a great show the other night at Rockwood Music Hall. My favorite place to play in NYC. I had such a good time at the show and then playing with both Michael and Paul Brill in the subsequent sets.

Then, last night, my band (Marc, Gary and Michael) and I piled into a minivan and recorded a show for WVIA's "homegrown" radio show, which will air in June. Exact dates to be posted.

In all, I feel very alive. present. trepidatious. excited.

It's rare that business and pleasure work so well together...at least in my life's experience. But I am getting a taste of it right now. I'm in San Francisco, playing some shows that pay well (lhallelujah!) AND I'm spending time with my siblings and niece, AND my husband is in my group, so I don't have to be without him. Sometimes, life is really good.

I just got a first look at the photo from a shoot I did for this new CD and I am so excited. They are just beautiful. I can not wait to share them with you all. Check back soon...

The album (yes, I still say album) is coming along really well, and with it the challenges of "self-definition". It's a funny thing, making an album, or I suppose any artistic/creative endeavor that is product based.

Essentially, I, or anyone else in this spot, am trying to define a part of myself, sometimes small, sometimes almost too great to contain, in one piece of work. A collection of songs, with artwork and photos. And that's going to define me to a certain - hopefully (?) large - group of people who know nothing else of me but that.

Makes me a little queasy, I have to admit. Queasy and faint, as some of my friends would say.

When i am in the moment of creating, I don't worry about these things. It's just in the quiet times that I get a bit anxious.

So bring on the din...

A pared down “live” performance of Michael’s music will be streamed this Tuesday, 1/2/07 at 9 PM on WVAI’s “Homegrown Music” radio show. Michael, Gary and I went down to Pittston, PA for a late night performance and interview. Some sublime stuff to be heard. Enjoy!

To hear the stream, follow this link:
http://www.wvia.org/radio/homegrown.html

2006 was a pretty radical year -- the challenges and growth I've encountered throughout the year propel me into this next year with great joy, drive and creativity.

I have been fortunate to play with some amazing musicians, in both my group and other’s.

I have had the good fortune of meeting you all, and bending your ears with my stories and song. Thank you for your support. I’m looking forward to exploding into this new year with you both behind and in front of me!

I wish you all a happy, healthy, peaceful and prosperous new year, full of possibility.

xo jamie

We had an amazing and intense 24-hours at the Clubhouse Studio in Rhinebeck, NY. Amazing equipment, AMAZING band.

We tracked 8 tunes and they came out so beautifully. So now the sleeves are rolled up and we're deep into it. We're going to have some guest artists and producers put their touches on it. As soon as something is ready, I'll post a limited "leak" on my myspace page...

more to come.
happy, merry, peaceful and prosperous.
xo j

My amazing band and I are going up to The Clubhouse, a recording studio located in Rhinebeck, New York, to begin recording this body of music that you've been hearing (and loving, it seems) in our live performances.

I am so excited to hear these songs realized "larger than life." We've spent a lot of time crafting and cultivating, and now it's time to put it out there.

Some of the tunes we'll be recording:

Take Your Time
The Spider & the Fly
The Truth About Suffering (Slow Down)
Satisfy Your Soul
Who Says Words
The End of It All
and more...

I'll keep updating as it all unfolds...