Keri Johnsrud - This Side of Morning

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:31
Size: 111,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:23)  1. From Here
(4:45)  2. When Morning Dawns
(4:30)  3. If and When
(5:45)  4. Everything's Okay
(0:52)  5. Little Dream
(5:49)  6. Here I Am
(6:30)  7. A Thousand Tears
(4:06)  8. Your Way
(6:04)  9. Fly Away
(5:42) 10. The Chameleon

For her sophomore effort This Side Of Morning, vocalist Keri Johnsrud presents a collection of original material co-written with pianist Kevin Bales. Featuring a powerhouse band of Chicago musicians including guitarist Neal Alger, bassist Larry Kohut, drummer Jon Deitemyer, and vibraphonist Stephen Lynerd, Keri explores a range of emotions in what amounts to a book of poetry set to music. Much of the album evokes a sense of hope in times of loss. Keri describes difficult situations with a depth that recalls tenderness, without coming across as trite or campy. Many of the questions asked in the lyrics read rhetorical, as if the overall melancholy tone of the music provides enough of an answer.  The risk in combining elegies in narrative form with improvised music is that the two competing ideologies will create a final product that sounds forced and unnatural. Keri manages to keep things sounding organic by employing a diverse range of musical styles to accompany her through-composed lyrics. The grooves on "From Here" and "The Chameleon" provide welcome contrast to the free form solo sections featured in "A Thousand Tears" and "Fly Away." Keri's crystal clear voice and impeccable intonation allow her to project true sentiment through dense lyrical material on this gem of an album. ~ Ben Scholz https://www.allaboutjazz.com/this-side-of-morning-by-ben-scholz.php?width=1920

Personnel: Keri Johnsrud: Vocals; Kevin Bales: Piano; Neal Alger: Guitar; Larry Kohut: Bass; Jon Dietemyer; Drums

This Side of Morning

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Keri Johnsrud - All Blue

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:56
Size: 114,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:46)  1. Anything Goes
(4:31)  2. (The Old Man from) The Old Country
(4:49)  3. But Beautiful
(4:00)  4. More and More
(5:06)  5. The Great City
(5:49)  6. Cabin
(4:01)  7. For Every Man There's a Woman
(5:10)  8. Cryin' Time
(5:32)  9. A Blossom Fell
(5:06) 10. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

In her long-awaited debut album, All Blue, Keri Johnsrud creates a cool, indigo feeling, a mood of jazz and cocktails, city lights and smoky cafes. This exciting new singer brings us an eclectic assortment of songs, each humming with an urban pulse, dynamic and fresh, yet tinged with a world-weary sophistication. As a third-generation musician, born to a musical family in rural Iowa, Keri draws inspiration from her small town roots while communicating a finesse cultivated in Chicago clubs and lounges. With her subtle, casual delivery, Keri celebrates the universal nature and freedom of jazz by saluting well-known standards and re-imagining classic country and modern classical works. Supported by a superb group of versitile and talented musicians, she contributes her distinct and honest voice to the vibrant future of this music.

"She seamlessly sings Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” to the beautiful and distinctive melody of Miles Davis’s “All Blues.” The melding works wonderfully, as does Johnsrud’s cool and casual delivery throughout this project. Johnsrud’s duet version of “But Beautiful” with (Ari) Seder is just that. A low-key, laid-back beauty." ~ Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes

“Keri Johnsrud has a unique and appealing voice. Sweet, clear and understated, but the girl can tinge it with blue more naturally than many of the female vocalists trying for that vein... A very nice debut from a singer with an appealing combination of talent and taste.”~ Brad Walseth, JazzChicago.net  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kerijohnsrud

All Blue

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