| Reviews & Quotes |
Oregonian
“…. a confident leader behind those folk-pop songs…. Joan Meyer, veteran of the Portland folk scene.” —Rob Kelley, Oregonian, Nightcrawler (Friday, May 21, 2004)
Smother.net
“….While each track speaks with high energy in a subtle almost serene way, they range from funky pop to almost R&B (in the classic sense) to a reggae feel… the overall scope of the album is cohesive and original.” —J-Sin, smother.net, June 27, 2004
Fresh New Tunes
“….features very strong vocals reminiscent of a personal hero of mine, Bonnie Raitt… The songwriting is clever, the musicianship is good … All in all a good listen.” —Fresh New Tunes, July 2, 2004
Music Liberation Project
“…there are some very soulful, funky and reflective moments on this album…Meyer goes for a more sultry, seductive voicing… Jessie Rae would be a good opening act for the Portland Blues Festival.” —bb, Music Liberation Project, v2:i4 June/July 2004
Jason Mashak, poet
“Excellent rollicking tune….reminds me of a few songs by The Band, when they really fuse Levon Helm’s rhythms with the song construction.” —Jason Mashak, poet, about the song “Don’t Care”
©
Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
http://www.muzikreviews.com
http://www.bluesmatters.com
May 31, 2004
Out Of The Blue
Genre: Blues, Rock, Reggae, Pop, Country
Label: Independent
The band Jessie Rae, named after the bandleader Joan Meyer's grandmother
(first name) and her sister (middle name), sustain a funky, blues,
rock, reggae beat, with dashes of country throughout their infectious
new release Out Of The Blue.
Meyer's vocal style is reminiscent of Bonnie Raitt. With rich and
smooth tones full of soul drenched from-the-gut inflections, she
follows the one-two punch of the coordinated rhythm section comprised
of herself and Phil Hornik (bass), and Kipp Crawford (drums), punctuated
by stinging guitar lines from the axes of Jim Bronson and Lauren
Semler. Both lead guitar players sound seasoned on all accounts
throughout this solid session.
The production and mix are very good accentuating the strong points
of the band's sound and varying styles. The first three tracks are
addicting, "Blue Armor," "Can You Explain" and
"Around Here," are filled with funky hooks that latch
on and never let you go. Meyer's vocals are right on time and perfectly
keyed for the music; she sounds laid back but expressive, allowing
the blues influence to take precedence in nearly every track. Although
other influences are evident in their sound, the blues seems to
be the common denominator everything else stems from. This one all-important
factor actually makes each track stand on its own with the various
flavors added to the mix. "Say What You Mean" would be
a nice choice for a single to push the band into the different markets
they fit into, which would be contemporary adult, pop, blues and
pop for that particular track. Ironically the one instrumental on
the entire CD is titled "Affectionate Soul," which I could
see having plenty of great lyrical content, yet the title fits the
track very well, it's a warm and rich tapestry of sounds marked
by stellar musicianship.
There is nothing lacking in the variety department on this CD. Everyone
uses his or her talents at the optimal level, which in fact became
obvious to me early on listening to this music. I am glad to say
a good chunk of this CD fits darn snuggly into the da blues-rock
category and amongst others, and that's all right with me.
01. Blue Armor (5:09) 02. Can You Explain (5:27) 03. Around Here
(4:38) 04. Miracle (5:40) 05. Say What You Mean (4:14) 06. Affectionate
Soul (4:17) 07. Walk with You (5:26) 08. It Came Down to Me (5:11)
09. Ground Zero (4:09) 10. Don't Care (3:44)
Rating-8/10
Credits: Joan Meyer-lead vocals, backup vocals, rhythm guitar, bass,
synth Lauren Semler-lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, backup vocals
Jim Bronson-lead guitar, rhythm guitar Matt Burnett-keyboards Wendy
Owens-percussion, backup vocals Kipp Crawford-drums Phil Hornik-bass
Donna Rae-backup vocals Clif Koufman-congas Ian Manheimer-backup
vocals
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©
Music Morsels 2004
http://www.serge.org/MusicMorsels/2004_07/albums.htm#4
Out Of The Blue
Jessie Rae - Out of the Blue The creation of Portland, Oregon
writing tandem Joan Meyer and Lauren Semler creates music with
elements of blues, reggae, folk and an overall mellow vibe graced
with Joan's ambiently intense vocals and great chops from all
the musicians. The journey takes you from Montego Bay in "Blue
Armor" to back alley Memphis in "Can You Explain" and 6th street
in Austin on "Walk With You." The songs also retain a solid pop
slant without compromising the musical integrity. URL: http://www.jessierae.com
E-mail: joan@jessierae.com
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Two
Louies
Oregon Music January 2001
The Good The Bad and the Ugly
S.P. Clarke
"A
Tribute to Jill-Jessie Rae Bassist/songwriter Joan Meyer has a vocal
delivery somewhat similar to that of Chrissie Hynde (or more currently,
perhaps Aimee Mann), but manages to take her music in decidedly
different directions from Hynde, incorporating elements of Jazz
and Folk into her presentation. Here, along with Lauren Semler on
guitar and Jeffrey Graham on drums, she carves a niche for herself
and her band. "Something I Said" is a shimmering piece of work,
that captures a sort of Roxy Music feel and appends it to a catchy
Pop song. "Laced with Sugar" reaches for a mood similar to those
of Kate Bush, with a "yiyiyi-yihi." "Safe and Warm" ricochets with
an upstroke Reggae rhythm and a rubbery syncopated bassline and
a memorable melody, slightly reminiscent to Matthew Wilder's "Break
My Stride." Very nice. Sounding something like the work of early
Heather Nova, "Think Twice" reverberates with incandescent warmth.
Joan Meyer displays a knack for unique combinations of sounds in
association with heartfelt songs. While her productions are fairly
bareboned, there is strength and sinew in her music.
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www.atnzone.com
Jessie
Rae—A Tribute To Jill
"The components that make up this 3 prong acoustic-based band
are Joan M. Meyer doing voice, bass, guitar, and keys. Lauren G.
Semler on guitar, bass, backing vocals. And Jeffrey D. Graham giving
out drums and spoons. Spoons? Don't worry. Our team owes more to
an alt-rock Bonnie Raitt than a Jim Croce, and soft rock tracks
like the beginning 'Bittersweet' make life worth living. Easy going.
'Something I Said' is filled with twisting bed springs and drums,
as the voice asks 'Was it something I said / or was it all in my
head'. Sparse words float around this beauty, as it does with follow
up 'Laced With Sugar', before getting into blues country with 'It's
a Pity'. A full service band giving you lots of sounds, styles,
attitudes. But mostly a gentle kindness you don't hear too often
anymore. This is what I carry away from Jessie Rae. And I'm very
thankful for it."
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Jan
Best — Radio Muse #1
"Jessie
Rae finds a comfortable coexistence with the darker edges of human
existence."
http://www.musesmuse.com/radiomuse.html
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Toni
Land
"I
love the new CD. It has such a great sound and you sound wonderful.
I'm completely enjoying it."
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Willamette
Week
Volume 27, Issue 5 December 6, 2000
"...A
Tribute to Jill shows polish and a lot of promise. All the elements
are there: The sultry and sleepy voice of Joan M. Meyer, expressive
guitar work with blues flourishes, and a steady rhythm section.
The production is clean, and the mix is balanced..."
—Scott D. Lewis
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Lisa
Lepine, Music
Industry Consultant
"The
delicate, bluesy vocals of Jessie Rae...anchors this sultry R&B-influenced
ensemble."
© 2005
Joan M. Meyer. All rights reserved.
Web Queen
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