Elizabeth Carpenter
Elizabeth Carpenter has been performing in the Seattle area for 20 years - first as a back-up singer for the band Phineas Gage - her band-mates heard her original tunes and encouraged her to play out on her own. Many became her supporting players and she embarked on producing 3 CD's of her songs plus 2 arrangements of Hoagy Carmichael standards on "Flirting". She started playing and composing after her feet went kaput as a dancer (her last days as a modern dancer were at The Juilliard School) she took-up guitar & songwriting as her next art form. She originally set off on documentary film-making after Julliard (receiving a BFA in Film from New York University) but music became more a more compelling interest. She performs as The Elizabeth Carpenter Quartet, Trio, Duo and solo, with a repertoire of over 60 standard jazz & pop tunes. And, she performed as a singer/songwriter/guitarist for 12 years with her original jazz/soul/folk/indie-rock songs - featured on her 3 CD's: The Blueweed Songs, Emergency Love & Flirting. For most bookings, she now concentrates as a vocalist and incorporates her original music with jazz standards. Her performances can cater to the needs of the client or venue - cocktail parties or venues that want the jazz classics or clubs/events wanting her original music. Her work as a jazz & standards vocalist began with well-known pianist & composer Victor Janusz. She sings on his duet "Guadalupe" - on his CD "Cosmo Street": www.victorjanusz.com and available here on CDBaby! The Elizabeth Carpenter Ensemble includes: Conlin Roser on guitar Erik Anderson on drums, Greg Glassman on electric bass Tobi Stone on saxophone (bass & alto) and on flute (of The Tiptons & Reptet fame) Amy Denio on sax/accordian (of The Tiptons) Dave Carter on trumpet/flugel horn (of Skerik's Syncopated Taint) Ty Baillie - keyboardist Jeff Busch - Latin Percussion (Tumbao) Paul Rucker - cello Original songs-style: Carpenter's Dissonant Roots Music evolved from blues, jazz, rock, R&B, Latin and folk traditions. She plays a finger-style guitar on an electric hollow-body Alvarez with a sound marked by the use of dissonant chords, complex rhythms, lyrics that straddle the comic-melancholic zone and sung in a rich, wide-ranging alto. Audiences have compared her to Joni Mitchell, Beth Orton, Dido, Cassandra Wilson, Aimee Mann and the classic jazz singers like Peggy Lee and Julie London. Recordings: *Flirting... Released November 2005 *Cosmo Street - 1 track, "Guadalupe" a duet with Victor Janusz © 2004 *Emergency Love - a 14 track CD on Blueweed Records © 2003 *First, Last, Deposit - a compilation CD for the non-profit org. Noel House © 2003 *The Blueweed Songs - a 14 track CD on Blue Girl Records © 2001 Elizabeth Carpenter - a 5 track EP © 1998 Some of her Seattle performance venues are: The Tractor Tavern The Stratus Room - a private venue of the Columbia Tower Club Egan's Jam House in Ballard Experience Music Project * Liquid Lounge Seattle Art Museum - After Hours Series Nordstrom's, Downtown Seattle Nov. 26th, '04 with Victor Janusz - CD release of "Cosmo Street" Northwest Folk Life Festival [2001, 2002, 2004] Thumper's Oak Room Cabaret ToST Salty's at Alki (with Victor Janusz Trio) Pellini, Madison-Renaissance Hotel 3rd Place Books The O Lounge Conor Byrne Pub Seattle Academy of Fine Art Benefit Gilda's Club Benefit Greater Seattle Business Association Benefit Cascades Conservation Partnership& NW Ecosystem Alliance Benefit @ Woodland Park Zoo Le Pichet Eva's Wine Bar & Restaurant Panamonica's - Tacoma Artist Trust Art Auction LoFi Alexa's Cafe - Bothell The Bait House Zeitgeist Café Jag Studios Hop Vine Pub Mr. Spot's Chai House Columbia City BeatWalk Alibi Room Sit & Spin Seattle Fringe Theatre Festival 2002 (Three by One & One by Three: wrote/performed 5 theatre songs for Union Actors @ Work) Radio: *Appeared on KUOW's "The Beat" on Feb. 13th, 2006 & on Nov. 5th, 2003, live performance & interview *Appeared on KBCS's "Lunch with Folks" on Oct. 23rd, 2003, live performance & interview TV: Channel 29 (Public Access, Seattle) The Swoop Show, Nov.19th, 2003 @ 8:00 PM Channel 29 (Public Access, Seattle) Club Diversity, July 13th, 2004 @ 6:00 pm with Victor Janusz. Commissions: Seattle Public Library - 2 songs for the 2002 Annual Staff Day and for the closing ceremony of the old Central Branch in 2001. Union Actors @ Work - for the Seattle Fringe Theatre Festival 2002 (Three by One & One by Three: wrote/performed 5 theatre songs) Has split gigs with: Jim Page The Paul Rucker Ensemble Aiko Shimada Bill Horist Picoso Cuchata Todd Werny (of Diamond Fist Werny) David Russell Mische Eddins Jill Cohn JR Willow Laura Viers Tiger Zane Katya Chorover Major influences: Chris Whitley Waldemar Bastos Kurt Weill Nick Drake Marvin Gaye Al Green Tom Waitts Gillian Welch Laura Nyro Joni Mitchell Duke Ellington Hoagy Carmichael Stephen Sondheim