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Visit The House Concert European Hub (& Acoustic Music Club Network)

This is a network of musicians, fans and hosts that connect to put on shows in homes throughout Europe. Check it out!

It is:
www.jeneehalstead.com
Check it!

Folky Americana at it’s best.
For a self-released album to reach the pages of Heaven Magazine, it has to bring something you don’t hear so quickly on other cds. In the case of The River Grace, the debut album by the American singer-songwriter Jenee Halstead, it’s a combination of exceptional songs, great singing (angel-like and yet rootsy), exquisite instrumentation and a unique style, all Halstead’s own, somewhere between folk, pop, country and gospel. Housed in a beautiful digipack, it makes The River Grace one of the best Americana albums of 2008, a fact that opened itself up to me when I had marked half of the ten songs for ripping onto my computer the first time I heard the cd. It’s a tally which I seldom reach and is even put into more perspective when I note that such moving songs as Nick Drake and St. Peter weren’t even included. Subtly instrumented, with such rootsy instruments as dobro, pedal steel and mandolin, next to acoustical instruments like guitar, piano and upright bass, The River Grace is a cd that not only will enthrall lovers of rootsy singer-songwriters, but also appeal to fans of wonderful instrumental craft. Having said that, we already can’t wait for Jenee’s next album, as this goes way beyond being promising.
**** Pieter Wijnstekers

I am working on a four song EP that should come out some time in late April.  It is mostly songs that I have co-written with my friends Tom Combs and David Wax in a project called Hollow Bones.  In fact, one of the beautiful songs on the EP is a country waltz called "Hollow Bones."
We are recording bit by bit at Streetlight Sound studio in Somerville.  David Piper, the owner of the studio and engineer posted a little sample of the song "La Luna Roja" in its most basic form.  You can listen to it by clicking the link below, going to the blog section of his site, and scrolling down to the January 12, 2009 post.  Enjoy!
http://www.streetlightsound.com/

Great Question!  

BROKEN BLOSSOMS!

Jenee Halstead - Voice
Andy Cambria - Guitar
David Goldenberg - Mandolin
Kimber Ludiker - Fiddle
Simon Chrisman - Bass
Charlie Rose - Banjo

http://www.myspace.com/brokenblossomsband

http://www.ilike.com/artist/Broken+Blossoms


Hello, all. The tunes from our EP are up--please feel free to download
them directly from MySpace (with the mandatory proviso that the
MySpace player makes things sound generally crummy ... but if you use
one of those "mp3 player" things the kids these days seem to love,
well, you'll probably be OK). Some quick notes on the EP:

All the tracking was done live in the Sanctuary Hall at the Unity
Church of God in Somerville, MA--one close mic on everything and two
large-diaphragm condensers higher up in the hall for room tone. Some
additional vocal recording was done by Jason Dunn at Mad Science
Studios in Allston, MA.

"Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning" is a trad. spiritual you've
probably heard in one form or another if you're a fan of folk/
bluegrass/delta blues.

"A Wife So Young" was written by Jenee Halstead and Andy Cambria.

"Little Josie" and "Preacher" were written by Andy Cambria.

All the arrangements are by Broken Blossoms.

We'd like to give big thank-yous to the artists whose work is on
display in our photo section -- Molly Bosley and Gretjen Helene
Hargesheimer. Please message us if you're interested in contacting
them.

THANKS!

BB

I finally got myself together enough to sit down and write a recap of 2008.  It was  wonderful year! Here are the  highlights:
 
-Released “The River Grace” debut album to the Boston area on April 10th and nationally on June 3rd.  The album was produced, mixed and mastered by Evan Brubaker. 

- A sold out local CD Release show at Club Passim in Harvard Sq. on April 10t with Yep  Rock recording artists Chatham County Line.

- Cover of the Boston Globe Sidekick for the week of April 10th.

-A half hour interview and album highlights on April 19th with Brad Paul on his WGBH “Folk On Demand” show.
If you missed it, you can stream the archive here:
http://www.wgbh.org/article?item_id=2793034
Once you get to this link you must click on "Hear the latest edition of Folk on WGBH."
Click on the "previous track" button to get to April 19th and there you have it! If you do not want to listen to the entire program, scroll in to the 60 minutes. I am the 4pm slot.

- Opened for Shawn Colvin on June 25th at the legendary Birchmere Music Hall in Alexandria, VA.

- Many enthusiastic live performance and album review in local, national and international publications.  You can find these on my website under “reviews.”

- Bob Harris of BBC Radio 2 fame played the song “Deep Dark Sea” on 10/11/08:
http://www.bobharris.org/pages/playlist.asp?progcode=s11102008

- Chosen as a 2008 Emerging Artist for Falcon Ridge Folk Festival

- The birth of a new bluegrass band, The Broken Blossoms:
http://www.myspace.com/brokenblossomsband

If I missed anything, let me know!

"The River Grace" opens with sandpaper percussion and producer Evan Brubaker's high-strung guitar, introducing a sound one step left of typical roots music. Sure, you'll hear dobro aplenty and down-tempo tunes throughout. You'll also find keyboard effects and a song called Nick Drake. But it's Halstead's voice that makes "The River Grace" stand out. She treads in Alison Krauss/Patty Griffin territory with vocals that ache, whisper, and resonate. The album's strongest songs contrast dark tales with the vulnerability in Halstead's voice. "Darkest Day" spins a yarn about young lovers, petty criminals rushing headlong into tragedy. The I in "Drunkard's Lullaby" tells her man to sleep it off in the tank until "you know what your name is." The narrator of "Dusty Rose" smells a fragrance on her man she recognizes from a woman they'd run into at the county fair. She sends him away with this brutal gotcha song, despite their 25-year relationship and her fondness for the scent. Such surprises help make "The River Grace" a strong debut. ©

View review!

This is very exciting indeed and a great honor! I was in the audience last year cheering for my friend Chris O'Brien while he performed during the showcase. It is a lovely weekend overall, and I urge everyone to come! Great fun ideed. The showcase is on Friday, July 25 from noon until 5pm. The festival actually starts on Thursday, July 24 and goes until Sunday. Please come and cheer me on!

FRFF/Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase and Festival:

Click here!

On Tap, Washington DC's entertainment magazine for music, arts and culture, has written a beautiful review of the new cd. Here is what they wrote:

Effortlessly unifying the realms of delta blues, folk, and the popular idiosyncratic female pop genre, Jenee Halstead is as much a product of contemporary times as she is of the tumultuous '60s when folk and pop music took on the heavy task of providing solace and escape to an entire generation. Halstead's voice is as beautiful as her music is gracefully crafted. "The River Grace" may well be the first movements of a rising star. — Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson