Jo Gabriel is best known for her intuitive control of the piano, her ethereal voice and the unique depth of her songwriting. Often assumed to be classically trained, Jo is completely self taught.
She has this to say about herself and her career :-
I’m a singer/songwriter pianist and poet originally from New York although I’ve temporarily settled in the Midwest where I live on my beloved Starkweather Creek which literally stirs at my back door. I still consider myself a New York based artist, as I still hold very dear my long term affiliations with Mike Fazio of Faithstrange and my drummer Linda Mackley. It has been said about me most that my intuitive control of the piano is striking, I possess a dynamically ethereal vocal range and that there is a unique depth to my songwriting. Although it is often assumed that I am a classically trained pianist, I am completely self taught, discovering that I could write these little progressions on the piano at age 8.
I am honored to have been compared to Kate Bush, Harold Budd,Cocteau Twins, Laura Nyro and Hannah Fury, amongst others.
My most vivid inspirations come from growing up in a very artistic/theatrical home listening to everything from Show Tunes to Opera to my most influential iconic singer/songwriter Cat Stevens who moved me with his stirring, fluid chord changes and magnificent orchestrations. Part of the essence of my instinctive emotionally visceral theatrical style may be attributed to my Gypsy lineage. Perhaps that’s another reason I started to play the concertina recently. I don’t consider myself a story teller, but rather more of a revelatory and referential songwriter. I was discovered by international label Kalinkaland Records and released [album]Island[/album] worldwide in July 2005. The album is being distributed in the US by Sam Rosenthal’s Projekt Records. “Island” also features the incredible work of avant-garde cellist Matt Turner.
Being particularly prolific these days, I am in the process of developing another album through my own Ephemera called “Down The Rabbit Hole”. This album will be a collection of my first never before heard songs, written between 1990-92, exactly as I sat and played them from their inception in my boxer shorts, drinking coffee at my piano at 3am, cats walking about the house, often on or across the piano keys and me…finally tapping into the identity that was trembling below the surface. It was the time of my pomo epiphany, when I discovered my true artist within.
I am currently in the studio working on pulling together a collection of songs that will culminate into an album called “Hunting Down The Ceremony”. A gathering up of many never before heard tracks, a few new things and songs that have been scattered to the winds on either compilations or are parts of film soundtracks.
My second album on Kalinkaland Records, Fools and Orphans is due out in the Fall 2008. They will be issuing a very gothic European version in the style of 4AD.
As a treat, I will be releasing a limited artist’s version of the album which has a very warm and richly intimate stage orchestral vibe reminiscent of that ’70’s singer/songwriter feel. “Fools and Orphans” also features a guest vocal appearance by Hannah Fury on a track called “The Habits of Shadows,” as well as the extraordinary work of musicians Linda Mackley on timpani+percussion, Stephanie Rearick on Trumpet, Wendy Schneider(ShooterJane)on acoustic guitar, Mark Urness on Bowed Upright Bass and once again Matt Turner playing cello. I consider this to be my masterwork to date featuring some of my most substantively poetic lyrics yet. I also played my concertina “Ruby” (I name everything ) on the track “Of Love and Ether.”
My special artist’s limited release will officially be available exclusively through Ephemera on May 7th 2008!
You can read a little bit about my latest Gothic/Neo Classical albums The Amber Sessions and The Last Drive In here at my myspace page -
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=51250818
