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09/04 Friday
8:00 PM Kate Schutt
"Kate’s economy of phrase and the ability to give her words a universal resonance conjure comparisons to the work of the songsmiths behind the Great American Songbook."
8/19/2009 11:13:47 AM - You could call Kate Schutt a musical triathlete. She is a creative triple threat, as a guitarist, producer and singer/songwriter of rare skill and originality. The sports analogy is fitting, given that her teenage prowess as an ice hockey and lacrosse player helped the Pennsylvania born and bred Schutt gain access to the hallowed halls of Harvard. Her other passion, music, then took over. After a rigorous education at the famed Berklee College of Music, Kate’s commitment to music became entrenched.
Schutt relocated to the artistically-stimulating community of Guelph, Ontario in 2004, and this new Canadian has wasted no time in gaining serious peer and critical respect on this side of the border. Her 2007 debut studio recording, No Love Lost, was self-released in Canada in May, and in the U.S. (on the prestigious ArtistShare label) in October. Select tracks have received impressive airplay on jazz, college, and public radio, and reviews on both sides of the border have been unanimously glowing. A popular performer on the U.S. East Coast circuit, her reputation is now spreading on the Canadian club and festival scene.
She cut her chops on earlier live recordings, and now Kate has blossomed on No Love Lost. “This album is a direct response to the challenge from a professor to write more melodically,” she notes. As a lyricist, this former English major takes a prose-style approach. “I write a lot of the back story before I write a song. For a 3 minute song, there may be 30 pages of writing, as I try to find authenticity in someone else’s story.”
Kate’s economy of phrase and the ability to give her words a universal resonance conjure comparisons to the work of the songsmiths behind the Great American Songbook. Listen to a tune like “How Much Love” and “Two Hearts” and you’ll be checking the songwriting credits, expecting to see the name of one of those greats. That is no accident, either, for that treasure trove has served her as a major source of inspiration.
Key musical collaborators on the album are two Newfoundlanders, virtuoso guitarist Duane Andrews and trumpeter Patrick Boyle. After seeing them the two perform in Montreal, Kate lured them to Guelph to work on her record. “When I moved to Canada, I wanted to make an album that sounded like Paris in the ‘30s or ‘40s. Then I heard Duane, and it was like ‘that’s totally it.’” Andrews’ fluent guitar work adds a Django-ish gypsy jazz feel to the album, and it meshes perfectly with Kate’s own compelling fretwork on electric guitar and the 8 string, a guitar/bass hybrid.
Kate Schutt’s musical potential is seemingly unlimited. She is already writing a new record, set for release in August. It is keenly anticipated, but in the meantime, immerse yourself in No Love Lost. You stand to gain a serious new musical love.
NO LOVE LOST / All About Jazz.com / Review
8/19/2009 11:12:25 AM - The debut studio recording of American singer-songwriter/guitarist Kate Schutt combines old school gypsy jazz aesthetics and Schutt's wise, original words, persuasive melodies and economic arrangements. Schutt, who relocated to Guelph, Ontario and produced this fine recording, offers ten well-articulated and melodic song-stories, which cover different but never simple aspects of love. One bold cover that stands out is Sheila E's “Glamorous Life.”
Schutt's main collaborators are Newfoundlanders, guitarist Duane Andrews bringing with him a Django gypsy jazz feel accompanied and often complimented by trumpeter Patrick Boyle. Schutt's sweet, warm voice and clear phrasing command attention for the universal resonance of her lyrics, often sounding like old-school standards written for the Broadway stage, like the opening track “How Much in Love.” However, the following track, “Wrecking Ball,” proves Schutt's point: the song flows between Andrews' gentle gypsy-like riffs, Boyle's trumpet hooks, and Paul Raddick's harmonica work alongside Schutt's skeletal guitar and suggestive vocals. All the players trade solos in such an organic manner that the chorus can be hummed mid-song.
"From the first notes I heard, I knew Kate was the real deal. A huge talent."
-- Maria Schneider
"Kate Schutt's masterful NO LOVE LOST is meticulously composed and beautifully performed."
-- ALL ABOUT JAZZ, Eyal Hareuveni
"Opening the show was singer/songwriter KATE SCHUTT. Still little known here, she made plenty of converts with a lovely set that had the crowd paying close attention to her subtly-crafted compositions and to the skilled accompaniment of her rhythm section. One to watch."
-- Tandem Online Magazine
"With songs that flow seamlessly from track-to-track, Kate displays
the poise and execution of a seasoned performer on a major label.
From the provocative string arrangements on the projects' opening
song, "How Much In Love," to the most commercial track,
"Raining," this CD is a treat for both new and old school lovers of
Jazz (who will especially appreciate the stellar "Wrecking Ball").
Other gems that fortify this project, "Two Halves," "The Moon
Got Broken," and "I'm Yours" make this a CD that can - and
should - be listened to in its entirety for a more fulfilling and
complete experience. Not to be overlooked is the spunky, Jazzy
rendition of Sheila E's "Glamorous Life," which was bold, ambitious,
and successful."
-- THE MUSE'S MUSE, Gian Fiero
I'm kicking myself that I missed Kate Schutt's recent visit to the Tin Angel. Her self-released and exquisitely produced "No Love Lost" (A-) is one of the finer female singer-songwriter sets of the year. Fans of Norah Jones will feel the warmth.
-- PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, Jonathan Takiff
"Guelph-based singer-songwriter Kate Schutt has released an impressive debut CD entitled NO LOVE LOST. Everything about it -- from the production to the song writing, playing and singing, to the CD packaging -- signals a sophistication seldom seen or heard from a young, independent artist. All of the songs but one are written by Schutt and she shows a nice gift for story-telling and poetic introspection."
-- WHOLE NOTE, Cathy Riches
The arrangements, liberal in their use of instruments but sparse yet indelible in their appearance, are deft as solos fade in and out, magically appearing and disappearing. Just as the listener becomes aware of the spectacular playing of one, such as the kick-ass harmonica on "Wrecking Ball", the sultry piano solo of "How Much In Love" or the striking trumpet of "The Young", another comes along to take its place as ghosts of almost forgotten romances.
Perhaps the most shocking song on the album in its unrecognizability is "Glamorous Life" made famous by Sheila E. Schutt takes a sledge hammer to the original, knocking the 'glamorous' right out, leaving the nakedness of the 'life' of a woman who chose to take a certain path concerning love.
NO LOVE LOST, currently scaling effortlessly up Exclaim Magazine's Jazz charts and appearing on national top-ten jazz playlists, is a heart-wrenchingly beautiful work that you will find yourself reaching for longingly and lovingly.
-- THE LIVE MUSIC REPORT, Laila Boulos
"The jazz leanings are there, but it's more about the improvisational style, and certainly the fearlessness of Monk, that translates more directly. She's been called folk/jazz, Monk/folk, fusion, Lilith/jazz, and God knows what else. Really though, the label doesn't matter. Schutt is just a consummate professional, and an artistic workhorse, and one who truly deserves your audience."
-- ECHO MAGAZINE, Guelph, ON
"A jazz interpretation of Janet Jackson's MISS YOU MUCH strips a manufactured song down to guitar and vocals and displays Schutt's strength as an arranger as well as a performer."
-- WILMINGTON NEWS JOURNAL, George Tsakataras
Schutt's song about unrequited love, “Peter Please,” and her treaty of true love, “I'm Yours,” unite her with Bostonian blues vocalist Toni Lynn Washington, who contributes inspired backing vocals for the former, upbeat blues song and calm and sober reflection of a relationship on the latter. “Two Halves” sounds like another standard about a careless love affair. Schutt's anatomy of new love, “The Young,” demonstrates her abilities as a guitarist on a hybrid 8-string guitar/bass—interacting beautifully with Boyle and Andrews—and her storytelling skills. “Glamorous Life” is a sensual rendition of vocalist/percussionist Sheila E's song about a rushed and vain love affair, with Schutt injecting a bebop sensibility into this pop classic.
Kate Schutt's masterful No Love Lost is meticulously composed and beautifully performed.
ALL ABOUT JAZZ, Eyal Hareuveni