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Annie Wells Press WORDS ABOUT “Tell Me " Read it online or below: A homecoming for jazz-pop singer Annie Wells Clifton Springs, N.Y. — So when she noticed online that there’s a fairly new monthly series of concerts, dubbed “Tunes by the Tracks,” she knew that was for her. “I contacted them and said, ‘hey, I’d love to play there!’” said the jazz/pop singer, songwriter and vocalist, now living in Rochester. And so she shall, headlining the next installment of the concert series, on Wednesday, Aug. 19, in the Clifton Springs Library. Hosts Allen Hopkins, Cathy McGrath (once a neighbor of Wells in Clifton Springs), Jim Clare and the “Mystery Pickers,” as usual, will also play a set. Wells has four albums to her credit, including the 2009 release, “Tell Me.” Her writing — lyrically and musically — tends toward the melancholy but tinged with hope. As in, for example, the new disc’s “Little Sparrow,” a song inspired by French singer Edith Piaf and embellished with accordion by Ed Marris: “Let me hear your memories
of a life with no regret Or the song “Driving,” which acknowledges a heavy heart — one that sees raindrops falling on a smiling girl’s face as tears — but returns to a theme of perseverance: “... just keep driving, the sun going down behind me, just keep driving into the night ...” “There’s a lot of loss in some of the songs,” Wells said. “It’s safe to say that I write from personal experience; I think most people do. ... I think to make a good song, it’s important to tell a story and make emotional connections with the listeners. I guess that would make me sort of a traditional songwriter.” The twin themes of loss and hope have been evident from the start, reflected in the title of her debut album from 1995, “Sad & Beautiful,” in which she works through the grief from the death of her mother. She’s drawn to those themes in the work of others, as well: “Tell Me” includes one song, “I’ll Guide Your Sweetest Dreams,” written by guitarist Phil Marshall about a dying person reassuring loved ones of his continued presence with them. Strong, pivotal and important women often factor as influences for Wells: Her mother. Piaf. Artist Georgia O’Keeffe, whose fascination with the Southwest is reflected in Wells’ “The Faraway.” Wells’ great-aunt Mary, who never married and ran a farm despite suffering from polio. (Mary, when unable to drive anymore, gave Wells a Rambler station wagon; her reflective ride home is recounted in the song “Mary”: “Mary relied on strength and pride and family ties/And I don’t know if I will see her again/And as I drove 500 miles across Ohio/I left her along ...”) The devotion to one’s craft and passions — and perseverance in seeing them through — is another major Wells theme. “What really struck me (about Piaf) was her devotion to singing — no matter what was going on, the most important thing was singing. Georgia O’Keeffe went to the Southwest for six months (each year),” Wells said. “It’s about keeping true to our vision.” Wells works with developmentally disabled people as her “day job.” Music, however, has been a passion since she was a young child. She remembers hearing her mother play “Fur Elise” on the family piano one day — and picking it out by ear the next day. She continued playing mostly by ear until starting formal lessons at around age 12. And at 16, she began writing songs, influenced by singer-songwriter Laura Nyro and the music heard around the house: Stan Kenton, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Simon & Garfunkel. Wells will bring her portable keyboard to the Clifton Springs show, where she’ll perform solo — though she loves to take on an actual grand piano when the opportunity arises, as in recent, and upcoming, gigs at the Little Theatre cafe in Rochester. (She’ll be playing Sept. 4 and 18 at the East Avenue venue.) “It impacts my performance in a really good way,” she said. If you go: ***** 'Tell Me' CD is compilation of heartfelt stories. Annie
Wells dwells on three songs near the end of her new CD, Tell Me, including
one written by her guitar-guru friend, Phil Marshall. "I told Phil," she
says, "I'm the queen of grief and loss." WORDS ABOUT “Sleepy Town" “Annie Wells' new album Sleepy Town plays out in a way we can all relate to in our efforts to hold onto fleeting childhood wonderment. I don't care who you are: Everybody needs a lullaby. Wells delivers 11 blissfully sleepy vignettes full of innocence and genuine sweetness as seen through the eyes of her nieces and nephews. Wells's beautiful voice is pleasantly plaintive yet reserved, as if she were in church; she's full of the spirit but perhaps a little shy to let it all out full blast. Her piano playing lies just beneath, sparse and proficient, full of thoughtful musical ellipses and counterpoints. Phillip Marshall adds guitar and dobro to further the album's overall dreamy elegance. Have you ever heard this man play? The combination of these two musicians couldn't sound sweeter. Wells' lyrics weigh in loud and clear despite
the hush, addressing things like fireflies, trains, wishing on stars,
and seeing diamonds in the snow. Pleasant and wonderful.” “Yeah, we're relatively grown up. We
pay bills. We have insurance. We willingly watch the news over cartoons
(sometimes). But some hectic nights now and then, who wouldn't mind
being tucked in with a lullaby? That's where Rochester songstress Annie
Wells comes in. Her new release, Sleepy Town, is an assemblage
of pillow-soft ballads delivered with feather-light vocals and a delicate
restraint that will (no matter how much is on your mind) pull you toward
slumber.” “The office was able to mellow a bit
with Annie
Wells' new CD, Sleepy Town, which Wells describes
as "a collection of lullabies for all ages." Pure, simple
innocence drips off these tracks, like Abbott's on a cone, with a vocal
delivery both ethereal and earthy at once. Somewhere between jazzy
and folky, Wells is at home behind her piano, playing notes that dance
next to emoted words of softness, or as she writes in her song, "Powerful
Flower," "she's like a powerful flower." See Annie Wells
perform at the "Music on the Block" along ArtWalk summer
series, on Saturday, June 25th, in front of Craft Company No. 6 (2-4pm).” “Wells’
evocative piano accompaniment complements perfectly her reflective lyrics
and expressive singing … She’s got a warm breathy delivery
and she’s able to move easily from full deep notes to delicate
ethereal highs. Her voice is amazing.” “ … with passionate singing and honest, gospel
tinged vocals, her sophisticated music echos that of Laura Nyro …” “A precise vocal style, whose angelic tones at
times drift to the ethereal … there may be something yearning to
go darker here: Her song 'The Faraway' is based on the letters
of painter Georgia O’Keeffe, a woman of broad, stark colors and
bleached cattle skulls.” WORDS ABOUT “SAD AND BEAUTIFUL” “On each of twelve songs, Annie Wells finds a new
way to surprise her listeners. She stays cool, never using more volume
that she needs, never bringing the pain in a lot of her lyrics up above
the surface of the music. The anger and passion don’t jump up at
you; Wells asks you to look into the music and find them on your own.
Easily bored by pop conventions, she screens her own songs for predictable
melodic, rhythmic or harmonic structures, dickering with them until they
hold her interest from beginning to end …
Wells messes around with a piano with the same idiosyncratic confidence
that [Bruce] Hornsby displays, and goes boldly beyond him in other ways,
challenging the listeners to rethink the definition of a pop song.” “ … 'Sad and Beautiful' was
worth the wait. Wells has made the jump to the same territory worked
by Suzanne Vega and Rickie Lee Jones. She sings more confidently and
more provocatively and her piano style is filled out by inventive work
by her band and guests Mick Fambro and Lalaland’s Phillip Marshall.” “Ultimately, every artist’s work is judged
by the level of emotional contact made between the artist and the listener. ‘Sad
and Beautiful’ builds a powerful connection from the first notes
of the title cut to the moving evocation of loss in 'Rosary,'
the closing song.” WORDS ABOUT “SOMETHING TO DREAM ABOUT”: “This time around, Wells goes for a bigger band
driven sound that creates a point/counterpoint between vocals and music.
This effort allows both to weave and blend beautifully. As an experienced
story teller, she’s constantly casting below the surface in search
of deeper meanings.” “It’s a fine compilation of originals and
two covers that showcase Wells’ substantial vocal gifts as well
as some solid backing by local musicians Phillip Marshall on guitar,
Jon Gary on bass and Seam Sullivan on Drums. Marshall gives Wells’ CD
more of an edge than I’m used to hearing on similar outings. It’s
a nice change of pace.” “She’s always
had one of the nicest singing voices on the Rochester Scene, but on
the new album she sounds a little more like a pop star, thanks to producer
Phil Marshall. 'Something
to Dream About' shows how nicely her voice fits in with a band.
Wells’ soaring voice could lull the listener into a dreamy state
of mind. But then the singer stops singing and wakes you with a whispered
line or two as she does on 'Idaho'.”
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Listen to tracks from Annie Wells' newest release, "Lonely Hearts Club." (click on the cover image for the high res print verson).
Photo of Annie Wells by Scott Cole
Photo of Annie Wells by Scott Cole View a video of Annie performing and being interviewed on RNews. |
