Jazz-based singer/songwriter whose rich vocals combine with complex, organic songs that are threaded with jazz via piano, guitar, violin, trumpet and more...Featuring the legendary Robben Ford.

13 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Jazz Vocals, EASY LISTENING: Crooners/Vocals



Details:
With a voice that has been compared to k.d. lang and Joni Mitchell, Shea has cultivated her own unique sound through hard work, intense study and good, old-fashioned practice.
Fresh out of college, where she studied music and film, Shea played in most of the Hollywood nightclubs with her alternative rock band, Forrest Lawn (seriously, that was their name). After they disbanded, Shea began to learn, study and sing jazz standards - almost every night - all over Hollywood and Los Angeles. As her repertoire rapidly developed, Shea joined a swing band called, The Little Big Band, and began to play with an array of talented jazz musicians. Shea recorded several demos, subsequently outgrowing each one. All the while, she was quietly writing and polishing her own original material. The combined influences of her rock background, her academic music education, and her burgeoning obsession with jazz were beginning to coalesce into a very fresh and specific sound in Shea's voice, presentation and songwriting. Shea then relocated to the Bay Area to record an EP with Grammy Award winning Fantasy producer Michael Rosen. This was the first foray into recording Shea's original pieces, which featured musicians Bill Ortiz, Karl Perazzo and Trevor Dunn. Songs from this release, "Smolder", were chosen to be played on MTV's "Road Rules", from which Shea developed a deep reverance for the royalty check.
Recently Shea has recorded an album of 10 original songs, with a few additional covers thrown into the mix. This music falls more into the singer/songwriter genre, but has a strong flavor of jazz woven throughout. Working with musicians such as David Ewell on bass, Noam Lemish on piano, Alex Aspinall on drums, Bill Ortiz on trumpet (again!), and the legendary Robben Ford on guitar allows the music from this album to fluidly touch on the musical genres of jazz, vocal piano pop, as well as the moodier, singer/songwriter camp. From the sultry, "Soothe Me" to the upbeat, "Sands of Time", Shea's sound is distinctly her own. Of the release, Taxi focused on Shea's voice, stating, "(The) vocals are strong, very engaging and compelling. As a listener, I was pulled in." One fan said, "..A very unique jazz voice with a mellifluous timbre..."
Her recent sold-out performance at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival has opened the eyes and ears of many appreciative new listeners. Festival Director, Jessica Felix said,
"I rarely hear vocalists of Shea's quality -- her heartfelt approach to the music is very natural ...I think Shea can be one of the jazz world's success stories in the next few years."
The rich and textured quality of Shea's voice appeals to the most discerning of listeners, while her songs grow finer and deeper with each listen. She is gracefully navigating the fine line between the authentic singer/songwriter and the accomplished jazz vocalist.