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Bonnie J Jensen

"This is an experienced singer... and it's the combination of innocence and sexy womanliness somewhere in the timbre of her voice that lets you know it." Shane Nichols - www.allaboutjazz.com, Oct '01

Introducing a versatile singer, songwriter and piano player and recording artist. Born in New Zealand but based in Sydney for many years, Bonnie J Jensen has performed in a variety of musical settings in Australia and continues to spend a large amount of each year working internationally.

February 2007 marked the release of her third album The Sapphire Tree, a collection of songs she says was inspired by the sounds of instrumentalists she works with, and by noticing audiences' reactions to live performances. In 2006 Bonnie started working with Miroslav Bukovsky and the core musicians of his ARIA winning jazz group Wanderlust. Naturally, they are featured on The Sapphire Tree (two of them also played on her previous album) and together they've created a certain warm sound of musical integrity with a contemporary and European flavor. This compliments Bonnie's soulful interpretations well and subtly enhances her unique approaches to this diverse selection of songs, which includes three new engaging originals.

The Australian Weekend Review review in February 2007 mentioned that she draws "…on many influences, sounding sometimes reminiscent of Renee Geyer, at others traces of Peggy Lee or Sarah Vaughan emerge…".

Bonnie handled the production and arranging of this album mostly herself though she is keen to acknowledge the contributions of the stellar array of musicians on hand. In addition Bukovsky wrote the horn and cello arrangements.

Listeners familiar with her previous work will appreciate Bonnie's signature treatments of classic songs, both jazz standards and pop classics. "I love finding a damn good song that's really well loved, blurring the genres, and giving it a reincarnation of sorts", says Jensen.

Here she has reworked U2's "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" by changing the meter and adding Bukovsky's haunting horn arrangement. Her rendition of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing", like many of the tracks on this album, displays the wide emotional range of her voice and Bonnie's own "Neon Soliloquy" is said to be reminiscent of Miles Davis' film sound track for "Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud". Some of her favourite jazz numbers are included to great effect such as "Night and Day", "Angel Eyes" and "A Night In Tunisia" and the album ends with a beautiful prayer of a song by legendary American drummer Brian Blade who worked with Joni Mitchell for many years.

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SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (Review Section) Written by Robin Lyman

Sunday, April 8, 2007

"A Pacific Princess Returns"

It’s always a pleasure to welcome a real jazz talent back in town, and Tuesday sees the return of Bonnie J Jensen to the lobby lounge of the InterContinental Hong Kong, where she last appeared in the winter of 2005.

Jensen, born in New Zealand, but now well established on the jazz scene in Australia and Japan, managed the difficult trick during her last residency of creating the intimacy of a small club performance in the vast harbour-view lounge. Rather than admiring the lights, people headed over to the piano to listen to her sing.

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Primary Instrument

Vocals

Location

Sydney

Willing to teach

Beginner to advanced

Credentials/Background

Bonnie provides a supportive learning environment, teaching people of all ages and abilities, from absolute beginners, to professionals who wish to fine-tune their skills or prepare for recordings. Having produced 3 of her own (4) albums, Bonnie is also able to lend her arranging, songwriting and production abilities to your project. Lessons are tailored depending on your goals, experience and current ability and can cover: building a healthy technique, stage performance, fundamental vocal anatomy, tone development, pitch and ear training, interpretation, fundamental keyboard skills, harmony and theory, chart writing and transposition, transcription and improvisation

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