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Karen Lane

KAREN LANE originally from Perth Western Australia, moved to Sydney in 1990. Her initial grounding was the graveyard shift in seedy Kings Cross, with 10 piece original soul funk band, The Hard Word. Her first foray into Jazz quickly followed with the formation of The Eclectics, a sophisticated lounge trio playing standards. She won coveted slots, including headline at 1993 Western Australia's York Jazz Festival, and support for the elite British jazz pianist, Julian Joseph, during his 1994 Australian tour, at Sydney¹s premier jazz club the Basement.

In 1993 Lane formed her first original band Deluge and between 1994 and 1997 established her song writing and band leading credentials culminating in the debut of her original acid jazz band, Substance, at the prestigious Bacardi Club for the 1995 Sydney International Arts festival. During this period she also wrote and produced music for a NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art) dance production "Appetite" which was featured at the Melbourne International Arts Festival. From her experience as one of the few song writing and band leading females in an Australian music scene dominated by mass marketed, made to order young popstars, Lane conceived the idea that became Bloomers, an independent recording project for women singer songwriters. She secured government funding and recorded 17 women from around Australia. The Bloomers compilation CD was released with considerable national print, radio and TV coverage in August 1998 through Roadshow/Warners music.

In 1997, before Lane relocated to Singapore she recorded her original album titled "Sheherazade 1001 nights", and was subsequently invited back to Australia to perform at the 1998 Go Girl! Festival celebrating International Women¹s Day, to a 10,000 strong crowd in The Domain¹ Sydney. In Singapore from 1997 to 1999 Lane worked extensively singing sessions, writing and performing in various jazz clubs and hotels including the renowned Raffles Hotel.

Since moving to London in 2000, Karen has established a UK audience and has release five UK albums 'Once In A Lifetime' in 2002, and 'Taste' in 2004. A favourite choice for Michael Parkinson’s BBC Radio 2 programme, with the recommendation "A lovely singer Highly Recommended".

After appearing successfully as a duo with Paul Malsom, the UK guitarist, at The Sevenoaks Festival, Karen and Paul decided to record an album of their favourite songs. The result was ‘I Can’t Help It’ that was released in 2006 on the '33 records' label. The album features their cover of Bob Marley's song 'Is This Love', which is popular download on iTunes.

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5
Album Review

Karen Lane Organ Project: Two Steps from the Blues

Read "Two Steps from the Blues" reviewed by Geno Thackara


From intimate singer-songwriter crooning to bossa nova, Karen Lane and her versatile voice have graced many a stage in quite different contexts. The blues have always been an ingredient in there as well--albeit an infrequent one usually represented by the occasional encore--so it was probably inevitable that this facet of her personality would get its own outlet at some point. She cites Sarah Vaughan's Sarah Sings Soulfully (Roulette, 1963) as a lifelong staple and inspiration for this recording, while also ...

10
Take Five With...

Take Five With Karen Lane

Read "Take Five With Karen Lane" reviewed by Karen Lane


Meet Karen Lane: Originally from jny: Perth then jny: Sydney and Singapore and has been resident in London for the last 14 years. She has released five albums to rave reviews and played London's most prestigious jazz clubs including Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho and Ronnie Scotts with musicians including Jamie Cullum, Geoff Gascogne, Enzo Zirilli, Renato D'Aiello and Alec Dankworth. She's found herself singing in exotic places she'd never imagined she'd see including Sicily, Portafino, Nice, Monte Carlo, ...

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Recording

"Once In A Lifetime" Debut Album from Karen Lane Now Available

"Once In A Lifetime" Debut Album from Karen Lane Now Available

Source: All About Jazz

“Karen Lane is a fresh voice and presence on the UK jazz vocal scene. She has what I would describe as a rare combination of musicianship, technique and just plain “feel": one can sense that, even at this early stage of her European sojourn, her potential is that of someone who could command a worldwide, rather than a merely local, audience." --Keith Shadwick (London Jazz writer and critic, Jazzwise Magazine)

To see what the UK's leading Jazz Magazine ...

"Karen Lane is a fresh voice and presence on the UK jazz vocal scene and someone who has the ability to build a substantial career for herself. She has what I would describe as a rare combination of musicianship, technique and just plain "feel": one can sense that, even at this early stage of her European sojourn, her potential is that of someone who could command a worldwide, rather than a merely local, audience." Keith Shadwick Jazz writer and critic

"A lovely singer Highly Recommended". Michael Parkinson’s BBC Radio 2

"When you hear her softly Latinised account of On Green Dolphin Street here, the band resembles Astrud Gilberto in some kind of unannounced encounter with the MJQ. She swings gracefully on Devil May Care, and is sensually funky on a soulful Love Me or Leave Me." JOHN FORDHAM, JAZZ UK MAGAZINE

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Primary Instrument

Vocals

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Associate Lecturer in Voice, Surrey University Guildford UK

Clinic/Workshop Information

Karen Lane is also a qualified Speech and Language Therapist so focuses on providing clinical evaluation of voice disorders or problems, in particular those affecting professional voice users. Private sessions or workshops available.

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Two Steps from the...

Krushgroove Productions
2016

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Easy Street

From: Two Steps from the Blues
By Karen Lane

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