Born: April 23, 1953 Primary Instrument: Vocal
Shepley was born in San Francisco, grew up in Providence, RI, and for years has called Cambridge, MA, home. A vocalist since high school, she was lead singer from 1990 to 1995 in Cabaret Enchanté (with Catherine Coleman). The duo performed Coleman’s original music, standards, and French chansons at Scullers Jazz Club, The French Library and Cultural Center, Danny’s Sky Bar (New York City), and live on Ron Della Chiesa’s WGBH radio show, “Music America.” Shepley then put her vocal career on the back burner from '98 to '07 while she was director of communications at New England’s largest homeless shelter, but she's returned to singing with passion and purpose.
While searching for new material in the spring of '09, Shepley discovered that the lyricist of one of her favorite songs, “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most,” was still writing fantastic lyrics. Shepley and her musical partner and pianist Ron Roy have since recorded an album of lyricist Fran Landesman's new songs (the first U.S. musicians to do so), and their show devoted to Landesman's new songbook with Simon Wallace played in Boston, Provincetown, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco.
Shepley's latest show, songs by the '60s/'70s singer/songwriter Laura Nyro, debuted in Boston and has travelled to New York City and Chicago. An album of these tunes, recorded live at a NYC club, releases in April 2013.
Meanwhile Shepley and pianist Ron Roy continue to perform standards and lesser-known gems from the '20s to '40s, and are at work on an album of fabulous yet little-known songs from the '20s to '40s.
The Boston Globe — “The excellent cabaret/jazz singer (Metcalf) is foremost a sensitive interpreter of lyrics.”
The Boston Herald — “Boston jazz singer Shepley Metcalf does all jazz vocal fans a favor by digging up the trenchant songs of unjustly overlooked lyricist Landesman and her current musical collaborator, Wallace. Sly, ironic, witty, hip and humorous, Landesman’s songs ��” little known beyond “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most” and “Ballad of the Sad Young Men” ��” offer a trove of should-be standards that aren’t worn out. And Metcalf makes the most of these treasures with her horn-like alto and swinging attack.”
Something Irresistible: Songs of Fran Landesman +Simon Wallace
Self-Produced
2010
Tracks: I'm Not Taking Any Chances; Hyde Side Blues; In A New York Minute; Did We Have Any Fun; Damned If I Do; What Love Knows; Down; Scars; Feet Do Your Stuff; It's Cool To Be Cool; The Secret Of Silence; When Your Computer Crashes; How Was It For You; Save The Photographs; One Good Scandal.
Personnel: Ron Roy: Piano. Chris Rathbun: Bass. Gene Roma: Drums.
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