"...Just folk enough to sound authentic and just pop enough to keep the attention of the ever-shuffling iPod crowd."
--Fairfield County Weekly (CT)
It's not often an artist emerges with a debut record completely formed and beautifully produced, full of tender and concise language, all executed in a gorgeous, mature voice. Jenny Goodspeed has achieved just that rare feat on her debut CD "Under the Ash Tree" - a sparkling fusion of folk, pop, and Americana drawing on influences from 70's era singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Bruce Cockburn. Well-crafted lyrics, exquisite vocals, and heart-breaking melodies abound as Jenny explores the intricacies of love and longing, all definitively steeped in her beloved New England landscape.
~~~ HONORS ~~~
--2009, Selected: Falcon Ridge/Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase
--2009, American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention
--2009, Winner, Ourstage.com Americana/Alt-Country Channel out of 410 entries and third place overall out of 41 different genres competing
--2008, Winner, Portland (OR) Songwriters Association Songwriting Contest - Folk/Acoustic Category
--2008, Finalist, Boston Folk Festival Songwriting Contest
--2008, Finalist, Rose Garden Coffeehouse Performing Songwriter Competition
--2008, Showcase Finalist, Plowshares Songwriting Competition
--2008, Finalist, Susquehanna Music & Arts Songwriting Contest
--2008, Finalist, Solarfest Songwriting Showcase
--Featured Artist on eFolkMusic.org roster
--#12 debut on the Roots Music Report Folk Top 50 (Under the Ash Tree)
--Added to over 100 folk and AAA radio stations in 31 states (Under the Ash Tree)
--Recommended new release by John Schoenberger, Radio and Records AAA/Americana Editor (Under the Ash Tree)
--CDBaby Editor’s pick (Under the Ash Tree)
--New Music Weekly College Top 30
~~~ BIOGRAPHY ~~~
Jenny Goodspeed bloomed as a young singer-songwriter in the rich Boulder/Denver music scene of the mid-90s. She played local venues and festivals including the renowned Swallow Hill Music Association. In 1997, she recorded her first demo with respected producer/engineer Patrick Brickel (Greg Brown). After moving to Massachusetts, she rediscovered her love for theater and spent the next decade in the Massachusetts theater scene acting in glowingly reviewed shows including Flowers For Algernon for which she won the 2004 CTA Drama Festival Award for Best Featured Performer. All the while, she continued to write songs and quietly hone her craft.
In 2007, a concert presenter heard Jenny singing at a festival and knew there was a wider audience for her music, and offered to finance a CD. The end result was the release of her debut CD, "Under the Ash Tree" and soon after, a stint opening for singer-songwriter Beth Amsel (Voices on the Verge) on a tour of the Midwest. Jenny Goodspeed has returned to the acoustic music scene with a stunning debut CD full of verve and honesty ten years in the waiting. In August 2008, Under the Ash Tree debuted at #12 on the Roots Music Report Folk Top 50. Songs from the record have been added to or played on over 100 folk and AAA radio stations in 31 states and have earned Goodspeed finalist slots in six different songwriting contests in 2008 alone.
"We are fortunate to live in an area that is rich with talented singer-songwriters and we can now add Goodspeed to this esteemed group."
- Sheryl Hunter, The Recorder (Greenfield, MA)
~~~ ABOUT “UNDER THE ASH TREE” ~~~
Engineered and co-produced by Mark Thayer at Signature Sounds Studio in Pomfret, CT, Jenny is backed by an impressive group of musicians including Jim Henry (Tracy Grammer, Mark Erelli) on acoustic guitar, Richard Gates (Patty Larkin, Suzanne Vega) on electric bass, Eric Platz on drums, Duke Levine (Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Jonatha Brooke) on electric guitar, and Seth Glier on keyboards.
"Ye gawdz, I'm just LOVING this album! It's just SO perfect for my show, and totally appropriate for these slightly-crisp almost-fall evenings! This is a truly special album."
- Johnny Black, Music Director High Plains Public Radio
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