Album Notes

For my profile on myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/elizabethcarpenter

Bio:
Elizabeth Carpenter has been performing in the Seattle area for 10 years and has been composing and playing guitar for 24 years. After her feet went kaput as a dancer (her last days as a modern dancer were at The Juilliard School) she took-up guitar & songwriting as her next art form. She originally set off on documentary film-making after Juilliard (receiving a BFA in Film from New York University) but music became more a more compelling interest. She still pursues a side-career in photography.

She performs as The Elizabeth Carpenter Quartet, Trio, Duo and solo, with a repertoire of over 50 original songs & 15 arrangements of jazz & pop standards (from "My Funny Valentine" to Aerosmith's "Jaded").

She also performs as a jazz & standards vocalist with well-known pianist & composer Victor Janusz. She has just recorded "Guadalupe" - a duet on his newly released CD "Cosmo Street": www.victorjanusz.com and available here on CDBaby!

The Elizabeth Carpenter Ensemble includes:
Conlin Roser on guitar
Erik Anderson on drums,
Jon Markel on double bass
Tobi Stone on saxophone (bass & alto) and on flute (of The Tiptons & Reptet)
Amy Denio on sax/accordian (of The Tiptons)
Dave Carter on trumpet/flugel horn (of Skerik's Synchopated Taint)
Ty Baillie - keyboardist
Jeff Busch - Latin Percussion (Tumbao)
Paul Rucker - cello

Style:
Carpenter's Dissonant Roots Music evolved from blues, jazz, rock, R&B, Latin and folk traditions.

She plays a finger-style guitar on an electric hollow-body Alvarez with a sound marked by the use of dissonant chords, complex rhythms, lyrics that straddle the comic-melancholic zone and sung in a rich, wide-ranging alto.

Audiences have compared her to Nora Jones, Sam Phillips, Joni Mitchell, Nellie McCay, Dayna Kurtz, Beth Orton, Dido, Cassandra Wilson, Diana Krall, Aimee Mann and Michelle Shocked.

Recordings:
*Flirting... ~ Released December 2005
*Cosmo Street ~ 1 track, "Guadalupe" a duet with Victor Janusz © 2004
*Emergency Love ~ a 14 track CD on Blueweed Records © 2003
*First, Last, Deposit ~ a compilation CD for the non-profit org. Noel House © 2003
*The Blueweed Songs ~ a 14 track CD on Blue Girl Records © 2001
Elizabeth Carpenter ~ a 5 track EP © 1998

Some of her Seattle performance venues are:

The Tractor Tavern
Experience Music Project * Liquid Lounge
Seattle Art Museum - After Hours Series
Nordstrom's, Downtown Seattle Nov. 26th, '04 with Victor Janusz - CD release of "Cosmo Street"
Northwest Folk Life Festival [2001, 2002, 2004]
Gallery 1412
Thumper's Oak Room Cabaret
ToST
Salty's at Alki (with Victor Janusz Trio)
Pellini, Madison-Renaissance Hotel
3rd Place Books
The O Lounge
Conor Byrne Pub
Seattle Academy of Fine Art Benefit
Gilda's Club Benefit
Greater Seattle Business Association Benefit
Cascades Conservation Partnership& NW Ecosystem Alliance Benefit @ Woodland Park Zoo
Le Pichet
Eva's Wine Bar & Restaurant
Panamonica's - Tacoma
Artist Trust Art Auction
LoFi
Alexa's Cafe - Bothell
The Bait House
Zeitgeist Café
Jag Studios
Hop Vine Pub
Mr. Spot's Chai House
Columbia City BeatWalk
Alibi Room
Sit & Spin
Seattle Fringe Theatre Festival 2002 (Three by One & One by Three: wrote/performed 5 theatre songs for Union Actors @ Work)

Radio:
*Appeared on KUOW's "The Beat" on Feb. 13, 2006 & Nov. 5th, 2003, live performance & interview
*Appeared on KBCS's "Lunch with Folks" on Oct. 23rd, 2003, live performance & interview

TV:
Channel 29 (Public Access, Seattle) The Swoop Show, Nov.19th, 2003 @ 8:00 PM
Channel 29 (Public Access, Seattle) Club Diversity, July 13th, 2004 @ 6:00 pm with Victor Janusz.

Commissions:
Seattle Public Library - 2 songs for the 2002 Annual Staff Day and for the closing ceremony of the old Central Branch in 2001.

Union Actors @ Work - for the Seattle Fringe Theatre Festival 2002 (Three by One & One by Three: wrote/performed 5 theatre songs)

Has split gigs with:

Jim Page
The Paul Rucker Ensemble
Aiko Shimada
Bill Horist
Picoso
Cuchata
Todd Werny (of Diamond Fist Werny)
David Russell
Mische Eddins
Jill Cohn
Paula Maya
JR
Willow
Laura Viers
Tiger Zane
Katya Chorover

Major influences:
Chris Whitley
Waldemar Bastos
Kurt Weill
Nick Drake
Marvin Gaye
Al Green
Tom Waitts
Gillian Welch
Laura Nyro
Joni Mitchell
Duke Ellington
Hoagy Carmichael
Stephen Sondheim