KAREN JACOBSEN: As I Am

Karen Jacobsen

As I Am

© 2000 Karen Jacobsen (634479210228)

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"You can't help listening because her voice and piano playing are so hypnotically beautiful."

tracks

1 Don't Miss You
2 The River Of My Life
3 Supposed To Say
4 Finally Found My Home
5 If You Left Me
6 As I Am

notes

Karen Jacobsen was born to touch people's lives with her music...as legend has it, her Mother took piano lessons while carrying her.

Since moving to New York City, Karen has been awarded the Abe Olman Award for Excellence in Songwriting from the Songwriters Hall of Fame, sung the National Anthem at Madison Square Garden for a NY Liberty Basketball Game, and at Fenway Park to a sellout crowd of 34 000 people.

Karen's song, "Supposed To Say" was placed on an episode in Season 2 of the hit WB TV Series 'Dawson's Creek' and is available on her CD release "As I Am".

Originally from Mackay, a country town near Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Karen performed at a school concert at the age of five and her destiny was set. She started to write songs and learn classical piano when she was eight, but was drawn to songs from musical theatre, and the pure pop of Abba and her childhood idol Olivia Newton-John. Piano examinations, choirs and high school musicals followed, including a stint as Dorothy in The Wiz. Karen was perfectly happy to fill every waking hour with music.

After high school, Karen moved a thousand kilometres south to Brisbane where she studied Jazz Voice and Piano at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, winning the Jazz Prize. Awarded the "Warana Young Performer Of The Year", Karen was soon performing up to five shows a week while marinating in the classic pop ballads and continuing to write and perform her own songs.

She soon relocated to Australia's largest city, Sydney, where her career flourished. An original cast member of the Australian production of the Broadway show "Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story", Karen also toured with the Jon English show "Turn The Page" throughout South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

By weaving pop piano with her passionate vocal style, Karen creates a powerful dynamic between herself and her audience. In Sydney she showcased her songs with her own band at The Basement, Harbourside Brasserie, Starfish Club, The Cat and Fiddle, The Sydney Acoustica Movement's Tuesday Night Club, the Iguana Bar, Side On Cafe, Club Acoustica, the Commercial Hotel's Acoustic Lounge and the 3 Weeds.

Appearing as one of ten selected Singer/Songwriters, Karen performed at the critically acclaimed Joni Mitchell nights held in Sydney at The Basement in 1999. Karen assisted fellow Singer/Songwriter Rachel Gaudry with the organisation of the sell-out concerts.

Gaining national television exposure as a regular performer on "Good Morning Australia", Karen also appeared on The Midday Show, At Home, Ernie and Denise, Hey Hey It's Saturday (with the cast of The Buddy Holly Story) and was a regular singer and prize presenter on I Do I Do, and has performed her songs in Malaysia and Thailand.

With a burning desire to be in a creative community, Karen recently left the shores of her homeland and moved to New York City. She immediately started performing at city clubs such as The Bitter End, Ruby Fruit, The Cutting Room, Makor, The Duplex and has appeared at the New York Songwriters Circle, the Songwriters Hall of Fame New Songwriter Showcase, Chick Singer Night, the Storefront Theatre's New Mondays Showcase, and the Circle of Songs Showcase in Los Angeles. She tours regularly to perform in clubs and colleges throughout the U.S.

In July 2002 Karen performed in an all star line up (Jars of Clay, Uncle Kracker, Spyro Gyra, Diana King) at the Mohegan Sun Arena in "Dare To Dream 2002 - A Concert For Hope." Held to raise money for the Bert Zeldin Foundation, Karen co-wrote the theme song "Take Me With You In My Dreams" especially for the event which was televised on NBC TV on August 31st 2002.

In May 2000, Karen released her critically acclaimed CD "As I Am" , following in May 2002 with her sophomore collection, "Being Brave."

Further recognised for her songwriting, Karen was awarded 1st Place in the Singer/Songwriter cateogory of the Dallas Songwriting Contest, was named as a Unisong International Song Contest Finalist, and received awards in the Billboard, John Lennon, USA, Andelle, Austin and UK Songwriting Contests. In May 2004 Karen placed Runner Up in the Kauai Music Festival's Song Contest with her song "Here In My Heart."

Press Quotes

"...simply her playing the piano and singing in that never-seen-a-cigarette-in-her-life voice."
Indie-Music.com

"...undeniably earnest and commercially accessible."
Billboard Magazine

"Naked. Just Karen and her piano. If anything else on earth can be so pure, it has yet to be identified. Karen has brought her music to the realm of sublime."
Independent Songwriter Magazine

"I don't usually like girl singers. I love this album. Enough said."
Ear Candy

"Almost every song is confrontational, but you can't help listening because her voice and piano playing are so hypnotically beautiful."
Indie-Music.com

"Her confident set...of ruminations of love gone awry, and mini-anthems touting new beginnings warmed the room."
NorthEast Performer

reviews

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  • True to life
    author: Jo

    I quite like this short album. I didnt like this artists other CD much but I find this one soothing because of the lyrics, its like she’s singing for me to my ex-fiance. He used to treat me like a child too and some days I feel so free I’m guilty for how much I “don’t miss him” either! Other days i'm crushed with sadness about loosing the wonderful things we shared but the fact is he’s verbally and emotionally abusive and I couldnt go my whole life being treated like that by my own husband Sorry this is a review right? Well, 4 stars becuase its easy to listen to and the singer sounds very calm and sweet despite the lyrics, which makes me feel stronger about my own situation. I wander if these songs are really about a real person!

  • Karen Jacobsen is a Heart and Soul Pop Diva
    author: Dan Brown

    With Karen Jacobsen, there are no wasted notes or wasted words. Her lyrics are an open window to her soul and she exposes herself to the listen as a woman who can be both strong and vulnerable. Musically, Ms. Jacobsen has a talent for creating memorable melodies and catchy choruses that remain with the listener and are sure to last the test of time.

  • words that speak straight to my heart
    author: Linda

    who of us has not loved and lost,loved someone who hasn't loved us,had someone love us who we didn't love , or had some one tell us that they loved us and then tried to change us. I think that is why the words of these songs and Karens sultry voice speak straight to my heart.

  • Simply ~ Awesome!
    author: skot

    Karen Jacobsen... wow... the female wonder from Down Under. Karen has an incredible voice, her tonal range is dynamic as are her lyrics.... get a glass of chardonnay and a box of tissues and prepare to be blown away.... expect GREAT things from Karen in the future!

  • again! straight to my heart
    author: rae

    This music gets through to me in a unique way. I think because this artist has a an immense soul. How else could it be so real? Just great music.

  • Awesomeness on a little silver disc.
    author: Mandy

    I can't change the way I don't feel. I can't pretend something that's not real...I don't miss you. If nothing else, you can relate to Karen's lyrics, which is the best thing about them. Everyone has gone through the break-up where they feel bad afterwards for not feeling bad. Her lyrics are simple, honest, and straight from the heart. Her piano playing is superb and her voice makes you melt. It is, quite simply put, awesomeness on a little silver disc.

  • whoa!!!
    author: jovan adorno

    Karen's songs are amazing they calm the spirit and keep you at a peace.

  • Soulful and Real
    author: Marcie

    I got to see Karen in Boston about 2 weeks ago and then got her cd. I loved all the songs and they express her most intimate thoughts on relationships. I look forward to hearing more...

  • Whoa
    author: Marshmallow S

    This CD is gorgeous. Simple songs and a clear perfect voice singing them. Karen doesn't need an over load of production, just the voice, piano and her songs. I couldn't stop listening to it. Buy it!

  • What a voice!
    author: Jenny B

    Karen Jacobsen is a singer's singer. She has a flawless command of her instrument. Add to that her poignant songwriting and skilled paino playing... Well, how can you beat that? You can't! I highly recommend this CD.

  • Extraordinary, intimate, powerful
    author: Marty

    This is a CD you will want to put on late at night. Get a glass of wine and light some candles. Then let Karen's ballads wash over you. For the most part these are intimate and personal confessions from someone who has been wounded in love. Not all of these six wonderful songs are sad but they all convey a real honestly that one seldom encounters among most singers. Her voice is beautiful and she is truly "one" with her piano. This is a very special journey that you will be glad you took and will never leave your consciousness. This CD is a must have for anybody that cares about music from the heart.

  • Power and Passion Abound
    author: Kip

    Immediately powerful, cerebral and meticulous, "As I Am" is a collection of bittersweet, finely drawn character sketches and reminiscences. It mixes singer/songwriter grit with the lilt of soul music and the heart-tugging simplicity of the best country ballads. The songs are all intelligent, vivid short stories that are often full of wonderfully ingenuous advice. The title track is a lovely hymn to common sense, restraint and understatement, it could be the signature tune for a songwriter who does all the little things right. Throughout, Ms. Jacobsen's piano playing is sublime; complimenting perfectly the thoughtful lyrics, which are imbued with a touch of sweetness, a dollop of lament and a dash of nostalgia. But, it is the vocals that soar high above Ms. Jacobsen's mostly imperfect world. The way in which her expressive yet manner-free singing drifts through the pristine arrangements recalls a young Tracy Chapman. In an era of cultural recycling, safe products, manufactured pop groups and formula broadcasting, it is indeed refreshing to stumble across something this pure. I now look forward to what must be the inevitable follow-up to this gorgeous first offering. Break a leg Ms. Jacobsen!

  • Listening to Karen's music made me feel like I was with an intimate friend
    author: Robyn J

    Karen is the singer/songwriter we've been waiting for. Listening to Karen's music made me feel like I was with an intimate friend. In her songs 'Don't Miss You' and 'If You Left Me' she captures stories from our lives in such a real and touching way. I can't wait to hear more from this talented artist.

  • Karen Jacobsen's CD keeps growing on you: You will play it again and again!
    author: Norman M.

    The tunes stayed with me, played in my head. After a week with it,I found myself playing it more than the 1st week. The piano backup she plays do not have a steady, consistent pace which makes the overall sound more interesting. At times, the piano chords sound to me like melodies of backup singers. This is not a CD you play a few times and get sick of. Looking forward to a another CD from Karen J.

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