Album Notes

Karen Jacobsen is all about connecting with people. By weaving pop piano with her passionate vocal style, she creates a powerful dynamic between herself and her audience. You can't escape the confronting honesty in her songwriting.

Karen started 2003 receiving the Abe Olman Award for Excellence in Songwriting, presented by the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the National Academy of Popular Music, and closed the year by sharing a bill with Grammy Winner Norah Jones.

Born and raised near Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Karen's career flourished in Sydney and she now lives in New York City. Her Manhattan debut performance was at The Bitter End only two weeks after her arrival. She now performs locally at The Cutting Room, The Duplex, Makor, The Triad Lounge, Ruby Fruit and she has been a featured performer at the New York Songwriter Circle, the Songwriters Hall of Fame New Songwriter Showcase, Chick Singer Night, the Storefront Theatre's New Mondays, and at the Circle of Songs Showcase in Los Angeles. Karen travels regularly to perform in clubs and Colleges throughout the U.S.

"As I Am," Karen's critically acclaimed CD is now followed by her second release, "Being Brave." A collection of the first songs she wrote after her arrival in Manhattan, the recordings are pure, intimate piano and vocal.

Karen's current success was foreshadowed by the seven year-old girl writing songs and playing classical piano. From the beginning she was drawn to songs from musical theater, the pure pop of Abba and her childhood idol Olivia Newton-John.

Recognised for her songwriting, Karen was awarded 1st Place in the Singer/Songwriter Category of the Dallas Songwriting Contest in 2002, Runner Up in the U.K. Songwriting Contest, a Finalist in the Andelle Music Song Contest, 2nd Place in the Austin Songwriter Contest, and received Honorable Mentions in the John Lennon, Billboard and Unisong International Song Contests. She was Runner Up in the Kauai Music Festival Song Contest in May 2004, and sang the National Anthem at Madison Square Garden at a New York Liberty Basketball Game, and at Fenway Park to a capacity crowd of 34 000 people.

In July of 2002, Karen performed at the Mohegan Sun Arena in CT in an all star line up including Jars Of Clay, Uncle Kracker, Spyro Gyra and Diana King at "Dare To Dream 2002 - A Concert For Hope." Filmed for an NBC Television Special, Karen co-wrote the song "Take Me With You In My Dreams" with Cheryl Beecher-Zeldin especially for the event which was held to raise money for the Bert Zeldin Foundation. The concert was telecast on NBC-TV on August 31st, 2002.

Press Quotes

"Wonderful writing...simple and clear and from the heart. Powerful, sweeping emotion."
Billy Bush, Access Hollywood, July 2002

"This voice will make you quiver. The spirit behind it is inspiring."
Jennifer Layton, Indie-Music.com, July 2002

"...her ability to craft piano pop is best showcased in the catchiness of her choruses."
Red Is All The Rage, May 2002

"...simply her playing the piano and singing in that never-seen-a-cigarette-in-her-life voice."
Jennifer Layton, Indie-Music.com, December 2001

"Karen Jacobsen is a singer's singer. She has a flawless command of her instrument."
CD Baby Reviewer, March 2002

"Almost every song is confrontational, but you can't help listening because her voice and piano playing are so hypnotically beautiful."
Jennifer Layton, Indie-Music.com, December 2001

"...undeniably earnest and commercially accessible."
Billboard Magazine, May 2001

"Her confident set...of ruminations of love gone awry, and mini-anthems touting new beginnings warmed the room."
Dave Madeloni, NorthEast Performer, March 2001

"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, March 2002

"I don't usually like girl singers. I love this album. Enough said."
Scott Homewood, Ear Candy April 2002