Pieta Brown CD release with Jason Shannon
Pieta Brown leans towards the reclusive and private life of being an artist. Mystery seems to follow. Conflicting stories arise. So, for the record… In her bare-bones early upbringing in Iowa there was no furnace, plumbing or running water. There, Pieta was exposed to traditional and rural folk music through her father, Greg Brown, the now beloved Midwestern folk singer. Later, while living with her mother in Alabama during her formative years, Pieta drew on and expanded these influences and began writing poetry and composing instrumental songs on piano.
By the time she left home at 18, Pieta had lived in at least 17 different houses and apartments between Iowa and Alabama. Staying true to the disjointed lifestyle of her childhood she wandered from the West Coast to the East. Each locale left its mark on her, accounting for an artist who brings together the unvarnished humility of Loretta Lynn, the honest modern rock punch of P.J. Harvey, the hipster swagger and poetry of Cat Power, and the airy sophistication of Feist. And - coloring it all - a deep abiding saturation in folk and blues that’s beyond her years. All of this, yet she has her own distinctive style, lyrical substance, and voice. She is unmistakably “a songwriter of great depth,” as Indie911.com recently noted.
Now, firmly planted back in Iowa, Pieta has made two critically acclaimed albums in the last four years. One day producer Don Was (Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan), listening to tastemaker station KCRW while driving through L.A., heard Pieta performing live and solo in-studio. He was struck by the uniqueness of her voice, her delivery, and the substance of her songs and pulled his car over to listen and make note of this fresh new artist. Later, he mentioned her name in an interview as an artist he was intrigued with, and the rest is history.
In late March of 2009, Pieta was touring in California and connected with Don for two afternoons to show him some of her new songs. Don’s vision was to record Pieta as he heard her that day on the radio, with her songs and voice, “unadorned” and full center. Recorded live and mixed as it went down, Shimmer is the enchanting result. The recording will be released on November 10, 2009 on Red House Records, her first CD on the independent St Paul Americana/roots label. Meanwhile, Pieta Brown stays focused on her original intention: “Long before I ever put a recording out there for somebody else to hear, my aim was to be a great artist, and that’s what I’ll always be going after. All my life, I’ve been close to writing and music and all kinds of art...and that closeness continues to drive me.”
Emerging, energetic Minneapolis roots artist Jason Shannon will open, performing as a duo with Tim Carrow on keys and vocals. Jason released a well-received debut album earlier in the year, and reportedly has been writing tons of new material for a second album in 2010.
Tickets are on sale now from the Cedar Ticketline (612-338-2674 ext 2), Cedar outlets, and online at Ticketweb.
