Jeanne Newhall is rooted in change. As a vocalist, a composer of words and music, and a classically trained pianist, Newhall has always had a passion for new experiences and the fresh directions they can bring. Her explorations have led her to the realms of jazz and R&B—and even hip hop—and rock and pop , expanding her musical universe and revealing themselves in her warm, rich vocals, lyrical vocabulary and the immaculately nuanced notes of her piano. Common through the warp and weft of all her changes and adventures and endeavors is an enduring sense of spirit and the spiritual. “I have often been told that music brings peace, happiness and goodness,” says Newhall, who has practiced Ashtanga Royal Yoga daily since 2000. “My charge is to always keep that in mind. I go to it when I go to the instrument. It is there, waiting. It did not come from practicing hard or being a child prodigy. It came later and it came with long struggle and slow surrender. The only way I can gracefully take a bow to this sublime influence in my life is to sing and play to it and for it.”
Jeanne Newhall’s life has always been filled with words and music. Raised on a farm in Arizona, she grew up in the starkly beautiful shadows of the Sierra Estrella Mountains west of Phoenix. When her music-loving parents bought the six-year old Jeanne a piano, she could barely reach the keys. She made her professional debut at 14, and before she was 16, had graduated high school, mastered six Mozart concertos and moved to New York City to study piano with Nadia Reisenberg. Subsequently, she turned down offers from the Juilliard, Eastman and Curtis Institutes, opting to study piano with the acclaimed Abbey Simon at Indiana University, ultimately earning a degree in performance from Arizona State University.
In college, friends introduced her to jazz and the connection was immediate. “A whole new world of possibilities not limited by the boundaries of classical music suddenly opened up for me—melodies, voicings, improvisation,” she recalls. “I almost left school then and there.” She didn’t leave school, but she did alter her course. She listened to all the jazz she could find and she listened to R&B and pop, which she had loved since grade school.
With college behind her and now living in Phoenix, the classically trained pianist was determined to make a career creating her own musical universe. The possibility of adding her own voice to her repertoire of instruments intrigued her, so she found a voice teacher. “It took me seven lessons before I could open my mouth in the company of friends,” she remembers. And, by own her telling, Jeanne Newhall is still shy.
Newhall describes the works on her latest EP release Cranes Among Clouds as “pieces of a puzzle. The songs wanted to be joined together to become one whole musical offering.” She was inspired largely by her profound musical relationship with Kazunori Koga, a prominent guitarist from Osaka, Japan. “Kazunori Koga and I have the rare gift of a highly intuitive musical sense,” Newhall explains. “Our connection transcended all language and cultural barriers and revealed an uncanny and mystical link between us.” Newhall also takes inspiration from the beloved Asian symbol of the crane, a bird that flies higher than any other bird and represents longevity, peace, and social advancement.
Sailboat On The Hudson is a collective album of 11 of her original songs for the purpose of promoting wellness, environmental consciousness and peace. The title of the album reflects the feelings Jeanne experienced during a trip to New York when she saw a single sailboat on the Hudson River near the Statue of Liberty.
Still Loving You is an album of captivating songs from the 1980’s. The beloved 80’s era inspired her to produce & arrange 12 classics from The Scorpions, Pet Shop Boys, U2, Foreigner, The Police, Fine Young Cannibals, Blondie, Stevie Nicks, Rolling Stones, Tom Waits, Indigo Girls, and Crowded House. Kazunori Koga and she go deep into the visceral components of the songs. With her vocals and piano complemented by his dazzling guitar, they create a minimalistic but lush sound, reinventing each song in a way that is new but still keeping the integrity of the original.
Sky, her 19th album, includes 10 original pieces and a sultry and soulful take on Bob Dylan’s classic “If Not For You.” It was recorded live in the studio over the course of two days with legendary Mexican born bassist Abraham Laboriel (whom Guitar Player magazine has called “the most widely used session bassist of our time,” with over 4,000 credits), Puerto Rican born drummer Walter Rodriguez (a protégé of percussion great Alex Acuna who has toured with numerous artists, including Yanni) and Japanese guitarist Kazunori Koga. Kazunori adds both his acoustic and electric guitar mastery to the mix, while Rodriguez, a veteran drummer and a virtuoso percussionist who has studied with tabla masters in India, joins with Laboriel to create a polyrhythmic foundation for the tunes on Sky to take flight.
Blossom of Transformation is comprised of 11 original and traditional call-and-response Bhakti yoga chants. “Yoga,” says Newhall, “is a metaphor for living. It is transformative. I experienced that on the first day of my Ashtanga practice. This album is a gift of gratitude for the practice as well as a healing memoir for my deceased younger brother, Jim.
Spacious Peaceful Quiet, a popular compilation of eight tracks from seven previous albums, was released in CD format August 2, 2011.
Glide Deluxe Edition, released in October 2010, a collection of 12 original songs plus her version of Jakob Dylan & The Wallflowers’ “6th Avenue Heartache” (featured on the ABC-TV series “Happy Town”), was album number 15 in a catalogue that reflects brilliantly the kaleidoscope of her life and music. The CDs that comprise “The Piano Street Series” include discs celebrating the rich musical heritage of France (French Cafe, Paris Nights and French Kiss), American ragtime (Cakewalk) and the works of Dvorak, Saint-Saens and Chopin (Esther A Classical Piano Tribute).
Bedouin’s Paradise featured “Race Thru The Clouds,” a collaboration with guitarist Peter White that received considerable airplay in England and led to Newhall appearing with the smooth-jazz legend at venues including the Pizza Express in London’s Soho.
In 2006, Eva Cassidy’s label, Blix Street Records signed Newhall and released Wild Blue, a well-received album showcasing her talents on original material as well as on songs ranging from Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart” and Marcus Hummon’s “Wild Blue” to the Marvell & Strachey jazz standard “These Foolish Things.” Other standouts on the list include Beautiful, For No One to See (Christmas and Wintersongs) and E’Sensual.
Newhall is now based in Los Angeles, and her club, concert and festival schedule ensure her standing as a frequent flyer globally including six tours of Japan. Her 300 songs (23 albums) have earned her airplay on thousands of radio stations throughout Europe, Canada and across the U.S and streaming services worldwide. She’s been a Steinway & Sons Piano Artist since 1998. A few years ago, Hal Leonard published Jeanne Newhall Piano Folio Songbook, a 70-page book featuring her original songs, and she is currently working on Young Hands Young Hearts, a book for piano students to enjoy.
An artist ever in transition, Jeanne Newhall makes words and music that possess the magic to affect, enrich and transform.
