Samara Jade weaves a tapestry of ethereal, jazz-tinged Americana, grounding medicine for these wild and shifting times where every day seems like Halloween.
Originally from the Hudson Valley, Jade moved from flowing rivers and old growth trees to Boston, and the Berklee College of Music, then to the Blue Ridge Mountains to add environmental education to her CV, though she never abandoned music. A decade later, she had become a fixture in the Asheville, NC music scene, and released three albums.
The Covid-19 lockdown found her quarantining at an artist residency in Arcata, California, where she self-recorded her fourth album, Zero. “Zero” is associated with the Fool in Tarot decks, where the Fool represents new beginnings, and the courage that accompanies blindly stepping off into the great unknown. Jade pointed out that “It is not always as negative as it sounds to ‘play the fool,’ as the Fool’s journey is ripe with lessons.” Woven in throughout the record, is the duality between darkness and light.
“Even though Zero is my personal narrative, my hope is listeners to connect the archetypal fool’s journey with their own personal myths. I hope they glean their own meaning, perhaps finding courage to face, honor, love and heal the shadows of their souls and of humanity. This record is a tribute to the shadowy realms of the mystery that lead one to wholeness. May it be a soundtrack to metamorphosis in the times of not-knowing.”
If there were ever a time of “not-knowing,” it is now. About the darkness of “Night,” Jade told Elmore, “Only when we can examine and learn to love and nurture the hurt parts of ourselves and find the union between light and dark within can we become healed and whole. By numbing ourselves from feeling pain (which we are all wont to do in our own individual ways!), we rob ourselves of the capacity to feel and experience life to the utmost – including feeling love and joy! ‘Night’ speaks to this can’t-have-one-without-the-other concept… ‘thank you death, for giving us life.’”
The strings and other miscellaneous instruments were tracked in Asheville at Chris Rosser’s Hollow Reed Studio, last winter. The album was completed while in lockdown at The Sanctuary arts community in Arcata, California. Zero features Jade on piano, octave mandolin, electric bass, electric and acoustic guitar, and vocals. Craig Kellberg plays upright bass and hurdy gurdy. Mattick Frick plays drums, while Drayton Aldridge and Megan Drollinger are featured on violin. Franklin Keel (Asheville Symphony Orchestra) plays cello, James Zeller (The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra) trombone, Chris Rosser dotar and Wurlitzer. Daniel Nickerson plays drums, organ, and lap steel guitar, while Tayloranne Finch plays saw. Vocal harmonies were provided by Micaela Kingslight, Aimee Ringle and Alexa Sunshine Rose.
Learn more about Samara Jade HERE
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