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The Boston Herald
October 13, 2000
Folk/Blues; 'Draw Them Near' takes Hub's Klein far
By DANIEL GEWERTZ
The title of Jess Klein's new album, "Draw Them Near," sounds like a command or a magic spell. Either way, it's working.
Since the album's release by Ryko in late August, the Boston folk-rocker has been drawing audiences near to her all over America, and she even played a rock festival in Japan. Next month, as opening act for the Willard Grant Conspiracy, she tours Belgium, the Netherlands and the British Isles.
"I'd been touring for two years, but my life has really intensified lately," said Klein, who plays the Somerville Theatre tomorrow, with the esteemed Lori McKenna opening. (Call 617-628-3390 for information.)
What does Klein think of the album's title? "'Draw them near' is the summation behind all the songs," she said. "The narrators are all in a difficult situation, and the best way to get through, remain intact and gain something from it, is to be truthful to oneself. That's what will draw people to you, even if you're heartbroken and lonely."
The album begins brilliantly with the neatly metaphoric, heart-grabbing "Little White Dove" and the knowing "Goodbye Goodbye," a jolting, kiss-off rocker that balances anger and vulnerability. Klein's lyrical limitations and emotional obsessions grow more apparent in the album's next 10 songs. In nearly every one, a woman battles a demanding, often futile relationship, or mourns its death.
Yet her lyrical canvas may be stretching. "I've been writing more third-person songs. That's allowing me to make up characters and play out what they would do. That's new for me. And the experience of going to new places and meeting new people has changed my writing. I'm letting the world educate me," said Klein, 26.
The singer admits to song-writing as therapy. In the song "Ireland," the narrator grapples with her inability to remake a corroded world for a depressed, alienated mate. Underneath the surface, the song fairly screams: Your inability to love is not my fault!
"That song is from personal experience, and it's a real hard lesson to learn. I don't think I've learned it yet. I have written several songs about it and maybe it'll snap into place for me," Klein said.
Ryko plans to promote a single from the album in January.
"Good things come to those who wait," sings Toni Lynn Washington on her recent ToneCool album "Good Things," and after four decades in the music biz, it's about time for this powerful soul-blues singer to experience the goods.
Washington began singing in Boston as a teen in the '50s at erstwhile clubs such as the Hi Hat and Louis' Lounge. She returned to Boston in the 1980s after long stints in New Orleans and Los Angeles. She's fronted her own band here since '92, and has twice been nominated for a WC Handy Award. Washington plays Johnny D's in Somerville tomorrow.
The sensational Celtic and American balladeer Maura O'Connell performs a benefit show at Emerson Majestic Theatre on Sunday. Proceeds go to Lifebridge, a cerebral palsy treatment program at Boston's Children's Hospital. Call (617) 824-8000.
Boston's best midweek blues bet: Ron Levy & Wild Kingdom has been playing Harpers Ferry in Allston every Wednesday.
Christopher Williams, competing with six other young singer-songwriters, won the audience vote at Tom Rush's "Club 47" show Saturday at Sanders Theatre. The accomplished young troubadour will accompany Rush and his fans for a week in St. Thomas in February.
Another of the show's performer-contestants, Vanessa Trien, noted that she was the lone female on stage. "But everybody is very sensitive," she joshed.
That was true. Sensitivity reigned. Maybe too much. There was very little musical edge evident at an underattended Sanders. If this show was any indication, the new brand of rootless folk-pop tends toward the bland.
The region's folk coffeehouses are in full fall swing this month. Marblehead's me & thee has already begun its season beautifully with Connie Kaldor and Susan Werner. Tonight, Dave Van Ronk visits the Unitarian Universalist Church at 28 Mugford St. In upcoming weeks, Eddie From Ohio, Bob Franke, Les Sampou and Bill Morrissey play this venerable institution. Call (781) 631-8997 or visit www.meandthee.org.
That other granddad of intimate folk venues, Harvard Square'sNameless Coffeehouse, is keeping to a monthly schedule again this year. Linda Sharar hosts Aruna Sutra, Pamela Novick and Deadline Poet tomorrow. A $ 5 donation is suggested. Call (617) 864-1630 or visit www.namelesscoffeehouse.org.
Top concerts of the weekend: country blues legend Doc Watson, 77, at the Somerville Theatre tonight and Lucy Kaplansky at Concord's Emerson Umbrella Theater tomorrow.
Photo Caption: KLEIN: Performs at the Somerville Theatre tomorrow.
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The Boston Herald
January 28, 2005
Disc of the week
JESS KLEIN: ``Strawberry Lover'' (Rykodisc)
three and a half stars (out of four)
There are a lot of smart, gorgeous-voiced female singer-songwriters making albums these days.
What's rare is the kind of hook that made smash hits such as ``It's Too Late'' and ``Help Me (I Think I'm Falling)'' happen back in the day.
Enter Jess Klein.
``Strawberry Lover'' offers not just lush vocals and pretty poetry but SONGS, from the twangy gallop of the opening ``Darkroom'' to the lush, sad swoon of the closing ``I Was Willing to Change.''
Boston-based New York native Klein gets her hooks deep in your brain with the wistful ``Shonalee'' (about a late-shift waitress on South Street), the sultry ``Soda Water'' and the country-rockin' ``Shootout at the Candy Shop.'' Not to mention the sweet, sexy title track and the ravishing ``Ribbons.''
Take a bite. You won't be sorry. - JOEL BROWN
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The Boston Herald
February 2, 2005
Jess in time; Klein waited for `Strawberry Lover' to ripen
By Larry Katz
Jess Klein has a smart, catchy new CD that's winning her critical enthusiasm and national attention. She's poised to become one of the year's breakout singer/songwriters.
But here's the thing. Those exact words could have been written about her - and essentially were - more than four years ago, when her previous album, ``Draw Them Near,'' came out. With yesterday's arrival of her new ``Strawberry Lover'' and a tour that brings her Saturday to Cambridge's Club Passim, we have Jess Klein as emerging star, version 2.0. She's been here before.
``The last album was my first album that got heard outside of Boston,'' Klein says. ``It was really exciting to get all that attention. I got a taste of the feelings that go with having some kind of success.''
Klein punctuates her words with frequent short, sharp laughs. ``But even though it wasn't success on an MTV-type scale, it occured to me that I was looking at my work differently. Suddenly I had to deal with being conscious of other people's opinions. I wanted to cast that off and get back to a place where I wasn't caring what anyone else would think. I wanted to go at the new album from a pure place.''
At age 30, Klein retains her youthful idealism. Rather than rush-release a CD to capitalize on her momentum, she chose to take as much time as she needed to write, record and find a producer for ``Strawberry Lover.''
``My management, my booking agent and my record label, Ryko, everyone was telling me, `You shouldn't wait this long,' '' Klein says. ``At a certain point they backed off. They realized it was going to take me as long as it takes. It was stressful to me that it was taking so long. But art takes time.''
Such stress led Klein to the South Street Diner and ``Shonalee,'' a song about a graveyard-shift waitress that exemplifies the Motown-goes-modern side of ``Strawberry Lover.''
``I was really frustrated with not having the album put together,'' she says. ``I felt really alone with my personal trauma. So one summer night around 2 a.m. I was trying to find a place in Boston that stayed open really late and drove down to this diner. Wow, here was a place you could always go, listen to a great jukebox, find some other people, find a lot of comfort and get some pie, too.'' Klein laughs some more. ``I started writing the song right there.''
``Strawberry Lover'' moved into high gear - and the Rochester, N.Y.-born Klein moved to Brooklyn after eight years in Boston - after deciding to use one-time Boston rocker Marc Copely as her producer. Credit him with giving Klein an occasional push into Springsteen territory as well as riskier areas.
``Marc lit a fire under me,'' Klein says. ``I didn't want to be stuck in a comfort zone. I thought, `This guy is going to make me try things that might seem scary but will be really cool if I don't fall on my face.' ''
Consider Klein's ``Orphanage Rage,'' a surprising rant as righteously angry as Kelis' memorable ``Caught Out There.''
``When I went in with that song,'' Klein says, ``Marc said, `Man, you're sick!' Which is a huge compliment coming from him. He likes things that are out there.''
``Strawberry Lover'' offers a range of moods and styles, from its pop-waltz title cut to the spooky reggae of ``Soda Water,'' as Klein sings about her struggle to maintain innocence in a complex world. It's the kind of open-hearted but edgy music that will win Klein admiration, fans, maybe even popularity.
Not that Klein appears concerned. She's happy just to have made the album she wanted, no matter how long it took.
``I didn't make something based on what other people wanted from me,'' she says. ``I wanted to go inside my heart and head and see what was there that I really wanted to say. And I did.''
Jess Klein plays Saturday at 7 and 10 p.m. at Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Cambridge. Tickets are $20. Call 617-492-7679. She also plays Friday at 8 p.m. at the Pioneer Arts Center of Easthampton. Tickets are $12. Call 413-527-3700.
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