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Shannon Gaye presents her latest CD Pretty Pictures - sophisticated urban soul with matter for the mind. 

On stage, Shannon and her uber-talented keyboard player & bassist deliver heavy grooves featuring Shannon (a chick?!) on percussion. And she can sing with a capital “S”. From the most delicate melodies to sky high, roof-raising licks, Shannon is in full command of her voice. Music writer James Muretich described her as “the slender singer with the big soulful voice – the kind that knocks you for a loop.”

Shannon’s middle name “Gaye” was a nod to brilliant musician and social activist Marvin Gaye. Oddly enough for a young girl growing up in rootsy B.C., Shannon has always had an affinity for soul, jazz and R&B. Early musical inspirations include the classics: powerhouse singers Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and Stevie Wonder, as well as funk institutions Earth, Wind & Fire and Tower of Power. Present day influences include artists like Jill Scott, India Arie, Alicia Keys, Marc Broussard and Nikka Costa. From a songwriting perspective, Shannon finds herself drawn to the poets - great wordsmiths like Leonard Cohen, Donald Fagen (Steely Dan), Joni Mitchell, and Ricky Lee Jones.

This Vancouver-based recording artist’s tales are as layered and textured as the music she writes; the combination of energy and introspection gives as much dynamic range to Shannon’s live performance as captured on record. In concert with her stellar band Shannon packs a powerful punch. The trio shares an intense musical bond - true passion for rhythm, a strong melodic sense and a fiery approach to improvisation. Shannon’s main collaborator and musical director is Kristian Alexandrov, a gifted Bulgarian pianist & drummer. Kristian was named Smooth Jazz Pianist of the Year in 2008, and also happens to be longstanding music director for Decidedly Jazz Danceworks. 

Shannon has performed at festivals across Canada, has completed fifteen cross-Canada tours and even tried her hand in a musical theatre production showcased in Chicago, L.A. and New York. November/December 2009 Shannon will be a featured artist in the Singing for Supper Concert Series, a 22-city tour traveling from coast to coast. She’s also making waves across the pond. Her song “Willing & Able” from Pretty Pictures was chosen for a soul compilation CD released in the U.K. and Europe titled In the Groove. Several of Shannon’s songs have been featured in TV series and films in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.

Pretty Pictures provides plenty of opportunities for Shannon to shine as a singer, writer and producer, from the cool scat vocal line doubled by a Rhodes in “Willing & Able”, to the infectious rapid-fire chorus in “Stone”. Songs like “Get Used to It” and “Flower” reveal the southern roots of soul. “Away”, with its moody vibe, brings Erykah Badu to mind; the phonetic African-style vocal hook delivers the message like some kind of S.O.S. The title track “Pretty Pictures” features a decidedly urban aesthetic, while “Sink or Swim” and “Think Twice” with their sophisticated harmony typify nu-jazz.