Kat Edmonson [paisley]

Kat Edmonson - photo credit to The Austin Chronicle

Fiance and I got a call a few years ago from a friend who needed us to go to a jazz show with him that night because he met the musician once, had a nice chat with her, got her number and subsequently lost the number.  This woman was the girl of his dreams and he needed to meet her again.  Being good friends, we went to the Elephant Room to see Kat Edmonson.  We were blown away by Kat, which is pretty special because you expect good things from the artists that play the Elephant Room to begin with--it's a great intimate venue.  In the 8 months since our friend had gotten the first chance to chat with her, Kat had grown a bit of a name for herself around town with the likes of Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel championing her along.  Needless to say, our friend was too intimidated to approach her again (he is a pretty humble and sometimes shy guy).

Her 1940s-esque jazzy voice came naturally as she serenaded us with known tunes, all sounding as if they were written for her.  Musicians seemed to gravitate towards her, resulting in collaborations with Lyle Lovett for example.  Her latest album Way Down Low is fantastic. Funded through the crowd-funding platform Kickstarter and written while melding into her new life in Brooklyn, this project is the successful combination of mid-20th century jazz sounds with lyrics that somehow apply to my twenty-something life while transcending age groups and genres.

I don't know what else to say other than give her a listen.  Lucky and Champagne are two of my favorites, but the whole album is great for listening straight through.  I put this album on to clean the house, chill out while driving, cooking dinner and even while getting ready for a night out.

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