Jenny Bruce

The realm of bittersweet is the emotional playground of born and raised New York singer/songwriter Jenny Bruce. Welcoming the eternal struggle between yin and yang, Bruce battles her demons with gratitude and wistful familiarity on her 3rd upcoming release, "Left Of July." Always an observer with an intuitive eye and an open heart, this time an-expecting mother, Bruce looks inward and unfolds a more personal perspective allowing her voice to carry more raw emotion than in her previous releases.

As a versatile and prolific singer/songwriter, Bruce's songs, written on guitar and piano, are triggered by inspiration rather than to suit a specific genre; the fertile depth of her work no doubt influenced by the dynamic and eclectic melting-pot of her Manhattan upbringing. "The amount of sensory input in NYC on a daily basis is intense, to say the least. But it has nurtured me well and I'm kind of hooked on it. Sometimes I do think I've seen it all." With effortless self-trained musicality, her sonorous alto leaves its distinctive fingerprint on everything she sings often drawing comparisons to Mary Chapin Carpenter or Annie Lennox. Fellow singer/songwriters and musicians are often attracted to Bruce's economical, literate writing style and original arrangements reminiscent of artists like Jonatha Brooke and Shawn Colvin.

Few independent artists have managed to attain the level of exposure Bruce has achieved since the release of her first album in 1997. Her work has been recognized with numerous songwriting awards including first place in the Billboard songwriting contest while her recordings can be heard in multiple network TV shows as well as in several acclaimed independent films. A 1999 Lilith Fair Talent Search finalist, she garnered attention from major music industry publications for her work, including Billboard Magazine. "Home" from her 2001 release, "Soul On Fire" was included as the only track from an "unsigned" artist on a popular Martha Stewart compilation CD featuring Alison Krauss, Barenaked Ladies, Lucinda Williams and other well known artists. Over the years, Bruce has shared the stage with Sophie B. Hawkins, The Nields, Toby Lightman, Richard Julian, Vanessa Carlton, Gavin DeGraw, Livingston Taylor, Lucy Woodward, Joe Jackson and others.

Music Connection calls Bruce's work "Intelligent" and "full of pathos and gentle ironies." The MA Springfield Union says, "A lot of women picked up guitars to join the Lilith trend, but Bruce is the real thing." Bruce is currently working on her 3rd studio album to be released in 2004. In putting this record together, she enlisted her drummer and multi-instrumentalist/Producer, Ethan Eubanks (David Mead, Redtime, Brad Jones of Crash Test Dummies) to help capture the band sound she was seeking. Her band is mostly comprised of Ethan Eubanks, Whynot Jansveld (David Mead, Crash Test Dummies), Ben Butler (Dar Williams, Jane Siberry, Lucy Woodward).

Jenny has always found time within her often frantic schedule to contribute her talents to charitable organizations and events. She has donated her recordings to compilation CDs for Children's International, The Garland Appeal for Breast Cancer and the Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse. Last Summer she recorded a song for Hospital Assistance and was flown to France to sing, in French, a song written for the 25th anniversary of Handicap International.

After co-founding the successful New York artist collective Urbanmuse NYC with artist Jo Davidson, Bruce was invited by the prestigious ICM booking agency to be part of the all women's NYC Sirens Tour. The Sirens include artists Amy Fairchild and Mairead and have performed at several large music festivals and performing art centers. Although Bruce will be a new mother this Summer, she plans on touring part of next year to support her new album due out this Fall. Bruce writes, "Life is a song and I'm gonna sing it."