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All Genres > Pop > Folky Pop > LAYAH JANE: Grievance and Gratitude

Twenty-three year old singer-songwriter Layah Jane is a hearty young musician with a mission. With soulful vocals and a poetic, articulate tongue, Layah's sound recalls Joni Mitchell, Ricki Lee Jones and Ani Difranco, with a resonance all her own.
A longtime strummer of strings, Layah has always preferred a self-taught inprov-style creative process. Both piano and guitar became tools for writing and accompaniment as she began to create and perform original material at the age of thirteen. Layah has dazzled audiences in countless shows and festival showcases including Winterfolk Festival, and North by Northeast Music Festival. In May 2005, Layah Jane won a showcase at the Ottawa Folk Festival and a CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award. In July 2005, her song "Reverence and Ridicule" won the political category in the Ontario Council of Folk Festival's songwriting competition.
Both Provincial and Federal grant programs have recognized Layah's musicianship and supported her projects, through the Ontario Arts Council, and FACTOR. Layah's loyal audiences in Canada, the U.S.A, Europe, and Australia pre-bought her debut album Grievance and Gratitude, (Grace Note Records, 2005). Grievance and Gratitude was produced by Oliver Johnson (Ivana Santilli, Esthero), and is sonically blessed by drummers Davide Direnzo (Holly Cole, Simon Wilcox, Jacksoul) and Ben Riley (Bruce Cockburn), bassist Marc Rogers (Norah Jones, Jarvis Church), and percussionist Dave Gouveia (Amanda Marshall, Ivana Santilli).
The Grievance and Gratitude Remixes took Layah's folk seeds and grew them into flowers that bloom compellingly in colours of breakbeat, trip-hop, hip-hop, rock, samba, and reggae. The tracks were produced by a diverse and well-respected tribe of remixers.
Layah Jane has been seen and heard as a live and recorded back-up vocalist for a range of artists making folk, funk, soul, and hip-hop music in the Toronto area. Over the past ten years, she has also appeared as a lead and back-up vocalist on various commercials and Juno-nominated albums.
In the realm of television and radio, Layah's songs have been licensed for Global TV's "Blue Murder", and ESPN's primetime drama "Tilt". Layah appeared on Toronto 1's late night entertainment TV show, "The Toronto Show", in 2003, performing two original songs live. College radio and CBC are taking notice of Grievance and Gratitude and helping new listeners discover Layah Jane through the airwaves.
Morphing from singer-songwriter to DJ, Layah co-founded the Move Collective, a Toronto dance jam that's spread west to Calgary and east to Halifax in the past year. Voted "Best Non-smoking Dance Event in Toronto" by Now Magazine in 2003, rotating DJs pack dance floors twice a week.
Layah Jane is a spirited and natural performer who receives enthusiastic support wherever she plays. When she takes the stage we are transported to a place where emotion is raw, reflection is deep, and revolution is not only possible, but necessary.

Check out the artist's website:
http://www.layahjane.com

Track List:
1. Capsize
2. April Fools
3. Landslide
4. Magic Marc
5. Firefly
6. Hostage
7. Dry Wit
8. Sandbox
9. Ours
10. God if I
11. Press to Me
12. Isis
13. Saltwater Taffy
14. It Tickles
15. Grace Note
16. Crows
17. Reverence and Ridicule
18. Magic Marc #2
19. Hostage (Murr Remix

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