Shea's love of jazz was born many years ago in Texas, while listening to her father's albums - Chris Conner, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Roberta Flack...and the entire Motown catalogue! Shea's mother, an accomplished visual artist, was also a stealthy singer and songwriter and guitarist...often composing songs in the living room at night. She introduced Shea to such artists as Janice Joplin, Jim Croce, Carly Simon, Bob Seger and The Pointer Sisters. Shea's brother had the music fever as well - introducing Shea to bands like R.E.M. (she got to see them at a tiny performing hall when they were doing a college tour!) Kiss and Rush, as well as the club music of the day - New Order, Big Audio Dynamite, P.M. Dawn, Dead or Alive, Erasure, and Cece Peniston. Betwixt her diverse home influences, a potent musical brew was forming.
Shea moved to Southern California for college, and fronted a hard, alternative rock band, playing all the L.A. clubs. She then segued into singing jazz, joining the Little Big Band, singing swing hits in Hollywood. Every night she challenged her self to go out and sing a different tune from the endless sea that is the jazz matrix...this is how she learned the hundreds of standards which now constellate her repertoire. Shea also delivered a variety of studio vocal work - commercials, trance and trip hop projects, background singing, harmonies...as well as children's albums.
Shea then relocated to Northern California to record an EP, "Smolder", with producer Michael Rosen, which features Bill Ortiz, Trevor Dunn and Karl Perazzo, "Piece of the Light' , which features Noam Lemish, Alex Aspinall, David Ewell, and brings back the always stellar Bill Ortiz as well as some featured guitar work from 5 time Grammy Nominee Robben Ford.
Shea's next release, "A Blind Date", an explosive, straight-ahead jazz foray, showcases the mighty George Cables on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, Billy Hart on drums, Craig Handy on sax and flute, and David Weiss on trumpet. The album was recorded in one weekend at In the Pocket Studio deep in the woods of Forestville, California.
Currently, Shea is blending classic songs with more contemporary influences, and twisting contemporary material into a more stripped down context. Her repertoire now sizzles with diversity and imaginative renditions of classic, pop and avant-garde content. Whether it be an original piece, a Bjork tune, a touch of the Velvet Underground, a Brazilian ballad, or a reworking of Burt Bacharach, Radiohead or Audioslave, Shea is constantly mining the musical world for its jewels.
Shea has been a repeat performer at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, and sings her heart out to audiences in both California and Texas .
Additionally, her original work is taking her on a deep dive into hidden grooves via the world of electronic music.
She will soon be publishing even more content on various platforms... stay tuned!
Shea moved to Southern California for college, and fronted a hard, alternative rock band, playing all the L.A. clubs. She then segued into singing jazz, joining the Little Big Band, singing swing hits in Hollywood. Every night she challenged her self to go out and sing a different tune from the endless sea that is the jazz matrix...this is how she learned the hundreds of standards which now constellate her repertoire. Shea also delivered a variety of studio vocal work - commercials, trance and trip hop projects, background singing, harmonies...as well as children's albums.
Shea then relocated to Northern California to record an EP, "Smolder", with producer Michael Rosen, which features Bill Ortiz, Trevor Dunn and Karl Perazzo, "Piece of the Light' , which features Noam Lemish, Alex Aspinall, David Ewell, and brings back the always stellar Bill Ortiz as well as some featured guitar work from 5 time Grammy Nominee Robben Ford.
Shea's next release, "A Blind Date", an explosive, straight-ahead jazz foray, showcases the mighty George Cables on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, Billy Hart on drums, Craig Handy on sax and flute, and David Weiss on trumpet. The album was recorded in one weekend at In the Pocket Studio deep in the woods of Forestville, California.
Currently, Shea is blending classic songs with more contemporary influences, and twisting contemporary material into a more stripped down context. Her repertoire now sizzles with diversity and imaginative renditions of classic, pop and avant-garde content. Whether it be an original piece, a Bjork tune, a touch of the Velvet Underground, a Brazilian ballad, or a reworking of Burt Bacharach, Radiohead or Audioslave, Shea is constantly mining the musical world for its jewels.
Shea has been a repeat performer at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, and sings her heart out to audiences in both California and Texas .
Additionally, her original work is taking her on a deep dive into hidden grooves via the world of electronic music.
She will soon be publishing even more content on various platforms... stay tuned!
Photography by George B Wells.
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