yesterconfessions by tamara dearing

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Playing musical chairs with genres is not such a surprising feat for Tamara who developed a musical ear at a very young age and reinforced it by her appreciation of everything from Chopin to Springsteen. Her love for music was apparent by age three with the gift of a toy piano. After years of pleading she began piano lessons at age seven but they were difficult since Tamara's father was in the Navy and the family was often uprooted. During this time Tamara was exposed to New Orlean’s jazz and hurricanes, San Franciso's earthquakes and symphonies and finally settled into the lush steamy summers and gloriously white winters of Southern Indiana where her father retired. The sensory delights of the nomadic life would eventually resurface throughout her music but for now she enjoyed Bluegrass and sweet corn.

As a teenager Tamara's songs were an angst-ridden diary performed only for an empty house until one day her best friend's boyfriend's band needed a keyboardist. By 17 she was a self-producing solo act with an e.p. entitled "Downpour." At 18 she recorded and produced another independent project with 16 songs entitled "Baby Jaymar and the Undercurrent Assertion". When she was 19 she had written over 100 songs and recorded her first album in compact disc format "Close Your Eyes and Heal." This album, containing an improved recorded sound, was her first available to the general public. Released in 2000 it maintained the same raw passion as the others but played as a 16 song coming of age story full of obsession, mortal wonderment, and awkward first love.

Now the latest album “yesterconfessions” completes her journey into young adulthood. In arrangements with the polarity of sincere reflection and jovial resilient spirit she branches into her love for jazz and blues. She applies her percussive rhythmic lyrics in compositions hinting towards the old New Orlean's piano professors like Jelly Roll Morton. Her lyrics and reflection on our world draw from her oldest influences and teachers, folk artists such as Melanie Safka and Cat Stevens. It also incorporates ideas of newer artists ever evolving and never satisfied with one sound such as Andrew Bird, Michelle Shocked and Ani DiFranco. Like these artists Tamara's new album showcases her continual growth and dynamic talent. Currently residing in Louisville, Kentucky Tamara is playing gigs and developing new material for her next transformation due in 2007.

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