Touch Down by Stephanie Schneiderman

The first single, "New Skin Completed," was in regular rotation on KINK (Portland's leading Triple A station) and was featured on the WB's prime time show "Jack & Jill," and was the title track for the movie "Kat and Allison." Since then Schneiderman has released a 7-song EP and is set to release a brand new record, entitled Touch Down.

TOUCH DOWN

Touch Down exudes an artful maturity and is indeed her most prolific release to date. She purposefully intermingles her roots in jazz, soul, pop and classical music with her own intricate songwriting. Her song and stylistic choices are diverse, unified by a subtle, yet clear knowledge of self. "I knew what I wanted to do on this record. What I wanted to sound like, not what someone else was telling me I needed to be."

Her resolve is most evident in her vocal performances throughout the record. Recalling contemporary artists like Tori Amos and Susan Tedeschi, her voice also evokes hints of jazz singers like Billie Holiday or Sarah Vaughn -understated, sultry, and laced with delicate vocal precision while maintaining a powerful presence and depth that is expressive and emotionally forthright. And though each song is wrapped individually by a unique style, melody, or story, this prevailing vocal thread ties the album together.

Stephanie's songwriting also reflects a newfound vulnerability as well. The song-poems evoke a sense of longing and bittersweet bafflement while moving from dark places of despair to light-filled whimsy. "These new songs are about courage," explains Schneiderman, "not about the absence of fear, but the strength to move through it."

Capturing it all, producer Tim Ellis and engineers Bob Stark and Dave Friedlander at Kung Fu Bakery worked behind the scenes helping to shape the album, while a legion of musical guests contributed their talents as well. The rhythm section is comprised of drummer/producer Greg Williams (Dandy Warhols, Sheryl Crow, Pete Droge) and standout bassist Phil Baker (Pink Martini, Diana Ross). Jean Pierre Garau lends his outstanding talent on keys. Inspired guest performances from Dan Gildea, Paul Brainard, Tony Furtado, Linda Hornbuckle, Lara Michell, McKinley, Targheen Dougherty, and Michael Baker give the record depth and a caliber of musicianship that shines through on every track. A particularly keen album note is the string arrangements written by veteran composer and arranger Dave Mills. Played by the Thirdd Angle String Ensemble the strings bring added warmth and character to several of the album's 13 tracks.

Dedicated to the memory of three remarkable women- her two grandmothers and great aunt, Touch Down ties together music's past and present into a progressive roots framework that is at once emotive and engaging. A breakout album for a songwriter that has paid her dues and found her voice, Stephanie Schneiderman is indeed one of the Northwest's most precious gems.

EARLY HISTORY

Schneiderman's entertainment career began in high school where

she merged an interest in singing

and theater, which included lead roles in musicals and plays, as

well as mastering piano, guitar

and french horn. By age 18 she was fronting a cover band

and went on to perform with Body

and Soul, the region's top Motown/old school funk act. Despite

performing for crowds of up to 15,000,

Schneiderman was dreaming about starting a solo career and in

1999 left to become a full-time

singer/songwriter.

During that first year Schneiderman won the grand prize in The

Lilith Fair competition and released

her self-titled acoustic debut to ecstatic reviews. The album

remained on the Top Selling Northwest

Bands Chart for over a year. She showcased at NACA and toured

throughout Wyoming, Montana,

Alaska, Idaho, Washington, Utah, and Oregon. By the end or 2000

she was ready to go into the studio

to record "Unbelievably Unbroken."

UNBELIEVABLE UNBROKEN

The breadth of Schneiderman's talent was made abundantly clear

on UNBELIEVABLY

UNBROKEN, her twelve-song fully orchestrated sophomore release.

Various reviewers opined: "A stunning work...."Unbelievably

Unbroken" is unbelievably good," "The

best CD I've reviewed this past year," "This is a great record,

full of musicality and intelligence."

Producer Martin Feveyer (Screaming Trees, Presidents of the

United Stated, Alejandro Escovedo)

helped Schneiderman shape a varied and richly textured sonic

landscape. Schneiderman's uncanny

stylistic versatility at once completes the songs and secures

the continuity of the album. From the

sparse, country-twang of "Anyway" to the multi-layered, sexy

symphonic trance of "Marmalade," to the

drunken, straight-ahead rock of "Betty", to the dark, moody pop

of "Deep End" (co-written with Jeff Trott,

Sheryl Crow's Grammy- winning songwriting partner), each song is

imbued with a distinct emotional

character. JAM Magazine wrote: "There are people you run across

in your life's journey whose stories,

images, emotions and abilities trigger an unexpected and

inexplicable influence. For many people,

Stephanie Schneiderman and the music she produces, is just

that."

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