(NORTH ADAMS, Mass.) – Retro-soul chanteuse Kat Edmonson brings her unique, self-described “vintage pop” sounds to Club B-10 at MASS MoCA on Saturday, March 14, 2015, at 8pm. A stunningly sweet singer with a uniquely expressive voice, Edmonson’s style defies easy categorization, rooted in jazz but pulling liberally from rock, classic pop, country, classical, ethnic music, and folk. Her vocals sound like a blend of Billie Holiday, Macy Gray and Emmylou Harris.
Edmonson’s timeless music mirrors her old soul, reflecting a fascination with the intricacies of human interaction and a penchant for old-fashioned romance. Forgoing formal vocal training, the Texas native wrote her first song at age 9, inspired by early study of the so-called Great American Songbook and the idealized love seen in her favorite classic musicals. Her smart, lighthearted pop is equal parts vintage and contemporary, peppered with jazz-scatting, bursts of vibrato, and Latin-inspired grooves.
Steve Greenlee of the Boston Globe called her 2012 album, “Way Down Low,” “one of the greatest vocal albums I’ve ever heard.” Her 2014 follow-up, “The Big Picture,” confirms it was no fluke: she is one of today’s most exciting and original singers, a throwback who is completely of the moment, a dazzling talent with a voice that’s impossible to forget.
Skilled at reworking retro styles to suit a modern audience, Edmonson’s kinship with the past only serves to propel her forward. She prefers to interpret lyrics with delicacy and restraint, finding power in subtlety. The New York Times calls Edmonson “fresh as a spring bouquet… intuitive about melody and handy with a turn of phrase.”
When Edmonson burst onto the Austin, Texas, music scene in 2009, she was welcomed with open arms; her self-released 2009 debut, “Take to the Sky,” made Billboard’s jazz chart’s top 20, became a top seller on iTunes, and was featured on many of the year’s Top 10 lists. She soon found herself playing concert halls and festivals around the world, performing on Austin City Limits and A Prairie Home Companion, and providing songs to be featured on television shows and commercials.
Kat Edmonson performs in MASS MoCA’s Club B-10 on Saturday, March 14, at 8pm. Dinner and snacks are available from Lickety Split before and during the show. A full bar serves Berkshire Brewing Company beers and Berkshire Mountain Distillery spirits. Tickets go on sale Friday, November 21, at 11am, and are $10 for students, $16 in advance, $22 day of, and $26 preferred. Tickets for all events are available through the MASS MoCA box office located on Marshall Street in North Adams, open 11am – 5pm Wednesdays through Mondays; closed Tuesdays through spring 2015. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413.662.2111 during box office hours or purchased on-line at MASS MoCA. All events are held rain or shine.