Vanessa Daou
Country of origin:
US Virgin Islands
Type of music generally:
Moody, sensual, jazz and r&b flavored pop. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Status:
Most recent release, Songs for Solace (compilation, 2020)
See also:
Vanessa Daou's site
Comparisons:
?
Covers/own material:
Own lyrics. Co-writes music. Lyrics to "Zipless" written by Erica Jong
General comments:
I'm only familiar with Vanessa Daou's first and fourth albums, Zipless and Dear John Coltrane,. It's amazing how she takes things that inspire her and makes music that is truly intriguing and truly her own. Very atmospheric, jazz and r&b-infused, smooth, and subtle. Her voice can be soft, whispery, at times more spoken word than singing. Definitely one of the more sensual singers around. (JoAnn Whetsell)Indeed, I am very familiar with Zipless...I bought her next album, Slow To Burn, but I was dismayed that Vanessa's own lyrical...hmm..."efforts", I'll call them...were *nothing* compared to the detailed, striking images that her voice evoked from Erica Jong. Regarding her later cds, if she's gone back to doing wonderful jazz to Erica Jong, then I'll celebrate...but if it's something she conjured up herself, then I'll leave the CD sitting there in the same store to which I brought back my copy of Slow To Burn, which ended up rotting in obscurity on my CD rack. ;p Let's all pray.... (John.Drummond)
Plutonium Glow was originally (late 1997) only available from Vanessa's website and on general release in 1998 with extra/remixed tracks. The songs were written by Vanessa Daou & Peter Daou. It's much closer to Slow To Burn than it is to Zipless. (jac@millipede.demon.co.uk)
Recommended first album:
Zipless or Dear John Coltrane,
Recordings:
- Zipless (1994)
- Slow To Burn (1996)
- Plutonium Glow (1998)
- Dear John Coltrane, (1999)
- Make You Love (2004)
- Joe Sent Me (2008)
- Speak/Easy: The Moonshine Mixes (ÔJoe Sent MeÕ Revisited) (2012)
- Light Sweet Crude (2013)
- Trouble Comes (EP, 2014)
- Songs for Lovers (compilation, 2018)
- Songs for Summer (compilation, 2019)
- Songs for Solace (compilation, 2020)
Zipless
Release info:
1994—Lotus Records Inc.—L1101
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Vanessa Daou—lead and backing vocals
Guest artists:
Erica Jong—spoken word on "Smoke"
Peter Daou—arrangements and playing
Produced by:
Peter Daou
Comments:
The cover says it all "songs of abandon from the erotic poetry of Erica Jong". I actually have this book (Becoming Light), long before I got the album, and the poetry never inspired me much. But when I saw Zipless, I was curious about that quote on the cover, so I decided to give it a try, and wow! Vanessa Daou obviously found a lot more inspiration in Jong's poetry than I did, because she made this wonderful wonderful album. It's very sensual, seductive, in both the sexual way and just the invitational way, inviting you to listen closer to the layers of the music, to the lyrics. (JoAnn Whetsell)After all this time i still enjoy hearing it. (FAMarcus@aol.com)
Dear John Coltrane,
Release info:
1999—Daou Music/Oxygen Music Works—OMWCD15
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Vanessa Daou—all vocals
Guest artists:
Peter Daou—acoustic piano and keyboards
Matt Hong—saxophone
Chris Adams—guitar
Produced by:
Peter Daou
Comments:
Similar to Zipless in mood and feel, but more electronic experimentation. I really like the (Col)trane/train metaphor that runs through the album. It's hard to describe because there are so many styles of music in here, but they're not experimentations into different styles, more a seamless fusion. I guess I'm too busy enjoying it when I listen to be able to analyze it well. :) Highly recommended, especially if you liked Zipless. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Further info:
She used to be in the group The Daou. She has contributed several songs to compilations: "Near the Black Forest" (Elevation 2); "Sunday Afternoons" (Danny Tenaglia—Color Me Danny and Ultra Mix '97—Non-Stop Dance Club Hits); "Two To Tango" (Life Is a Dance) and "If I Could (What Would I Do)" (American Werewolf in Paris soundtrack.Write to Vanessa Daou at Daou Music, PO Box 230669, Ansonia Station, New York NY 10023, USA or e-mail vanessa@daoumusic.com
Thanks to JoAnn Whetsell for work on this entry.
