This site too slow? Try a mirror  --  Subscribe to the Guide  --  Find artist:
the Ectophiles' Guide: * Guide Home* What's new* * Alphabetical* Genre* Commentator* Location* Random artist* Search* Contact the editors* Credits

Jean Synodinos


Country of origin:

U.S.A.

Type of music generally:

Contemporary folk

Status:

Most recent release, Love & Blood (2015)

See also:

Jean Synodinos's site

CD Baby's page for Jean Synodinos

Comparisons:

Michelle Shocked

Covers/own material:

Mix of own compositions, covers, and co-written material

General comments:

Jean Synodinos has a lovely, rich voice. Her musical style ranges through varieties of folk flavoured with country, pop, jazzy horns. Her music is a mix of her own work and a few covers. Her stylings are somewhat conventional, but done with energy and passion. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com)

Recommended first album:

Girls, Good & Otherwise

Recordings:


Lucky

Release info:

2003—Fortunate Records—FR011

Availability:

See Jean Synodinos's website

Ecto priority:

Recommended

Group members:

Jean Synodinos—lead vocals, acoustic guitar, backing vocals

Guest artists:

Charles Rieser—electric guitar, acoustic guitar, baritone guitar, B3, mandolin, mandotar, vibraphones, shaker, late night kick drum, drum loop
Charles Searles—drums, percussion
Glenn Kawamoto—bass
Wayne Sutton—electrion guitar
Mac McNabb—electric guitar, slide guitar, acoustic guitar
David Hamburger—National guitar
Earl Poole Ball—piano
The Grooveline Horns
     Carlos Sosa—tenor saxophone, alto saxophone
     Fernando Castillo—trumpet
     Raul "Rolo" Vellajo—trombone
Ephraim Owens—muted trumpet
Steve Bernal—cello
Rob Hooper—vibraphones, corrupted drum loop
Catherine Berry—backing vocals

Produced by:

Charles Rieser and Jean Synodinos

Comments:

This is an interesting and well-constructed collection of songs. Jean Synodinos's lovely alto vocals are the central force, uniting the songs which sometimes feel jazzy, sometimes a little country, sometimes bluesy. Her "Gospel According to John" is a deadringer for Michelle Shocked's folk/rock sound, and come to think of it, her (excellent, by the way) cover of "Ode to Billy Joe" has that feel as well, though on other tracks, such as the bluesy "Time Take Time" or the jazzy, carefree "Sure Thing", the similarity is less evident. Contemporary folk fans should check her out. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com)

Girls, Good & Otherwise

Release info:

2011—Fortune Records—FR-033/2012

Availability:

See Jean Synodinos's website

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended

Group members:

Jean Synodinos—vocals, acoustic guitar, ukulele, electric sitar, keyboards

Guest artists:

Charles Rieser—electric guitar, acoustic guitars (all tracks); vibratone, omnichord (1); drum loops, keyboards (2); odd noises (10)
Bruce Hughes—bass (all tracks); backing vocals (1, 3, 4, 5, 11
)Rob Hooper—drums, percussion (all tracks)
Red Young—B3, keyboards (1, 4, 5, 6)
Redd Volkaert—electric guitar (9)
John Pointer—cello (3, 10); human beatbox (2)
Carlos Sosa—saxophone (8)
Katie Gosnell—backing vocals 3)

Produced by:

Charles Rieser

Comments:

Jean Synodinos has a warm, relaxed sound and a lovely voice. All of that is in prefect synch on this album. "Five things to do today" is an ironic account of a prefect life with a bluesy feel. "Full Moon Eclipsing" is a sumptuous track with a great lyric and a vocal that's as good as ever. "The Scissors to my rock" is a tough yet relaxed little song witn an ace lyric. It's an utterly brilliant album. (starnell@yahoo.com)


Thanks to Anna Maria Stjärnell and Sophia Gurley for work on this entry.

Why the ads?
the Ectophiles' Guide: * Guide Home* What's new* * Alphabetical* Genre* Commentator* Location* Random artist* Search* Contact the editors* Credits

DISCLAIMER: Comments and reviews in the Ectophiles' Guide are excerpted from the ecto mailing list or volunteered by members of the list. They are the opinions of music enthusiasts, not professional music critics.

Entry last updated 2016-04-09 15:26:55.
Please request permission if you wish to
reproduce any of the comments in the
Ectophiles' Guide in any context.

The Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music is copyright © 1996-2004 by the editors.
Individual comments are copyright © by their authors.
Web site design and programming copyright © 1998-2004 usrbin design + programming.
All rights reserved.