Pre-order for my new album, Atmospheric Epic, now on PledgeMusic!

Riding the wave of a “viral” post on Facebook, I’m encouraged by the 33,000 strangers who watched my video. If only I could lead them to my new album! I rely on you, my true fans, to help me get the word out. Your pre-order makes all the difference.

Where am I exactly? After chasing jazz ghosts in NYC, I flew to Nashville to begin recording with a stellar cast of jazz musicians who are very much alive and kicking. Under the helm of trusted friend and producer, Daniel Dennis at Prime Cut Studio (Peace or Drama), we carved our way through these new songs. “Your sound has matured,” he said. I agree.

Back in San Francisco, I recorded the amazing Steven Strauss on ukulele and am still working out some of the vocal parts. Though there is plenty left to do, this cross-country endeavor is well underway – my own American epic poem. And I cannot wait for you to hear it!

This PledgeMusic launch allows me to bring it to you first. All pledgers receive a digital download of the new album (once released) and the AccessPass – updates about the album’s progress, personal song demos, videos and more. You can also buy special items, like a signed copy of the CD, a spot for your name in the liner notes, even fine artwork from my Peace or Drama project signed/numbered by Hilary Williams.

Did I mention Hilary Williams has agreed to do the cover art for the new album? Whaaaat? Ack, I am so excited!!! Can you tell?

Pre-order creates an early buzz and increases shares about my album. Because of you, I get to bring this new music to life. Thank you for being my world!

PRE-ORDER NOW (CLICK BELOW)

Tonight I perform with two special ladies who were strangers to me only a couple of weeks ago. I entered the “Rock Lotto” just for fun – a musicians’ lottery where eight bands are formed by drawing names out of a hat. Our assignment: to come up with 10 minutes of original material to perform live.

In addition to working the old noodle, I’ve made two new friends and am inspired by their passion and devotion. Clara Bellino and Omi Bahari both have such positive energy – so much so that we started dancing and singing about bluebirds in the sky! Here’s a verse from our new bluebird song:

Nest in the tree of life
Have gratitude for sunshine
Be inspired by the light
Dance with the colors in the sky

Excited for tonight (details here if you’re in San Francisco). I’m also excited to fly to Nashville next month to begin recording a new album at Prime Cut Studio. Yes, it’s true. Pinch me, please! Looking forward to working with old friends and welcoming new strangers – in the form of brilliant Nashville players – to add their talents to my songs.

Feeling so much love in community right now, which is hard for an introvert like me. Sometimes I have to force myself to share. Alone time has its merits, of course, but I’m always amazed at what comes from a beautiful collaboration. Makes me feel lighter. And it’s fun!

So I invite you to get yourself out there. Make a new friend today and see what blooms! Drop me a line and let me know who inspires you. I’m doing a happy dance right now just thinking about friends I hold dear and friends I’ve yet to meet. Will you join me?

The weather has been so lovely here in San Francisco this week. I’ve got a spring in my step and an earful of tunes keeping me thrumming and humming along.

Soon I’ll fly to the east coast; perhaps I’ll see you there? This Sunday I perform at Andrea Clearfield’s Salon – a very special evening in a private home in downtown Philadelphia. Here is a brief description of the locale:

“The bones of the house may date to the 1780s. The huge attic, created when three row houses were combined, probably housed a painter’s studio. Over the years, it served as home to an art school, a party room for Mummers, and a studio for a Philadelphia Orchestra cellist.” Read more

I performed here a few years ago on my Peace or Drama music and art tour. What a thrill to share songs and paintings in this treasured spot! My pianist friend, Joseph S. Smith and I will return to perform the song we wrote together back when we were classmates at Berklee College of Music. The ghost of Van Gogh will be joining us.

We’ll also be channeling the ghost of Blossom Dearie, jazz singer/piano diva divine from the 50s-60s and beyond. On Monday I’ll head to New York City to research where Blossom lived and worked for decades (as I’m writing a show about her and the NYC jazz scene). Meet me on what would’ve been her 92nd birthday (April 28) at the historic Village Vanguard, where she traded sets with Miles Davis.

Last week I led a phone interview with fellow jazzer, Bob Dorough, who is still gigging in NYC at age 92.  Bob wrote/sang most of the Schoolhouse Rock songs from the 70s. He hired his friend Blossom Dearie to sing Figure Eight after the animator said, “We need a little girl’s voice for this one.”

So even if you don’t know her name, you’ll probably recognize her distinctive voice. I’ve been uncovering hidden gems from her early days on the Verve Records label. More to come on this, but I’ll leave you with one of my current faves – one I can’t help singing as I walk down these sunlit city streets. Let’s hope the balmy weather follows me east!

One favorite movie song per decade, from the 1920s to the 2000s.

Just in time for the Oscars, we are doing a special theme for our next Concert Window performance on Wednesday, February 24 at 5:30 PST/8:30 EST. This is a live online show – pay what you want, watch it from anywhere. A lightening round of music in about 30 minutes; buy your tickets ahead and log on early so you won’t miss a beat!

Curious to see what we pick? Send us your favorite movie song, and if it ends up on our list you win a prize. We’ll also have an interactive contest during the show – the first person to correctly name the movie corresponding to the song (without using Google) will win a prize. This is gonna be fun!

Speaking of contests, I’ve been entering a lot of them lately. Get a sneak peek at the video submissions for NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest and the American Musicians Abroad program below. Hope it inspires you to join us a week from tonight – from my living room to yours! Cheers!

My interview with Art of the Song (recorded in Albuquerque back in October) airs on radio stations nationally this week! In this full-hour show, inquiring minds can find out why….

1. I’m throwing imaginary bricks at people in Nashville
2. I’m sketching wads of gum at the bus stop in San Francisco
3. I’m seeking over-caffeinated artists at 8 o’clock in the morning

You may think I like the sound of my own voice. Yes and no. I like hearing my voice when it best conveys my true self, whether singing or speaking. Yet I cringe at the vulnerable spots – I’m not Supergirl. Sometimes my voice cracks, I sound insecure or I say the wrong thing.

I suppose those moments are as true as any other. I may make a joke (or sing a note) that falls flat. Maybe you – as a friend or a stranger – will love me more for that vulnerability. Or not. I create, I communicate. Perhaps I make something that helps you feel the light.

Isn’t that why we share? I’ll bring you a cup of sugar. Or some extra veggies from the garden. Make something. Show me what you’ve got.

Right now, I’ve got this: a wonderful gift from the folks at Art of the Song and The Standing “O” Project, showing me an interpretation of my true self. My stories, my songs (new and old) remind me of all the people who have supported me on this creativity journey. Thanks for helping me communicate.

Hope you’ll carve out some time to listen – while chopping vegetables, sitting by the fire or dancing around the room. Here’s how:

• If you’re already a Standing “O” fan, just click here. Or sign up for a free 10-day trial.
• Fans can also listen to the show on one of the Art of the Song stations this week, January 25-31; or on the AOTS website, February 1-7.
  

May your days be merry and bright. Sending love,

Need a gift? Buy music on CD Baby and iTunes. Autographed CDs and art books available – just give me a shout!

No big party for me this past weekend. No elaborate costume planned. Yet I did get into the spirit of things, in my own way.

I watched the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre for the very first time. At home, in my pjs. I’m not a big fan of the horror genre, but I did appreciate its creative creepiness and absurdity. And the 70’s flashback!

On All Hallow’s Eve, this Eve donned cat ears and went to Grace Cathedral to watch the original Phantom of the Opera (1925 silent film) with live organ music. What a thrill to take in those ghostly-dark gothic arches above the screen and the maniacal organist lit up below.

I did see some similarities between these two movies: a whole lot of chasing for one. And masks. Depravity, isolation, loneliness. Creepy shadows – light and dark. Like this image I caught of myself that same morning. Hello Creepy Cat Lady!

Sometimes I do like to stay in with the cats. Nothing wrong with that. Especially as the weather changes, there’s more tendency to want to hibernate. Yet I want the social connection, too. How about you, want to get social with me?

No need to go out. Stay in and let me serenade you on a cozy fall night. Next Wednesday, you’re officially invited to Eve and Steven’s last Concert Window concert of the year. We bring the warm feelies.

Yes, it feels good to take a quick break from all the mid-week busyness. The “Hump-Day-Slump” concert is only 30 minutes. Instead of idly surfing the Net, land on my Concert Window page and interact with us during the show. Send messages while we perform, stump us with song requests. We’re game! It looks like this:

We’re gaining momentum and we hope to grab an even larger number of watchers this time. So join us! We need you! Let’s make this a party – bob some apples, dance around in your underwear, play your air uke, we don’t care – just be there! (And by there, we mean your living room, kitchen, parked car under the stars….) As long as you have a computer or mobile device, you can watch from anywhere. Even from a lonely Texas town or the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera.

Hibernate, but don’t deprive yourself of fun! Be gone, Phantom and Leatherface! It’s November and we’ve got some singing to do.

Eve and Steven live at Concert Window
Wednesday, November 11th
8:30 pm Eastern/5:30 pm Pacific
Pay What You Want
Reserve Your Tickets Now

A week from today I will be singing my heart out in a land where hundreds of balloons take flight. That’s right, I’m headed to New Mexico for three gigs coinciding with Balloon Fiesta, the largest hot air balloon festival in the world:

• October 9  Art of the Song Creativity Radio  Albuquerque
• October 10 Balloon Fiesta in Old Town  Albuquerque
• October 10 The High Note  Santa Fe

New Mexico has been good to me lately – this is my fourth musical landing there in four years. I’m especially thankful to the Cochranes, a family of musicians who has been hosting me, supporting me, even performing with me in this “Land of Enchantment.”

Dr. Keith Cochrane, who invited me twice to perform with the San Juan College orchestra in Farmington, has retired from his music director job and moved with his family to Albuquerque. This time he is putting together a jazz trio for my shows – he will play keys and horns and his daughter (Brooklyn Cochrane) will play and sing with me as well. Did I mention they are a musical family? Props to wife/mother/player, Kristen Cochrane, who will also be helping in a myriad of ways over the weekend.

And here are two more people in New Mexico I love to love: Viv Nesbitt and John Dillon. Four years ago, they interviewed me on their Art of the Song radio program when I was traveling through on my Peace or Drama tour. Now they’ve asked me back, this time for an interview/concert in front of a live audience.

Viv and John support artists in so many wonderful ways, including The Standing “O” Project. If you haven’t yet joined this music lovers’ collective, what are you waiting for? Become my tip jar hero and be introduced to many more songwriters and creative types like me, over 300 featured artists to date. Thanks, John and Viv, for giving people a way to support us!

In addition to my Art of the Song show on Friday night, I somehow landed a gig singing to Balloon Fiesta tourists at Old Town Plaza on Saturday morning. Yep, that’s right. I get to lift my voice to a flying fantasia of balloons in the desert sky. Now that’s a first! Later on we’ll head north to romantic Santa Fe to perform an evening of jazz at The High Note.

So I am flying high, over the moon,….what other balloon puns can I unearth? Who knows what delights and mysteries await me in New Mexico this time? I’m ready for anything with the unending support of friends I hold dear, including all of you! Sending love and gratitude your way.

If you’ll be in New Mexico next week, check here for details about these shows.

Confession: I wish I was kinder to myself. Busy busy busy. Go go go. Even in my “off” time, I’m feeling guilty for what needs to be done.  I don’t have a 9 to 5 job, and yet I still get an A+ in creating a stress-filled work week.

That’s why I’m so grateful to make music with my friend, Steven. We both agree that it’s like working out – sometimes you don’t wanna go, but you always feel better afterwards. It’s a gift we give ourselves – a true break from the busyness.

Now we’ve been flexing our music muscles to give YOU a gift. How’s about it, a welcomed perk-me-up in the middle of your work week? A sweet summer stay-cation, if you will.

Yes, it’s time for another Eve ‘n Steven show on Concert Window! If you joined us for the last online soirée in March, then you know how much fun we have dishing out the tunes. People watching from all over the globe.

You can join us from the pool party, the pool hall, or even the car pool lane. (Yes, I’ve watched a CW concert on my iPhone while cruising in the passenger’s seat.) Concert Window makes it easy – reserve your tickets ahead of time (pay what you want) and they’ll send you a link when the show is about to go live.

So take a half hour escape with us – you can send us messages, leave tips and make song requests. It’s like a big group Skype only with ukulele and better streaming quality. And feel free to show up in your pjs (you can see us, but we can’t see you). Virtual high five!

Eve ‘n Steven on Concert Window
Wednesday, June 24 5:30 Pacific Time/8:30 Eastern Time
Live streaming from Eve’s living room to yours (or wherever you may be)
Half hour of rapid-fire music, don’t be late! Reserve your Tickets Now.

I was born in North Carolina (which inspired my song, Carolina Girl). But those who know me well can attest that I am first and foremost a Florida Girl. That’s why I’m so excited to head to my hometown of Gainesville, Florida for a lightening round of shows. Yippee!

So bring me a warm welcome, Florida fans! You can find a list of all my FL shows here, but your best bet is the Friday night house concert on May 8. This will be the most intimate setting, where I get to do my storytelling thing with the music. I’ve got a whole new list of songs and stories that I’m dying to share with you – including my own Carolina Girl and Al Green‘s gem, Let’s Stay Together. Heck, we may even conjure up the ghost of Blossom Dearie (extra points if you recognize that name and voice).

For those who aren’t in the Sunshine State, I offer you a little sunshine right here:

And don’t you fret – I’ll be doing another worldwide Concert Window online concert soon! The first one was waaaaay too fun!