Father's Day (June 17th) is soon upon us, and trying to find a great gift without going the tie or power tool route isn't always an easy task.  Recommending singer/songwriter/pianist Judith Owen's newest CD Happy This Way, specifically her song "My Father's Voice" is my boon to you.  It's a sure-to-please tune for the music lovin' dad on your list, no matter where his tastes run to; the truth and the beauty of it's lyrics are as a fine an homage as one could find to honor that special man in your life.

Judith wrote this song as an early birthday present to her father, Tenor for 35 years to Britian's Royal Opera House, Handel Owen.  The sparse arrangement of Ms. Owen on piano and Sean Hurley on double bass allow her ethereal voice to soar and the poignant lyrics to hit their mark.  So literally, yes she is talking about his vocation and voice.  Figuratively, however, Judith's lyrics in this song strike a chord to parent and child alike; to quote a line there "I'm the acorn, he's the oak".  Even if your pop isn't a celebrated opera singer, the message here is universal:  we are our parent's children.

Now, you may be wondering, just who is Judith Owen and what makes her sound so unique?  Let's start by going back to the influence her parents' preferences in music have had on her life.  Obviously, there's the whole opera thing, living in the U.K. and seeing all the greats perform live.  But that doesn't mean her background is made up of just one note on the musical tree of life.  In an interview with Blunt Review, Judith talked about her mother's love of big band music and especially of Frank Sinatra.  Her father added his passion for gospel, R & B, and jazz to the mix.  Toss in her personal love for singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, and Elton John and you'll see why I say that her music will call to a wide variety of fans.

Having said all of this, maybe you can see why I'm hard pressed to classify her music.  But I'm not the only one.  Earlier this year, the New York Times (February 28, 2007 issue) said of her, "She has the kind of wailing folk-jazz voice that slices away surfaces to touch vulnerable emotional nerve endings and leave you quivering. The young Joni Mitchell and Rickie Lee Jones come to mind, as does the Irish singer Katell Keineg. Her naturally jazzy fluency coincides with a melodic songwriting style that at times suggests Burt Bacharach."  As for their above-mentioned venture into the folk music spectrum, to me it's solidified with a thumbs up from the iconic folkster/legend Richard Thompson in the form of his vocal and guitar appearances on Happy This Way.

Article Author: tink

Formerly a Public Relations/Artist Development maven in the music biz, I
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