Jennifer Chase

In 1993 Jennifer Chase hit Jacksonville's music scene with her band The Blue Plate Special and their unorthodox approach to old blues and jazz standards. In the spring 1996 she received critical acclaim in Europe and the U.S. for her debut original album Kid Jail and subsequent solo tour of performances in France, receiving frequent airplay on public and college radio stations throughout the northeast United States and Europe.

In 1996 & 1997 Jennifer was a nominee in Florida's Jammy Awards and a chosen finalist and performer in the national competition of South Florida's Songwriter's Competition and has opened for Grammy award winners The Doobie Brothers, The Rippingtons and Lisa Loeb.

Locally, In Jacksonville, Jennifer founded and spearheaded J.a.n.e. (Jacksonville Artists, Night of Entertainment) a non-profit organization boasting two fundraising concerts, silent art auctions and release of an original CD that funded child care scholarships for single parents pursuing a college education. J.a.n.e.'s goal was two-fold; first to bring well deserved recognition and celebration of the enormous diversity of talent in the area (the events featured over 80 different local performers, artists and technicians) and second to bring together and funnel that talent into a contribution to better the community. The organization successfully achieved these goals and was the first and only event of its kind in all of north Florida. In Spring of 1998 Jennifer was honored with the prestigious annual University of North Florida's Women's Leadership Award for her creative service accomplishments with J.a.n.e.

Jennifer's highly anticipated second album Famadihana was released in the Fall of 1998, featuring collaborations with well known songwriter and guitarist Gary Smalley. Complimented by Smalley's seniority and Memphis blues / rock style, the album illustrates a significant departure from the introspective lyrics and melodies of kid jail, exploring other themes ranging from racism, animism, mythology and ancestor worship while still adhering to the eclectic signature style debuted in the earlier work. The album also includes the first of several originals recorded in French.

In the Fall of 1998 Jennifer was awarded the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship in recognition of her academic and humanitarian achievements. The scholarship sent her, as well as her daughter, to Senegal, West Africa for a semester to share her music with the people and become immersed in this Islamic/ French speaking country.

In 2000-2003 Jennifer worked with several humanitarian and cultural projects in West Africa and served as the Educational Liaison for Theatreworks Inc. in Florida implementing multi cultural and musical performances in the schools and striving for equal access to the arts for all children.

The trips to Senegal following Jennifer's initial stay proved to have a profound effect on her music, inspiring her to write the single Anta Majigeen Njaay, a song with historic relevance, telling the story of Anna Kingsley, a disputed African princess captured into slavery and later becoming the wife of slave trader/plantation owner Zephaniah Kingsley. The song was recorded at studio 2000 in Dakar with popular Senegalese group Les Freres Guisse. Now Jennifer has written a musical based on the life of Anna Kingsley which will premier in the Spring of 2005.

Jennifer is currently working on her master's degree in Creative Writing through the University of New Orleans and is working as an adjunct professor teaching English as a second language while preparing for the spring release of Majigeen. She credits her children and friends with the inspiration she needs to weave humor and touching moments into song.