Jennifer Charles

Jennifer Charles (b. November 15 1968, Washington, D.C.) is a singer, musician, composer, and poet. Along with Oren Bloedow, she co-founded the New York band Elysian Fields.

Biography

While Charles was growing up, her mother was a singer in Washington D.C. clubs and her father had a radio show that played jazz. She studied theater and appeared in plays and experimental theatre at places like "The Studio" and "The Source".

She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from N.Y.U., where she studied theater at the Tisch School. Upon graduating she appeared in various off-broadway theater, had a stint singing in a dive piano bar, and curated a performance/poetry series at the original Knitting Factory. She has also curated at Tonic, DJed in Paris, and will curate at The Stone in December 08.

Elysian Fields was founded in 1995 and have released four full length records (five counting one produced by Steve Albini that was suppressed). They have also contributed to many compilation CDs, including the first song on John Zorn's Serge Gainsbourg tribute album. This song, their rendition of "Les Amours Perdues", also appeared in Lea Pool's film "Emporte Moi".

Besides Elysian Fields, Charles has other projects. She and Bloedow recorded "La Mar Enfortuna" for Zorn's Tzadik label, featuring renditions of Sephardic and Ladino songs. [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:5ekzikpabbc9~T1 Allmusic.com] ] She has studied classical Indian singing with teacher Gulamji. Fact|date=October 2007

In late 2007 she and Bloedow put out a second Tzadik full length, under the band name La Mar Enfortuna, called "Conviviencia". Charles sings in five languages on the record, including Ladino, Spanish, Aramaic, Arabic, and Greek.

Charles also makes up a quarter of the band Lovage, along with Dan the Automator, Mike Patton, and Kid Koala. The band recorded its debut album titled "Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By" in 2001. Charles co-wrote and sung most of the material on the album, which has since became something of a cult favorite. She has also worked with bands like Firewater, turning in notable performances on "The Circus" and "Mr. Cardiac" from 1996's "Get Off The Cross, We Need the Wood for the Fire", as well as Xian Hawkin's "Sybarite", the latest Foetus record, "Love", as well as working with Matt Johnson of The The, and on several of John Zorn's records.

Charles recorded in French with the French composer Jean-Louis Murat for the album "A bird on a poire" in 2004, which was nominated for a Victoires de la Musique award best pop album.

She had a guest spot on ex-Nine Inch Nails drummer Chris Vrenna's solo project Tweaker. She sang and co-composed the track "Crude Sunlight", which appeared on the 2004 album "2am Wakeup Call". Charles co-composed music with Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heill ("Run Lola Run") for the film "Tangled". Elysian Fields' version of Bob Dylan's "Tangled up in Blue" can be heard in the film's credits.

In 2006 she produced the latest Oren Bloedow record.

Charles is currently in production for a major role in "Lightning at Our Feet", inspired by poet Emily Dickinson, under the direction of Bob McGrath, with film maker Bill Morrison and Composer Michael Gordon, which will be part of the Next Wave festival at Brooklyn Academy of Music in December 2008.

Discography

*2008: The Heavy Circles, Dynamite Child' (bgvs)
*2007: La Mar Enfortuna, Convivencia, Tzadik" (voc, writer)
*2007: Foetus- Vein, Birdman (voc)
*2006: Ben Perowsky's Moodswing Orchestra - El Destructo (writer, vocalist)
*2006: Elysian Fields - Bum Raps And Love Taps, Diluvian/Naive (writer, vocalist, keyboards)
*2005: Foetus Love- Birdman Records (vocalist)
*2004: Jean Louis Murat - A Bird On A Poir, Labels (vocalist)
*2004, 2003: Elysian Fields - Dreams That Breathe Your Name, Diluvian (writer, vocalist, farfisa)
*2004 Tweaker - 2 AM Wake-Up Call, IMUSIC (writer, vocalist)
*2003 Ben Perowsky - Camp Songs, Tzadik (vocalist)
*2003 Sasha Argov - Great Jewish Music, Tzadik (vocalist)
*2003 Foetus - A Tribute to the Sisters of Mercy, EFA (vocalist, writer)
*2002 Frank London - Scientist at Work, Tzadik (vocalist)
*2002 John Zorn - Film Works XII - Three Documentaries, Tzadik (vocalist)
*2002 Sybarite - Scene of the Crime, 4AD (writer, vocalist)
*2002 John Zorn - IAO Music In Sacred Light, Tzadik (vocalist)
*2001 illy B Eats - Drop the Needle, Amulet (vocalist)
*2001 Zoar - Clouds Without Water (vocalist)
*2001 Lovage - Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By, 75 Ark (writer, vocalist)
*2001 Firewater Psychopharmachology, Jetset (vocalist)
*2001 Oren Bloedow and Jennifer Charles - La Mar Enfortuna, Tzadik (vocalist, bells, wurli, writer)
*2000 Elysian Fields - Queen of the Meadow, Jetset. (writer, vocalist, mini moog, guitar, wurli)
*1999 Liminal (unreleased) (writer, vocalist)
*1999 What's the Word Volume 1 - Various Artists, Deezal (writer, vocalist, piano)
*1999 DJ Logic - Project Logic, Ropeadope (writer, vocalist)
*1999 Jean Louis Murat - Mustango, Labels (vocalist)
*1998 - Various Artists, Tzadik. (vocalist)
*1998 Elysian Fields - The Albini record (unreleased) Radioactive (writer, vocalist)
*1998 Oren Bloedow - The Luckiest Boy in the World, Knitting Factory Works (bgv)
*1997 Elysian Fields Meets DJ Cam - Radioactive (writer, vocalist)
*1997 Great Jewish Music - Serge Gainsbourg Various Artists, Tzadik (vocalist)
*1997 Life in a Blender Two Legs Bad, Fang (phoned in whispers)
*1997 Live Secret Samadhi, Radioactive (bgv)
*1996 Jennifer and Kenny Siegel Sessions (unreleased) (vocalist)
*1996 Firewater Get Off The Cross ... We Need The Wood For The Fire, Jetset (vocalist)
*1996 Elysian Fields - Bleed Your Cedar, Radioactive (writer, vocalist, rhythm king, percussion)
*1996 Elysian Fields - Elysian Fields EP, Radioactive. (writer, vocalist)
*1992 Oren Bloedow - Knitting Factory Works (bgv)

References

External links

* [http://www.elysianmusic.com/ http://www.elysianmusic.com/ Elysian Fields Website]