Kerry
distinctly remembers the year her
older brother received an acoustic
guitar for Christmas. She would
steal it away while he was in school
and spend countless hours teaching
herself to play some of her earliest
influences: Joni Mitchell, CSN&Y,
Jackson Browne, and Simon & Garfunkel.
She
released her World in Motion
debut album, Apollo,
to critical acclaim. The Los
Angeles Times named it one
of the best local releases of
the year, later revising that
review to single out the record
as one of the best of the decade.
They called Kerry a “pop goddess” and
an “undiscovered peer of Shawn
Colvin and Sheryl Crow.” The
other critics agreed. Performing
Songwriter Magazine deemed
the record one of the Top DIY
Releases of 1997 and included
the song “Devil and the Deep
Blues” on their year-end compilation
CD. Orange County Weekly crowned
her “Our Minstrel” in a story
entitled “Kerry Getz Ought to
Be Famous”.
In
2001 Kerry recorded and released
her sophomore album, Live
at the Galaxy . How easy
it is to record a house full
of screaming fans; how difficult
it is to conquer the empty stage
with an acoustic guitar and a
microphone. Kerry wove a spell
with verse and melody; she was
vulnerable yet invincible.
Finding
her groove, Kerry quickly returned
to the studio to record and release little
victory to rave reviews.
She discovered a unique chemistry
with her co-producer-engineer-friend,
Marty Beal,and co-wrote many
of the songs with him. The Orange
County Register writes “ Little
victory is the most powerful
collection of its kind since
[Aimee] Mann's Bachelor
No. 2. ” National Public
Radio notes, “the songwriting
is strong, passionate and poetic.” Garnering
airplay across the country during
a very competitive time for radio, little
victory has an independent
spirit that refuses to be ignored.
Acoustic Guitar recognized her
strength in their reveiw of the
album, noting “Getz's rich, dreamy
voice rises up from the emotional
depths of the soul-searching
and star-gazing lyrics, floating
through the chiming, atmospheric
arrangements.”
Proudly
sharing that spirit, Getz has
shared the stage with numerous
artists, including Neil Finn,
Shawn Colvin, Richard Thompson,
Nick Lowe, and John Mayer. She
has also had tracks included
on many compilation CDs, including
the Martin Newell tribute ReNewell as
well as Coast to Coast ,
a collection of songs from North
American female singer/songwriters
which was just released by the
German label, JarMusic .
She has been named “2002 Female
Artist of the Year” by the Just
Plain Folks Music Awards and
nominated for the same title
by the Orange County Music Awards.
And becoming a bit of a local
celebrity in Southern California
, Kerry was featured on “Sound
Affects,” the acclaimed music
and interview series on PBS station,
KOCE-TV.
Armed
with a voice that the LA Times says “hits
with persuasive force or dances
with nuanced delicacy,” Kerry
Getz now releases her fourth
for World in Motion Records: it's
a wonderful life. Kerry
transforms a more truthful holiday
season with a careful selection
of traditional tunes, contemporary
songs of the seasons, and brand
new originals. It's not just
about the gifts; it's also about
tradition and family tension
and the winter wistfulness that
comes in December. Kerry bravely
and candidly addresses the human
conditions that come with the
holidays in every climate – family,
daydream romance, taking just
one day out of the year to believe
in Santa Claus. Not a week after
its release, NPR featured Kerry
again, this time on “Weekend
Edition.” Observing its “rich
folk-rock arrangements” and even
declaring that the album “shows
off her full talents,” there
is proof that it's a wonderful
life indeed. |