Lenni Jabour
Encyclopedia
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
based in Paris and Toronto, who plays "an eclectic mélange of carnival music, torch, folk and pop".
Early life and education
Jabour is half Lebanese, half Canadian. She grew up first in Toronto, until her father died when she was still young, and then she lived in North BayNorth Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
with her mother and grandparents. She started playing piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
at just two years of age, and was subsequently classically trained from the age of three. She studied at The Royal Conservatory of Music and Ryerson University
Ryerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
, where she graduated from the drama program.
Career
At 18, she made her debut as a professional musician, playing jazz standards and the occasional Nick CaveNick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
or Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
cover in Toronto bars and coffeehouses.
Her self-titled debut album was released in 1996, and was in the top 100 of the year's Canadian independent albums. Critic Lenny Stoute wrote that it contained "streetwise soul poems and rich melodies."
Her live album, released in 2000, was performed with a string trio at the Toronto venue C'est What.
The Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
described her song "A Little Sad", from the 2006 album Les Dangereuses, as a "sublimely retro pop song", "[s]ingalong melancholy, with horns that evoke a long-lost Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
B-side."
She has toured as a supporting act for Blue Rodeo
Blue Rodeo
Blue Rodeo is a Canadian pop and country rock band, which was formed in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario. They have been signed with Warner Music Group since their debut album Outskirts in March 1987...
, Amanda Marshall
Amanda Marshall
Amanda Meta Marshall is a Canadian pop-rock singer.She grew up in Toronto in a biracial family to a White Canadian father and a Black Trinidadian mother...
, Holly Cole
Holly Cole
Holly Cole is a Canadian jazz singer, particularly popular in Canada and Japan for both her versatile and distinctive voice, along with her adventurous repertoire, which spans such divergent genres as show tunes, rock, and country music.-Holly Cole Trio:In 1983, Cole travelled to Toronto to seek a...
and Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
. She also played several dates on the Lilith Fair
Lilith Fair
Lilith Fair was a concert tour and travelling music festival, founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, Nettwerk Music Group's Dan Fraser and Terry McBride, and New York talent agent Marty Diamond. It took place during the summers of 1997 to 1999, and was revived in the summer of 2010. It...
bill in 1998, and has been a guest musician on albums by Jason Collett
Jason Collett
Jason Collett is a Toronto based singer-songwriter. He has released four solo albums, and is a member of Broken Social Scene. His latest album, Rat a Tat Tat, was released in March, 2010.-Early life:...
, Hawksley Workman
Hawksley Workman
Ryan Corrigan , better known by the stage name Hawksley Workman, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who has garnered critical acclaim for his blend of cabaret pop and glam rock. Workman has released eleven full length albums throughout his career...
, I Mother Earth
I Mother Earth
I Mother Earth, or IME, was a Canadian alternative rock band. The band was at the peak of its popularity in the mid-to-late 1990s; its members have moved on to other projects.-Early years:...
, Glueleg and The Cash Brothers
The Cash Brothers
The Cash Brothers are a Canadian alternative country/folk rock duo, consisting of brothers Andrew and Peter Cash.-Career:Prior to the creation of The Cash Brothers, Andrew and Peter Cash both had established careers as songwriters and musicians. Andrew was a member of the bands L'Étranger and...
.
Discography
- Lenni Jabour (1996, out of print)
- Demo 2000 (2000, out of print)
- Ten Songs Live (2000, out of print)
- At the Clarion Café (2002, out of print)
- A Small Show of Hands (2003, out of print)
- Les Dangereuses (2006) available on iTunes
- Lenni Jabour : Greatest Hits (covers of hits from the 70s + 80s) (2009) available on iTunes