"Dynamite from top to bottom"   Eric Cohen, Music director   WAER-RADIO Syracuse NY

 

"...A finalist in the 2002 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Shore has a voice that is reminiscent of Laura Nyro, Joni Mitchell and the late Eva Cassidy. The 12 songs on Finally show Shore to be a true inheritor of the heartfelt folk indie singer-songwriter tradition. Bleak, grief-filled and triumphant all at once, these songs vary in tone from the elegant "I Really Do" ("Behind a smile of gallant charm you post a guard for me to chase my blues away and my loneliness") to the catchy but mournful "Break Down and Cry," from the world-music guitar orchestrals of "Watching All the While" to the angry and biting "Sorry They Said" and "Girl on TV," a song about being a teenager dealing with media body issues...Keri Shore is a singer-songwriter whose voice is rich, evocative and textured... Her love of language is obvious and anyone who likes to hear the purity of an indie voice will listen often to this album. I highly recommend this CD." Carole McDonell, reviewer-Rambles.net

published 20 November 2004

“Keri Shore has made a great record. It encompasses many styles and tempos with ease.

 

Watching all the While has a Spanish guitar part that's brilliant. Shore's passionate vocal is strikingly upfront.

 

I Really Do is a Cowboy Junkies-esque country song. There's something of Chris Isaac's retro fifties sensibility in the mix too.

 

Break Down and Cry is a very moving song. The sorrow in Shore's voice seems genuine. Despite the title the song is catchy and up-tempo.

 

Finding My Way is a suggestive folk song.

 

Many of us can relate to the sharp lyrics of Girl on TV .

 

It describes an impossible ideal and what that makes us do to try and live up to it.

 

Finally… is a strong record.” Anna Maria Stjärnell, reviewer-collectedsounds.com

 

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“Keri has a unique and very cool sound with beautiful and unaffected vocals…Awesome!” Matt Johnson, drummer (Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, John Mayer):

 

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Finding My Way runner-up award 2002 John Lennon Songwriting Contest (inspirational category).

 

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I'm an independent artist out of NY and was lucky enough to work with some pretty brilliant people whose diverse musical backgrounds (everything from jazz to pop to traditional Celtic) helped create a multi-textural mix, from world-tinged and ambient folk-rock, to groove-driven and all out jangly-pop. These include: guitarist- Nick Moroch (who's credits include Donald Fagan, David Sanborn and Kelly Rowlands of Destiny's Child), cellist- Garo Yellin (Natalie Merchant, Dixie Chicks), as well as a few players from “Riverdance” (if you're an “ELP” fan check out track #7, a Celtic cover of “Lucky Man” featuring iullean pipe and bodhran).  

 

The CD is called “Finally…” and this is the story behind it…  

 

Two weeks after my honeymoon, I injured both of my ankles while working out.   I had done a lot of jazz / modern dance and figured it was no big deal, so I went back to work the next day at my waitressing job.   Within a couple of days the pain was so great I could barely walk.   My doctor said don't worry, give it time, they'll get better.   They didn't.

 

Within a couple of weeks I was wheel chair bound, and none of my doctors knew why.   The pain was constant and so intense that the weight of a bed sheet was agony.   I could no longer work or continue college and my dreams of one day becoming a Vet vanished. Two years later, the 16th doctor I saw diagnosed it as a neurological complication called RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy).   He said it's incurable unless you catch it early.   Not good.   I spent some time at more than one hospital where they tried the only known treatments to no avail.

 

Needing an outlet, I picked up my husband's dusty guitar and along with a Neil Young songbook, taught myself a few chords.   My life was a mess and this took my mind off the pain.   Within a couple of weeks, for the fun of it, I wrote a song.   My husband loved it.   I wrote another and another, and pretty soon, to my astonishment, I had enough for 2 albums.  We figured, why not make a demo?

 

3 years after becoming disabled, I found a European doctor on Long Island who's methods succeeded where conventional medicine had failed (this was doctor #19).   I began to get better.   We figured, why not make an album?

 

It was slow to get started and very tough in the beginning, knowing few musicians or anything about making an album.    But with some luck (and persistence), eventually I would meet one person who would introduce me to another and so on… In particular a few special people who helped pull it all together. But most of all, my incredible husband who stood by me through everything and helped turn a dream into reality.

 

Well that's the story, and finally… after years of work, I'm back on my feet with the completion of my CD.

ally… after years of work, I'm back on my feet with the completion of my CD.

Thanks for visiting and checking out my music at www.Cdbaby.com/kerishore

 

Credits

Nick Moroch- guitars/arrangements (David Sanborn, Donald Fagan (Steeley Dan), Chaka Khan, The Bee Gees, Kelly Rowlands of "Destiny's Child" as well as film score work including the soundtrack for the remake of Shaft)

Rick Mullen- bass (credits include: Don Mclean, Van Morrison, Commander Cody and he also builds custom guitars and basses)

Mike Sciotto- drums/percussion/arrangements (credits include: Duncan, Ace Frehley ("Kiss"), Belladonna ("Anthrax") and Vinny Martell of "Vanilla Fudge")

Gordon Gebert- keyboards (credts include "'Angel", Ace Frehley of "Kiss" and author of best selling book "Kiss & Tell")

Garo Yellin- cello (credits include: Sheryl Crow, Natalie Merchant and Dixie Chicks, he also plays classical cello)

Adam Hyman- string arrangements, viola, violin, (credits include: string arranger for rock and R&B recordings, conductor, author of "Adam's Musical Stories For Violin"; a book of original pieces for beginners, he has also played in Broadway and Off-Broadway shows like The Lion King and plays electric bass)

Wayne Warnecke- mixing engineer/percussion/arrangements (credits include: Elza, Luther Vandross, Patti Austin and the "Temptations")

Rory Gordon- arrangements (credits include: guitarist for Davy Jones and Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees).

Scott Hull- Mastering engineer (credits include: Mathew Sweet, Nelly Furtado, Garbage, No Doubt and John Mayer)

Produced by Keri Shore and David Shore with deepest gratitude to Nick Moroch, Wayne Warnecke, Mike Sciotto and Matt Kovsky for all their help and special contributions.

All lyrics and music by Keri Shore except for:
"Breakdown and Cry " lyrics / Keri Shore, music / John Zaff and Keri Shore
"Lucky Man" Greg Lake

Additional Musicians:

Valentin- guitars on "Finding My Way" (credits include: dance remix Christina Aguilera / mixing engineer)

Paul Morris- keyboards on "Cherish You" and "Watching All the While" (credits include: Doro, Ritchie Blackmoor of Deep Purple and Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits)

Stuart Stahr- drums, percussion on "Finding My Way" (credits include: Sue Foley as featured in a major motion picture release "You Can Count On Me" and over 40 albums)

Melanie Yarger- cello on "Finding My Way " (credits TBA)

Jesse Mills- violin on "Finding My Way" (credits TBA)

Ivan Goffs- iullean pipe on "Lucky Man" ( "Riverdance", additional credits TBA)

Robbie Harris- bodhran on "Lucky Man" and "Finding My Way" ( "Riverdance" additional credits TBA)

Bruce McDaniel- additional acoustic guitar on "Girl On TV" (credits include: founder and frontman for Nine Mens Morris and original member of the Sick F**cks of "Tish & Snooky" / "Manic Panic" fame)

John Campagna- string arrangements for "Finding My Way" (credits TBA)

Sharon Bautista- Background vocals on "Taste the Cream" (credits TBA) Danielle DeLuca- Background vocals on "Taste the Cream" (credits include singer/songwriter, one time lead vocalist for "Yazmin", vocals (lead and backing) for "Straight wired", backing gig vocals for Mark Anthony's current lead guitarist Aaron McLain


For additional information about anyone who worked on this CD please e-mail me at keri@kerishore.com