What has not yet been said about Jennie Stearns? So much has been written about this modest, soft-spoken singer-songwriter, and for good reason: Stearns is one of the most influential and talented musicians in the Ithaca area.
In the past five years, Stearns has nurtured a quietly thriving solo career, thanks to frequent touring and well-received records. Prior to her solo records Sing Desire (2002), Angel With a Broken Wing, Mourning Dove Songs, and, most recently, the lovely Birds Fall (2007), Stearns was best known for being a founding member of the popular Trumansburg roots group Donna the Buffalo and rock band Tin Roof. These days, Stearns co-owns the Volume Records, where she likes to listen to new releases by Panda Bear and Jana Hunter as well as old country singers Charlie Louvin and Mavis Staples.
Although most people think Stearns was born and raised in upstate New York, she actually lived in the small town of Carlisle, Massachusetts for the first 18 years of her life. When she moved to Ithaca in her early 20s, it was for the thriving music scene. “I’d been living in Syracuse studying illustration,” Stearns wrote in a recent email. “And I was also starting to perform in little cafés there.”
Stearns immediately recognized that Ithaca’s close-knit musical community was truly special and knew she had to relocate. “In my 20s, and before having kids, I appreciated getting out to clubs in this area, and seeing some musicians who had already lived here for a while and carved out a niche and some powerful musical relationships,” Stearns says. “At times, it was a bit of a struggle because it took a while, or it seemed like it had, to forge my own relationships with like-minded musicians.” But Stearns’ hard work eventually paid off.
Stearns’ attitude towards collaboration remains characteristically open-minded and unfettered by boundaries. “Since moving to this town, I’ve always kept my eyes open for players with which to collaborate,” explains Stearns. “When I find an artist I adore, I thrive off of what they bring to the table, and also what they inspire out of me. I’ve seen so many music connections develop here.”
“Every town has a different heartbeat, a unique taste. This town just happens to be where I have been and I feel very blessed that there are musicians here that absolutely thrill me,” Stearns says. In the last decade alone, Stearns has played with just about every top-notch Ithaca musician around, including Johnny Dowd (who penned for her the dark “Garden of Delight” on Sing Desire), Mary Lorson, Billy Coté, Harry Aceto, and Chad Crumm, a producer at the Trumansburg recording studio, the Music Tank. “The people I play with influence me over time, and nuances eventually seep into my songs,” says Stearns. This is fortunate for Stearns, considering the eclectic and talented list of Stearns’ collaborators.
Stearns’ own musical tastes are just as diverse, and she cites Tom Waits, Neil Young, Patti Smith, and Johnny Cash as inspirations. But Stearns’ acoustic guitar-driven sound is much closer to the contemporaries that she also cites as favorites — Cat Power, Neko Case, Howe Gelb, and Califone, in particular. She’s careful not to point out Lucinda Williams, the singer with whom Stearns’ has drawn many comparisons.
Most recently, Stearns has released the solo album Birds Fall. Stearns worked with Texas-based producer Gurf Morlix, who is best known for working with Lucinda Williams, Mary Gauthier, and other Americana and alt-country artists. “I met him for the first time the day we started recording, and it was a profound experience from that minute forward,” Stearns says of working in Morlix’ home in Austin. “I gained so much respect and admiration for him. He had a calm and unique way about him — I felt equally safe and inspired. It was a hard time I was going through then, and Gurf gave me support, allowing me to access the songs easily.” And though Stearns is a familiar performer around town, she prefers the recording studio to the stage. “I actually prefer recording, which is odd, since I perform a lot more,” Stearns admits. “But maybe if I recorded more, the excitement would wear thin, though I doubt that.”
Now that Stearns has been living here for several decades, she has the perspective of a long-time resident. “It’s funny to be here long enough to see how bands and musicians have influenced each other. The best part is witnessing musicians growing with their art and taking chances. I was at my son’s school watching Hank Roberts playing cello with a musician from the Indian band Musafir, playing hand drums. I was absolutely awe-struck.”
Stearns fully embraces the local music scene, and she tells us how much she loved touring with local singer-songwriter Mary Lorson’s latest group, Saint Low. “I loved my time with Mary Lorson’s band Saint Low,” Stearns says. “I would fall into a spell singing Mary’s songs, and that was also the start of my music appreciations for Michael Stark and Billy Coté. Singing with Mary has always been a bit of a mind altering experience — in the best way.”
Stearns also has a close working relationship with virtuoso jazz pianist Michael Stark, who provides subtle accompaniment to Stearns’ own acoustic guitar. “These days, we approach the songs just after their inception and craft carefully around the song’s origin,” Stearns explains. “We are trying not to disturb the actual life, [the] breath of the song.”
This Sunday, Stearns will take the stage again with Stark, but this time, they will be joined by another group of Ithaca musicians. Jairo Van Lunteren, Kathy Ziegler and Eva Revesz will join her and Stark at the final show of her celebrated residency at Felicia’s Atomic Lounge. “The reason I chose Felicia’s was because it’s a great listening room,” Stearns says of the intimate, relaxed space. “Doing a residency is motivation to stay in shape and to find guest musicians that I want to share with my audience.”
Stearns and Stark will begin the evening, followed by the other musicians who will play a few of their own songs. To end the night, everyone will play together in a big finale. “When I have guests, they don’t open the show for me,” Stearns explains diplomatically. “It’s not traditional in that sense.”
Indeed, nothing about Stearns seems “traditional,” even though her melancholy, earthy ballads say otherwise. Stearns is not your typical confessional singer-songwriter, although many of her songs deal with love, loss and longing. But when we asked her what made her unique, she responded with a self-effacing, enigmatic answer: “I don’t know that I am unique,” she says. “Am I?” Well, if she is unsure, let us be the first to reassure her that she is a true original.
Jennie Stearns will be playing a free show at Felicia’s on Sunday, May 13. Get there early for a good spot — the place fills up quickly when Stearns plays. Bring your mom for an unusual and special Mother’s Day present. The show will begin at 7pm. This piece appeared in the May 9 edition of the Ithaca Times.