Anna Cheek This is Me

 View all 51 references Web References

1. 1. Anna Cheek: Contact

   www.annacheek.com/contact.shtm - [Cached]

   Published on: 2/17/2008   Last Visited: 2/17/2008

2. 2. Anna Cheek: Press

   www.annacheek.com/press.shtml - [Cached]

   Published on: 6/1/2005   Last Visited: 6/1/2006

   Anna Cheek's songs cross genres
   ...
   Anna Cheek at Mast Cove
   ...
   But that doesn't make it any less surprising to hear the difference when singer-songwriter Anna Cheek talks on the telephone in a clear, feminine voice, and then on her CD, "Closer to Now," where her voice is by far huskier, grittier, certain.
   
   A resident of Palenville, N.Y., in the Woodstock area, Cheek will perform in town Friday as part of the free Summer in the Park Concert Series at Merchant's Park.
   
   She will also perform in trio format Saturday at Madison's Brewing Company on Main Street. Both shows are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
   
   In an age where the air-waves are overstocked with the contrived melodies and technologically enhanced voices of packaged stars, Cheek and her band fulfill an entirely different niche - good, honest musicmaking. As a triple threat, Cheek, 46, writes the lyrics and melodies of all of her songs and also plays the piano when she performs.
   
   North of the border
   
   Born in New Orleans and raised in Niagara Falls and Montreal, Cheek studied piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada. But she never intended to have a career in music; she thought that might tarnish music's therapeutic abilities for her.
   
   That all changed, however, when Cheek spent a decade in Puerto Rico from 1989 where she began performing in cover bands and writing songs. When she returned stateside, this time to the Woodstock, N.Y., area, Cheek was armed with an arsenal of songs and melodies, and ready for the recording studio.
   
   In 2003 she released "Closer to Now." Two years later Cheek produced "LIVE at Mass Cove."
   
   With a smoky voice leading the pack, Cheek and her band - including Manuel Quintana on drums and percussion, Kyle Esposito on guitar, Bob Resnick on percussion and Scott Hargash on bass - infuse classical, jazz and rock influences.
   ...
   Working closely with her band, Cheek said it rocks when all of the instrumentalists get into the groove, otherwise known as the pocket.
   
   "When the drummer and base player are in sync, what I try to do is get in the pocket with them," she said.
   
   The relationship pendulum
   
   Most of Cheek's songs speak of relationship doom, from loneliness to uncertainty and blatant pleas for love. Cheek admits that "nuances of relationships are an ongoing theme through most of my music."
   
   In "River" she sings, "Oh river, please save me/I don't wanna drown in this love/I can't even say his name out loud anymore/Oh won't you please wash away this pain?"
   
   But contrary to having a downer effect, Cheek said that people have thanked her for her songs for uplifting them out of their misery, as it provides them with comfort when struggling through trying personal times.
   
   "Some of the stuff is pretty raw and it's out there, but it's who I am," Cheek said, who added that the lyrical content of her songs are not necessarily cold hard facts about her own life.
   
   But Cheek mostly speaks, and sings, from experience. The title track of "Closer to Now" was written in response to 9-11.
   ...
   Anna Cheek's Songs Cross Genres
   ...
   Anna Cheek has journeyed a long way from her former identity as a civil engineer in the international corporate world in Puerto Rico to her current position as an emerging singer-songwriter in upstate New York.
   
   Her music career has enabled her to wed a variety of musical styles while giving her a voice to express her true, inner self.
   
   "I finally realized where I fit is either nowhere or everywhere," she said.
   
   "In terms of genre, I'm not a typical folkie. I'm not a typical rocker. I'm not a typical classically trained pianist. I'm not a country artist. I'm not a blues artist, but I'm a little bit of all of those things. I always try to make sure that the essence of emotion is expressed in my songs."
   
   Cheek, who plays piano and sings, will perform with acoustic guitarist Kyle Esposito and drummer/percussionist Manuel Angel Quintana at Café Arabica in Morristown June 16.
   ...
   Through the local music scene in Woodstock, Cheek met singer-songwriter Chuck McQuillan, who encouraged her to record her song "Piece of Heaven."
   ...
   Last year, Cheek performed with Weider, Esposito, Quintana and background vocalist Lesa Kraft for her "Live at Mast Cove" CD, recorded at an art gallery in Kennebunkport, Maine, in November 2004.
   ...
   Cheek is again working with Frazza and notable guest musicians on her forthcoming studio CD, scheduled for release in December 2005.
   ...
   Troy music man opens series with Cheek
   ...
   Anna Cheek's family thinks she's eccentric.
   ...
   B.S. Promotions' first show is tonight, headlining Anna Cheek and opening with one of Troy's former residents and an area favorite, acoustic singer/songwriter Kim Buckley.
   ...
   You haven't heard him with Anna.
   
   On "Black Dress," his guitar tickles and teases the melody without succumbing to it. His high strung (literally) accompaniment for "On My Mind" beautifully enhances Anna's quiet weep of desperation.
   
   Weider will accompany Anna tonight, as will fellow Woodstock heavyweights bassist Kyle Esposito and drummer Manuel Quintana.
   ...
   In addition to the above-mentioned female vocalists, Anna has been compared to Tori Amos, Nora Jones, Victoria Williams and Joni Mitchell.
   ...
   Anna, however, does not blink.
   ...
   Anna Cheek accompanied by Kyle Esposito, Manuel Quintana, Bob Resnick and special guest Jim Weider hold a CD release celebration for "LIVE at Mast Cove" tonight at 8 p.m. at Artie's River Street Stage, 194 River St. in Troy.
   ...
   That is exactly how it is for pianist Anna Cheek as she makes her fourth appearance at Mast Cove Galleries in Kennebunkport on Thursday, Feb. 10. Sometimes there is a connection, an electricity that occurs between the artist and a place, and that appears to have happened here.
   
   Cheek, a Canadian who now resides in Woodstock, NY is a classically trained pianist. She applies her impressive technical skills to her music with a broad stylistic brush, blending in influences from pop, rock and jazz as well as her classical training to produce a fully composed and orchestrated sound to her work. Her voice is soulful and edgy and gives her sound a very contemporary feel, even as she mixes in more weathered musical influences.
   
   Years ago, Cheek's family lived in Kennebunkport when her dad was employed in Sanford. She met another young singer who turned out to be Mast Cove owner Jean Brigg's daughter Lise. They sang together at local venues and were good friends. Briggs remembers, "Annie spent a lot of time singing in this house when she and Lise were performing together.
   ...
   Other than the personal connection, what makes Mast Cove a place that Cheek and her band want to come back to? Says Cheek, "The room, the art, the piano, and of course, Jean-- it's a beautiful room, great for listening and it's totally inspiring to be performing amidst all that creativity.
   ...
   Briggs notes that Cheek "plays a different style of music than what people usually listen to here. The audience really connects with Annie and her band because they are so personable-- all of them reach out with warmth to the audience, so people get to know her, love her music, and oh that voice!
   ...
   Anna Cheek takes care with her craft
   ...
   Anna Cheek: "I write when I'm feeling emotional or sad. Sadness influences me."
   
   Because Anna Cheek listens for what her songs want, there's a much better chance you will want to listen to Anna Cheek's songs.
   
   "I try to be in touch with my emotions. With music, it's about getting the right feeling," Cheek said during a recent interview. In discussing the making of her last studio album, "Closer to Now," she noted, "We took the approach of trying to hear what the songs were trying to say. We tried different things on songs and paid really close attention to what worked best."
   
   So even though much of "Closer to Now" lingers in a romantic sadness, Cheek's sound is expansive. She can be smoky and jazzy one moment, folksy the next, and then wind up on an artsy, cabaret bent.
   
   Cheek also explained that it's not good to get totally comfortable with the recorded versions of her songs, as her interpretations can likely change on stage. That assertion can be put to the test Saturday when Cheek plays at Cafe Fantastique inside Rotmans furniture store, 725 Southbridge St., Worcester.
   ...
   Weider and Quintana are veterans of Cheek's "Closer to Now" recordings sessions, which al

3. 3. Anna Cheek: Press

   www.annacheek.com/press.shtml - [Cached]

   Published on: 6/1/2005   Last Visited: 2/17/2008

   Anna Cheek at the Jolly Roger Limin' Times, British Virgin Islands (Dec '06)
   ...
   Anna Cheek's songs cross genres
   ...
   Anna Cheek at Mast Cove
   ...
   Anna Cheek at the Jolly Roger
   
   Limin' Times, British Virgin Islands "What's Happenin'" Friday, December 15, 2006
   
   The Anna Cheek Band returns to the Jolly Roger this weekend for the first installment of the Bud Light True Music Series.
   
   Anna Cheek's distinctive voice has been compared to Tori Amos and Norah Jones.
   ...
   A classically trained pianist, Anna was born in New Orleans and raised in Canada where she studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music. She spent a decade in Puerto Rico where she began her performing career and currently resides in Woodstock, NY.
   
   You can see Anna perform on this Friday and Saturday night from 8:00 pm. Dinner reservations are recommended.
   ...
   Born in New Orleans and raised in Canada, mostly Niagara Falls and Montreal, Anna studied classical piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. After college, she spent 10 years in Puerto Rico where she was, of all things, an engineer for The Timberland Company.
   
   Reconciling being a musician and an engineer is not hard for this exuberant performer. Anna sees direct connections between engineering and music in the "constructualization and spatial relationships in intervals. Both are very creative professions," she said. "I think most musicians have mathematical minds."
   
   In math or art or design, "the whole dimension of math applies," she said, noting that intricate mathematical elements appear in all these forms, including the classical music she began studying at age 5.
   ...
   I tend to feel like music is more of a muse for me," Anna said in recent interview from her home near Woodstock, N.Y.
   
   She might have different ideas or phrases "hit" her from time to time, but until they relate to her personally, she doesn't use them. It's more about a natural expression of her inner self, Anna said.
   
   "I love expressing myself vocally," she said.
   
   Often described as a "musical poet," Anna talks about music the way a poet talks about words. For her, it's about "how everything comes together and makes meaning. Life is a fabric," she said.
   ...
   Listening to Anna Cheek, it sounds as though her voice and the piano are one instrument, extensions of one another joined together.
   
   "It's about hearing the voices in the orchestra and adding the singing as another voice," another instrument in the orchestra, she said.
   
   In fact, she said she is having to learn how to separate vocal techniques from piano techniques.
   ...
   Anna "depends on them a lot. They're fantastic musicians," she said.
   
   Anna's music career didn't begin until she moved to Puerto Rico, where she started playing with "guy bands," she said.
   ...
   He's just exquisite," Anna said. "He pulls out tones and voices that just make the music sound better."
   
   Also a well versed musician, Anna described Mike as "fun, talented, with great energy.
   ...
   Anna said of the group. And that comes through when they are on stage.
   
   With two albums to her credit, Anna is working on a third. Her musical goal is to "explore, live and learn."
   
   This album, she noted, has "a more tribal element to it," but the "essence of Anna Cheek is still there." While the melody lines are simplified, Anna said the writing is more sophisticated than her previous work. Still, similar to her other albums, "there's a lot going on underneath," she said.
   
   About coming to the Virgin Islands, Anna said the entire band is excited. Of course, she visited the islands when she lived in Puerto Rico - where the band spent a few days before this tour began - but never as a musician.
   
   "We're looking forward to being there," she said. "We totally appreciate Charlie Campbell" - the tour promoter - "and how he's coordinating this for us. We're looking forward to sharing what we have to share and providing everybody with a great time."
   
   After playing throughout Puerto Rico and the northeastern United States, Anna also appreciates Doug Dick of WVGN who helped make the connection with Campbell that resulted in the band coming to the islands to play.
   ...
   But that doesn't make it any less surprising to hear the difference when singer-songwriter Anna Cheek talks on the telephone in a clear, feminine voice, and then on her CD, "Closer to Now," where her voice is by far huskier, grittier, certain.
   
   A resident of Palenville, N.Y., in the Woodstock area, Cheek will perform in town Friday as part of the free Summer in the Park Concert Series at Merchant's Park.
   
   She will also perform in trio format Saturday at Madison's Brewing Company on Main Street. Both shows are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
   
   In an age where the air-waves are overstocked with the contrived melodies and technologically enhanced voices of packaged stars, Cheek and her band fulfill an entirely different niche - good, honest musicmaking. As a triple threat, Cheek, 46, writes the lyrics and melodies of all of her songs and also plays the piano when she performs.
   
   North of the border
   
   Born in New Orleans and raised in Niagara Falls and Montreal, Cheek studied piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada. But she never intended to have a career in music; she thought that might tarnish music's therapeutic abilities for her.
   
   That all changed, however, when Cheek spent a decade in Puerto Rico from 1989 where she began performing in cover bands and writing songs. When she returned stateside, this time to the Woodstock, N.Y., area, Cheek was armed with an arsenal of songs and melodies, and ready for the recording studio.
   
   In 2003 she released "Closer to Now." Two years later Cheek produced "LIVE at Mass Cove."
   
   With a smoky voice leading the pack, Cheek and her band - including Manuel Quintana on drums and percussion, Kyle Esposito on guitar, Bob Resnick on percussion and Scott Hargash on bass - infuse classical, jazz and rock influences.
   ...
   Working closely with her band, Cheek said it rocks when all of the instrumentalists get into the groove, otherwise known as the pocket.
   
   "When the drummer and base player are in sync, what I try to do is get in the pocket with them," she said.
   
   The relationship pendulum
   
   Most of Cheek's songs speak of relationship doom, from loneliness to uncertainty and blatant pleas for love. Cheek admits that "nuances of relationships are an ongoing theme through most of my music."
   
   In "River" she sings, "Oh river, please save me/I don't wanna drown in this love/I can't even say his name out loud anymore/Oh won't you please wash away this pain?"
   
   But contrary to having a downer effect, Cheek said that people have thanked her for her songs for uplifting them out of their misery, as it provides them with comfort when struggling through trying personal times.
   
   "Some of the stuff is pretty raw and it's out there, but it's who I am," Cheek said, who added that the lyrical content of her songs are not necessarily cold hard facts about her own life.
   
   But Cheek mostly speaks, and sings, from experience. The title track of "Closer to Now" was written in response to 9-11.
   ...
   Anna Cheek has journeyed a long way from her former identity as a civil engineer in the international corporate world in Puerto Rico to her current position as an emerging singer-songwriter in upstate New York.
   
   Her music career has enabled her to wed a variety of musical styles while giving her a voice to express her true, inner self.
   
   "I finally realized where I fit is either nowhere or everywhere," she said.
   
   "In terms of genre, I'm not a typical folkie. I'm not a typical rocker. I'm not a typical classically trained pianist. I'm not a country artist. I'm not a blues artist, but I'm a little bit of all of those things. I always try to make sure that the essence of emotion is expressed in my songs."
   
   Cheek, who plays piano and sings, will perform with acoustic guitarist Kyle Esposito and drummer/percussionist Manuel Angel Quintana at Café Arabica in Morristown June 16.
   
   "I like playing in trio," she said, "because in terms of leads and solos, you can trade off, and there's a rhythmic element.
   ...
   Through the local music scene in Woodstock, Cheek met singer-songwriter Chuck McQuillan, who encouraged her to record her so