2005-06 Austin Music Awards
Best Performing Bands
Best Jazz Band
1. Blaze
2.
Bobby Doyle
3. Cadaques
4. Monster Big Band
5. Eric Johnson
6. Sarah Sharp
7. David Chenu
8. Blue Mist
9. Gnappy
10. Omar Lopez & Forever Rev
TCB
Music news
December 1, 2005
Looking Sharp
Not long ago, local jazz-pop siren Sarah Sharp found herself in one of the most hallowed locales anywhere in the music world: Studio A in Capitol Records ' Hollywood headquarters, behind the same microphone used by Frank Sinatra , Nat King Cole , and the Beach Boys , and with legendary Capitol house engineer Al Schmidt at the controls. While playing a friend's party in Pacific Palisades in August, Sharp met former Rufus drummer and producer Andre Fisher , who took a shine to her the same way he had Chaka Khan and Dusty Springfield . After her next L.A. gig, Fisher introduced her to Schmidt and publishing tycoon Ronnie Vance , and "the next thing I knew we were in the studio," she says. (Even better, her neighbor in Studio B was none other than Poison .) Sharp admits to feeling flustered upon entering the "enormous" studio, but relaxed enough that of the five songs the three decided to mix down into demos, four were recorded that first session. "There's something about being a little bit timid, that I love the way it translated," Sharp says. "I've never heard myself back like that." Her high-placed friends plan to shop the songs to several labels – Capitol first, of course – while Sharp readies for a European swing later this month. "So far everything they've said has happened," she says. "That's the only reason I don't feel like a complete dumbass for talking about it."
2004-05
Austin Music Awards
Best Performing Bands
JAZZ
Blaze
2.
Monster Big Band
3. Paris49
4. Torch
5. Sarah Sharp
6. John Pinter & Carlos Sosa's Boombox
7. Eric Johnson
8. Blue Mist
9. Los Jazz Vatos
10. Slim Richey's Dream Band
POP
Wideawake
2.
Spoon
3. Matson Belle
4. Los Lonely Boys
5. Cruiserweight
6. Future Ex-Boyfriend
7. Bob Schneider
8. Mina Mauldin
9. Sarah Sharp
10. Pivital
JANUARY 5, 2005: MUSIC: TEXAS TOP 10S
Texas Top 10s for 2004
HOME: JULY 16, 2004: MUSIC: PHASES AND STAGES
Phases and Stages
Texas platters
BY MATT DENTLER
Sarah Sharp
Fourth Person
Sarah Sharp shatters unmistakable influences from Alanis Morrissette to Jewel, creating a protein shake of mid-1990s female-oriented pop/rock on her Fourth Person . Unlike some of her inspirations, however, Sharp's debut is light on the protein and heavy on the shake. What shakes is a blissful pulse, one in which songs about love-breaking ("Surrender") and love-making ("Time Capsule") coexist comfortably. Sharp's delivery, a cross between Tracy Bonham and Veruca Salt's Nina Gordon, has all of the raspy strength to match her subtle songwriting techniques. But much of the kudos belongs to producers Dan Workman and Kevin Ryan for taking otherwise routine compositions and arranging them to sound so much grander. "Run" could've been just another barroom ballad à la Sheryl Crow, but with the haunting additions of various keys and toys, it becomes a fanciful event with a killer hook. The same can be said for the album's best tracks, "Too Close" and "Can't We Just Love?," which feature staggering performances by the band and producers. Not to be outdone, Sharp shines on relative solo tracks, like the peaceful, Tori Amos-tinged "It's Too Late." Maintaining a one-woman Lilith Fair must be exhausting.
SARAH SHARP
RECOMMENDED
(06/28/04 @ Cactus Cafe)
It would be lazy to consider Sarah Sharp and Mark
Geary the low-carb equivalents of Norah Jones and Damien Rice. Austinite Sharp’s
pop piano opus Fourth Person will earn comparisons to "Patty
Griffin with keys," while Geary’s keys are in the Irish folk singer kingdom,
where he stands tall with his fellow countryman Rice. Both artists deserve devoted
fans to fill the weight in UT’s acoustic space. - Matt
Dentler