"...what a joy it is to hear a young vocalist with the power and control of Jennifer Ryan...she brought the audience to its feet." [James Hale, Ottawa Citizen] "Jazz singers, it sometimes seems, are born, not made. Either they’ve got it, or they don’t. No amount of trying will compensate. Jennifer Ryan’s got it." [Mark Miller, Globe and Mail]. Jennifer Ryan (b. 1970) is a vocalist from Nelson, British Columbia, Canada (currently based in Toronto) who has recorded on dozens of albums and commercials; over the past fifteen years she has built a reputation as one of Canada's most inventive young jazz vocalists. Her rich voice, startling technique and fearless leaps into improvisation have been amazing loyal audiences across the country. Ryan has studied with a myriad of wonderful musicians including renowned jazz vocalist Ranee Lee, opera coaches the Della Pergolas and Winston Purdy; she also studied 'minsogak' (Korean traditional folk music) during a 1997 visit to South Korea. Ryan has performed with such notables as bassist Ron McClure, trumpeter Don Clark and Mary Margaret O'Hara. For the past ten years she has worked with the members of Cash Cow on creating a "whimsical mix of originals, jazz standards and discovered snippets of words, recordings and melodies, rewoven into a daring new jazz tapestry" [Kootenay Express]. Ryan and Cash Cow (see their biographies below) have taken their irreverent and intimate style to a number of illustrious festivals and venues across North America: from a two-time appearance at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival (in 2000, they opened for the Boss Brass at the Festival's closing night concert) to Detroit at Baker's Keyboard Lounge (the oldest jazz club in the United States!) In October 2001, Ryan and Cash Cow toured Western Canada, during which time the group played concerts and conducted innovative workshops in secondary schools and colleges. In 2002, Ryan and Cash Cow set out on a fifteen-city tour of Asia, followed by Ryan's performance in Havana at the Havana Jazz Festival as the featured vocalist with Cuban jazz orchestra J.G. Jazz Generation. Their 2000 release 'Found' built on the success of Jennifer's debut CD 'How Do You Feel About That?' (Go Play Records!), released in 1996. The new album is an informal collection of songs that feature the band's "daring new techniques" [Richard Bourcier, www.jazzreview.com]: from the sweet longing of Jordan O'Connor's 'Wasteland' to a raucous medley of Eden Ahbez's 'Nature Boy' and John Coltrane's 'Afro Blue' right up to a spirited romp through the Rolling Stones' jazz classic 'You Can't Always Get What You Want'. Other tunes include a delicate rendering of a traditional Sioux lullaby, while Jennifer takes over the songwriting reins on 'The Old Man and the Sea' and the album's title track (both co-written with Jordan O'Connor). Cash Cow (whose own album 'When We Were Little Girls' was named '2000 Jazz Recording of the Year' by Paul Wells of The National Post) consists of some of the most breathtaking young musicians on the Canadian scene. Ryan's longtime musical partners - bassist Jordan O'Connor (Don Ross, D.D. Jackson), pianist Craig Harley (William Carn and Lina Allemano, Cate Friesen) drummer Nick Fraser (Owls in Daylight, Justin Haynes/Tena Palmer Group) and tenor saxophonist David French (One, Pedras da Rua) all "play an active role in the music's success" [Mark Miller, Globe and Mail]. In 2001, Solitudes Records released a jazz Christmas album featuring her vocal stylings - "Fa La La La La". In 2004, Jennifer and Cow tracked material for a new Cash Cow album, to be entitled "Pretty Little Things" UPDATE:...and now it's 2007 - what's up? Where'd she go? Jennifer remains on the scene, although she was waylaid in 2005 by the decision to return to school, and is now in pursuit of a law degree, with a focus on access for artists. 'Pretty Little Things' is back on track, and she has also begun a duo recording of standards with jazz guitarist/partner David Haffey (no title yet!) Jennifer is also the vocalist for the frighteningly eclectic 'Tiny Alligator Large Band', Toronto's only bassoon-friendly big band, directed by orchestrating iconoclast Caitlin Smith (say that three times fast.) Expect a record in late late late 2007 (even little things take time!), the Ryan/Haffey sides in early 2008, and a new practice in summer 2009 - thanks for asking!