Acclaimed Singer-Songwriter to Perform in Kendall Park this Weekend

South Brunswick will have a unique opportunity to see one of the top independent musical artists in action this weekend, as acclaimed singer-songwriter Jann Klose will perform at Rockn' Joe Coffeehouse and Bistro on Saturday evening.  

Klose has received glowing reviews in numerous publications, including the Washington Post and Time Out New York.  Klose's music has also been featured on the Grammy-nominated Healthy Food For Thought CD, MTV’s Cribs, and the soundtrack to the Paul Sorvino film Dead Broke.  He has also performed as part of the touring companies for The Who’s Tommy, Jekyll & Hyde, and Jesus Christ Superstar. 

While he's played in front of large audiences, Klose said he also enjoys the personal interaction with the audience at an intimate venue like Rockn' Joe.

"Shows like this are more personal and give you a more direct connection with the audience," Klose said.  "You can directly talk to people and it takes the show to a different level.  Smaller audiences gives you more of the real feeling of being there."

The Bronx, N.Y. resident's talent has allowed him to perform and work with a wide variety of music royalty, pioneers like Pete Seeger and Les Paul, classic rockers like Annie Haslam of Renaissance and Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, and country stars like Rosanne Cash.  He has also worked with popular modern rock bands like Rusted Root.  

Klose said working with such important artists has allowed him to blossom as both a singer and a songwriter.

"It's built up my ego to enormous levels," Klose said with a laugh.  "No, but it's definitely given me more confidence.  That's definitely the kind of thing I take with me to try and tell myself that there's a reason why people like this are playing with me and vice versa.    When you start meeting your idols and they actually give you the time of day it's very humbling.  Some of these folks I never even imagined meeting, so it's very exciting."

Working on a Grammy nominated album was also a humbling experience that didn't seem real at the time, Klose said.  The children's CD Healthy Food for Thought: Good Enough to Eat, was nominated for a Grammy in 2010 in the category of “Best Spoken Word Album for Children."  

The album combined spoken word and musical performances from artists such as Julian Lennon, Russell Simmons and Moby.  100 percent of the proceeds from the CD went to the nonprofit organization New York Coalition for Healthy School Food, whose goal is to teach children all over the United States the benefits of healthy eating, according to the group's web site.

"(The Grammy nomination) was extraordinary and it was the last thing I expected," Klose said.  "I had a feeling it might get some attention just because of people like Moby and Russell Simmons, all people who have been in the music industry a long time.  But the reason for the album and the cause behind it is so important and it's a current and topical issue.  When I heard about the Grammy nomination I was just like, this is crazy, and I told my family and they couldn't quite believe it either."

Klose's remarkable video for his song Doing Time also marked a major accomplishment for the artist, as the video used stop-motion photography to create a unique viewing experience under the direction of New York University film students.

"We shot that over two days in New York and it was pretty intense because of the stop-motion through the entire song," he said.  "It was shot in February of last year, so it was very cold and I had to keep running to put on my jacket and then running again to take it off for the stop-motion.  I was so engulfed in the experience and was really excited to show it to people."

For the performance at Rockn' Joe, Klose will be joined by fingerstyle and harp guitarist Muriel Anderson.

"She has a really beautiful sound so this should be a really good night," Klose said.  "Muriel is amazing so the cost of the ticket is worth it just to see her alone."

For more information on Jann Klose click here.  Klose's music, such as his 2008 EP Reverie and his 2010 EP Sacrifice are available on web sites like Amazon.com and for download on Itunes.  

Jann Klose and Muriel Anderson will be in concert at Rockn' Joe, 3570 Route 27, in Kendall Park, on April 2 at 7:30 p.m.  Admission is $20.  For reservations, please call Jim at 862-210-9481 or e-mail jim@nearfest.com.