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Auld Lang Syne
For Christmas, I recorded the New Years song for you. Here is “Auld Lang Syne.” Enjoy.
You can download for free at:
- Soundcloud (smaller Mp3 file)
- Bandcamp (large WAV file)
Free download, just place 0 in the amount.
Creative Workforce Fellowship videos: Uno Lady, GTK, and CPT
Community Partnership for Arts and Culture posted videos showcasing each Creative Workforce Fellow.
I wanted to share Uno Lady’s video as well as highlight a few of my favorites. All are worth watching. It is a short two minutes focusing on some of the most creative talents in Cuyahoga County. Watch them here
Here I am- Christa Ebert, expert nerd, music connoisseur.
Fellowship friends
I have been lucky to call RA Washington a friend prior to the fellowship. RA is the co-founder of Guide To Kulchur, a bookstore (and then some) located on W65th and Detroit. GTK also acts as “an incubator for emerging and marginalized voices within the print medium. Main projects include Cleveland Books 2 Prisoners, GTK Press, The Cleveland Zine Archive, and The Sally Tatnall Black Box.”… http://guidetokulchurcleveland.com/
I also made some new pals thanks to the fellowship and developed a fondness for Cleveland Public Theatre. Cleveland Public Theatre’s mission is to “raise consciousness and nurture compassion through groundbreaking performances and life-changing educational programs.” There programs and plays are unique, and quite frankly, badass. They host my favorite annual concert, and throw the most action packed fundraiser that has ever existed.
Raymond Bobgan is the Executive Artistic Director or CPT and a 2014 fellowship recipient for music composition. His compositions may be the closest to Uno Lady’s musical style that I have come across. I love this because we make similar music in opposite ways.
Last but not least is my new feisty friend, Faye Hargate! Faye is a performer, installation artist, educator and director at CPT. Check out her video below.
You can check out the rest of the videos here.
Ps. The final report for my fellowship is almost finished. I’ll make sure to share and post when I am done.
The Creative Workforce Fellowship is a program of the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC). The Fellowship program is supported by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture(CAC).
Heather Gmucs is my pal
Heather is a wonderful woman. It was her hands that made the crafty, colorful magic of each vinyl at Gotta Groove Records. After watching this video, I got to admit, she is kinda my hero.
Normal- A Story of Passion
“What drives people to do? What motivates a person to wake up and do something? Passion. It is a driving force in many people. It’s what drives me and many others to continue on. Heather Gmucs, a woman of strong passion, works at Gotta Groove Records, a vinyl record press plant in Cleveland, Ohio. Throughout her time on this planet, she has made music her priority and eventually, her life. Heather has surrounded every aspect of her life with music. Her friends, her career, and her hobbies all reflect the passion she radiates. She loves pressing records at Gotta Groove. As she has said to me before, “I get to do art on other people’s art, and that’s fucking cool to be a part of.” Balance is a struggle many of us face. How much time do you give to what you love versus what actually pays your rent. Heather has found a balance between Gotta Groove and the several bands she plays in. She can still take small tours, and still have food in the fridge. If there is anything I want the viewer to take from her story, it is to do what you love and what makes you happy.”
By Tyler Hill –Vimeo
Band of the Week: Uno Lady
Lotsa Loops: Since she manipulates her upper register voice by sampling it and mixing it with a number of loops, the live show has been a tricky proposition…. “There have been a good amount of developments as well as simplifications,” she says when asked about the live performance. “My genius friend Ian Charnas is helping me construct a new podium out of a vintage suitcase. In addition, to a bunch of new songs, I have a new loop pedal that has some fancy buttons. Other than that, I like to keep it simple: My voice, a loop pedal, and a mixer.”
Why You Should Hear Her: Her new album, Amateur Hour, commences with “Dear Wes Anderson (You should Hear This Song),” an atmospheric tune characterized by soft vocals that make it sound like a veritable choir is singing. It’s one of the more unique albums you’ll ever hear. “I wanted to take unfinished songs that were worth finishing, re-record and fine tune them, and couple those with a new material,” she says of the new album. “It is meant to be a sort of wrap up, an ending of a chapter. Another thing I am excited about — this is the first Uno Lady release featuring other artists. I was lucky enough to have the Cross Brothers [from the local indie rock group Little Bighorn] lend their musical talents on a few of the tracks.”
One-person bands, comedy at Tambourine Lounge
Greenbay Press Gazette – “The Tambourine Lounge at the Holiday Music Motel hosts a pair of unique house shows in the next week… Delaney Davidson and Uno Lady perform separately as a one-man and one-woman band at 7 p.m. Oct. 22.
Although a native of New Zealand, Davidson is truly more of a citizen of the world. In constant motion, Davidson’s touring schedule is relentlessly nonstop, including several June appearances in Sturgeon Bay for Steel Bridge Songfest. It’s a mystery where he finds the time to continue to produce a growing arsenal of albums, artwork and cinematic music videos.
Winner of the New Zealand Music Award (its version of a Grammy Award) for Best Country Album in 2013, Davidson’s latest release, “Swim Down Low,” features co-writing credits with Victoria Williams, Eric McFadden and James Hall from Steel Bridge Songfest’s collaborative songwriting “Construction Zone.” Known worldwide as a premier one-man band, Davidson is said to be more like a one-man machine in concert and in the studio.
Uno Lady, aka Christa Ebert of Cleveland, creates her shockingly great variety of grooves, colors and styles using nothing more than her voice, a looper, small mixer and microphone. She not only makes this multi-dimensional sound in a studio a multitude of individual tracks for layering (as heard on her recent release, “Amateur Hour”), she also creates that sound live. Uno Lady is a one-woman choir, with a high, clear voice that she accompanies with more of her own voice, prerecorded on tapes and played and looped as she performs.”
Eleven new songwriters set for Holiday’s ‘Dark Songs
Green Bay Press Gazette – The annual “Dark Songs” songwriting and concert event hosted by the Holiday Music Motel will have 11 additions of “fresh blood” this year.
“Dark Songs” gathers songwriters and musicians together at the motel to collaboratively write songs with a theme appropriate for Halloween or other dark, morbid ideas, then record and perform them live…. this will be their first experience with collaboratively writing, recording and performing in one of the motel’s fully immersive, weeklong songwriting marathons.
Christa Ebert of Cleveland, aka Uno Lady, will be an eclectic addition with her looping talents and vocal abilities, while Julia McConahay of Madison will provide vocals and a wide range of violin stylings. …Bass player Patrick Kelly of Atlanta got involved on the recommendation of fellow Atlantan rocker James Hall, one of The Holiday’s most dedicated songwriting event attendees….
Other rookie participants are Sugar Ransom of Milwaukee, Susan Howe of Appleton and Barrett Tasky of Chicago, all of whom possess a wide range of talents that will add to the darkly themed “Dark Songs” stew. Tasky, who is proficient at a multitude of instruments, will also run one of the four operational studios.
This year’s “Dark Songs” concerts take place at Third Avenue Playhouse, 239 N. Third Ave., Sturgeon Bay. The Oct. 31 show starts at 10:30 p.m., immediately follows TAP’s 7:30 screening of “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and the second concert is at 7 p.m. Nov. 1. Tickets are $5 for each. For more information, go to www.holidaymusicmotel.com/darksongs.
Uno Lady’s Unique Music Released On Record at the New Euclid Tavern
By Anastasia Pantsios
By Anastasia Pantsios, COOL Cleveland – “Christa Ebert calls herself Uno Lady when she performs, a hint that she creates all her music by herself using only her voice as the raw material. With just a microphone and a mixer that loops her vocals, she produces clouds of lush, layered sound that refer to familiar pop themes and lyrics but utterly transform them. Jaunty melodies and catchy phrases pile up into towering edifices that are startling in their grandeur, considering their modest building blocks.
It’s hard to even tell if she has a highly trained voice or the girlish voice of an engagingly uncertain amateur; her delivery can be in turn knowing and wide-eyed, while she alternately buries a phrase by multiplying it or strips away everything to lay it bare in all its vulnerable nakedness.
Ebert released a tape almost exactly five years ago called I Really Like Genetics But I’d Rather Have a Good Time, followed by Tacocat in 2010.Back then she was in the early stages of exploring the striking and confident music she makes now. She hasn’t been too speedy about getting a new release out because she’s been business with work and school, like many of us. But when she landed a Creative Workforce Fellowship from the Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, it gave her the wherewithal to synthesize her evolving ideas into a new recording, a full-length album (available in vinyl and CD) called Amateur Hour.
She says, ‘If it wasn’t for the fellowship, this would have taken another 10 years to make. Instead I am already working on the planning stages for the next record.’
That is a reason to rejoice. Meanwhile, she’ll celebrate the release of Amateur Hour at the Euclid Tavern at a show also featuring New Zealand country singer/songwriter Delaney Davidson and Cleveland surf/garage rockers the Shale Satans. ”
Happy Dog at the Euclid Tavern to host CD release party for unique Cleveland singer Uno Lady
Photo by Ryan Poorman
By Usually, the music lessons come before the records — and the shows.
Not in the case of Uno Lady, aka Christa Ebert, one of the most unique talents to emerge in the Cleveland music scene in the last five years.
Uno Lady is a vocalist – and then some. She’s a one-woman choir, with a beautiful high clear voice that she accompanies with more of her own voice, prerecorded on tapes and played and looped as she performs live….
The album even contains some conventional instrumentation, with guitars and drums from brothers Nick and Tony Cross, of Little Bighorn.
On Saturday, Ebert will celebrate the release of “Amateur Hour” with a show at the new Happy Dog at the Euclid Tavern, with Delaney Davidson and Shale Satans. Unlike her past releases, which are now available as free downloads on her site (unolady.com), it’s available on both vinyl, pressed at Cleveland’s own Gotta Groove Records, and CDs from Parma’s A to Z Audio.”
Dates + places – 2014 tour
Hello friends! Here is the final tour line up. If you have pals in and around these towns, and you think they’d be into Uno Lady, I would be grateful if you invited them. Oddly enough, I have never played in Ohio outside of Cleveland (weird, right?) and I have never had the pleasure of visiting the fine states of Wisconsin or Minnesota (although everyone says I have their accent). This will be my first time venturing out in 5 years. Let a lady serenade! Please help spread the word.
The travels of Uno Lady and Delaney Davidson include:
Friday –October 17 @ Annabelle’s in Akron, OH w/Peep
Annabell’s Bar and Lounge – 784 W Market St. Akron, OH 44303
https://www.facebook.com/events/541225336020830/?context=create&source=49#
Saturday- October 18 CLEVELAND Euclid Tavern w/Shale Satans
11625 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, OH 44106
https://www.facebook.com/events/303779736496116/
Sunday October 19- Toledo @ Ottawa Tavern
1817 Adams St. Toledo, OH 43615
https://www.facebook.com/events/324666184372561/?ref=br_tf
Mon, OCT 20- Detroit @ PJ Lager House, 9pm $5
1254 Michigan Ave. Detroit, MI 48226
https://www.facebook.com/events/1539757276259027/?fref=ts
Wed, OCT 22 – Sturgeon Bay, WI @ The Tambourine 7-10pm
Holiday Music Motel. 30 N. 1st Ave. Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
https://www.facebook.com/events/867530559925047/
Thur, OCT 23 – Wausau, WI @ Malarkey’s Pub
408 3rd St. Wausau, WI 54403
https://www.facebook.com/events/685805011510270/
Fri OCT 24- Bayport, MN @ Bayport BBQ
328 5th Ave N. Bayport, MN 55003
https://www.facebook.com/events/338984352930266/
Sat, OCT 25-Milwaukee, WI @ Lineman’s bar w/ Liv Mueller from 6 to 9
1001 E Locust St. Milwaukee, WI 53212
https://www.facebook.com/events/537995406302615/
Amateur Hour (2014)
“Amateur Hour” is a high water mark for a confident, headstrong vocalist/songwriter who seems to level up with every endeavor—the crispness of the recording renders every skein of Ebert’s voicings audible with unprecedented and welcome clarity, showing off her strong, instinctive gifts for arrangement and lyric writing.
– Ron Kretsch
Click image for one page press pack
Super stoked about the new record, Amateur Hour. Cleveland’s own Gotta Groove Records and A to Z Audio are putting all the pieces together for the release.
For the new album, I wanted to complete and record some older songs, as well as have an equal amount of new material to include. Some stuff was dusted off from back when I started — from before I started using a metronome.
This new one is also the first Uno Lady release that includes collaboration. Nick Cross lends his talents on guitar to two tracks, You’re no fangtooth and Night ride. Tony Cross adds drums to Bikini weeding and End of time. And the talented Adam Boose, of Cauliflower Audio, mastered all the tracks
The album artwork is another thing I’m stoked about. It turned out better than I envisioned! A big thanks to Ryan Poorman for taking the photos and Angie Ruland for working in tandem with him on the layout. Thanks to the lovely Kim Tran for the fabulous makeup and Margaret Ruble at Senjiva Studio for making the most beautiful yet hideous dress (by request) I have ever seen!
And last but not least, a heartfelt thanks to Cuyahoga Arts and Culture (CAC) and Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC) for creating and sustaining the Creative Workforce Fellowship. Thanks for relighting the creative fire within me and providing me support so I can invest in myself and music. If it wasn’t for the fellowship, this would have taken another 10 years to make. Instead I am already working on the planning stages for the next record.
Record release show:
October 18, 9:00pm
w/Delaney Davidson & Shale Satans
Happy Dog at the Euclid Tavern
11625 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH
The LP is sold out but you can get the digital copy here