For Immediate Release July 19, 2010

For Immediate Release Contact: Diane Maxwell September 28, 2011 408-961-5841 [email protected]

LIKE NO OTHER: RICKIE LEE JONES AT MONTALVO Iconic singer-songwriter appears November 4

“Rickie Lee Jones still sounds utterly unique. Switching effortlessly between jazzy strums, punchy R&B, waltzing country…” —O Magazine

SARATOGA, Calif. –Montalvo Arts Center continues its lustrous 2011–2012 Carriage House Concert Series with the intriguing vocal star Rickie Lee Jones, appearing on Friday, November 4, at 8 p.m.

Jones’ vocal work hearkens back to the great singer-song stylists of an earlier generation, ranging from Billie Holiday to Laura Nyro, who were intent on making audiences absorb reality from their lived point of view. Her performances are infused with rock, blues, pop, soul and jazz.

In Los Angeles in the 1970s, Jones began developing her unique aesthetic: music that was sometimes spoken, often beautifully sung, with lyrics that were poetically taut and complex yet emotionally accessible. It was during these years that Jones’ song “Easy Money” caught the attention of one musician and then the music industry. The song was recorded by Lowell George, the founder of the band Little Feat, for his solo album Thanks, I’ll Eat It Here. Warner Brothers auditioned Jones and quickly signed her after a bidding war with two other labels. Her debut on Warners, Rickie Lee Jones, released in 1979, earned her five Grammy nominations and a win as Best New Artist. In addition to accolades for the album’s brilliant songs—including the exceptional “On Saturday Afternoons in 1963,” the haunting “Last Chance Texaco,” and the popular “Chuck E’s in Love”—Jones herself was hailed by critics as a “highly touted new pop- jazz-singer-songwriter” and “one of the best—if not the best—artist of her generation.”

Warner secured an appearance for her on Saturday Night Live the week of her release, where she became an instant sensation singing “Chuck E’s in Love” and “Coolsville.” Five months later she sold out two concerts at Carnegie Hall. She was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine, and Time dubbed her “The Duchess of Coolsville.”

She was becoming a figure emulated by young women and men who found, in her deep and personal and idiosyncratic life and work, a model for the new generation of hipster. Rolling Stone remained fervent supporters of Jones, with a second cover feature in 1981; the magazine also included a glowing five-star assessment of Pirates, which became a commercially successful follow-up by reaching #5 on the Billboard 200 in America. “Woody and Dutch on the Slow Train to Peking” from the album became a commercial mainstay: Jones’s finger snaps and jive talk beat were imitated in advertisements for McDonald’s, Dr. Pepper, and others, and her quirky fashion—skin-tight pantsuit, elbow-length fingerless gloves, famous red beret and red high heels—showed up in some capacity everywhere.

In 1983, Jones released her mini-LP, Girl at Her Volcano. The album was a rich selection of pop standards (the Left Banke’s “Walk Away Renee”) and jazz standards (Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life”).

Jones’s next album, Naked Songs, is one of the best ever recorded live due to its extraordinary intimacy: One can hear the audience hanging on every note. Recorded over two nights at the Fillmore in San Francisco, the 1995 album is comprised entirely of Jones-penned tunes, including astounding renditions of “The Magazine,” and “Last Chance Texaco.” The massive sense of her experience on Naked Songs leaves the listener feeling vulnerable, just as Jones’ Ghostyhead (1997) is an amalgamation of her skills as a songwriter, song stylist, and engineer of sound.

Six years after Ghostyhead, Jones released The Evening Of My Best Day on the independent V2. The 2003 album featured influences from jazz, Celtic folk, blues, R&B, rock, and gospel, and it spawned a successful and lengthy spurt of touring.

Renewed interest in Jones led to the three-disc Duchess of Coolsville: An Anthology, released through reissue specialists Rhino in June 2005. A lavish package, the alphabetically arranged CD included album songs, live material, covers, and demos. It also featured essays by Jones and various collaborators, as well as tributes from artists including Randy Newman, Walter Becker, Quincy Jones, and Tori Amos.

RICKIE LEE JONES What: A singer with the voice of experience, continuing Montalvo’s 2011–2012 Carriage House Concert Series. When: Friday, November 4, 2011, 8 p.m. Where: Carriage House Theatre, Montalvo Arts Center, 15400 Montalvo Road, Saratoga, CA 95071. Admission: $49/$44 general public; $44/$39 Montalvo members. Purchase tickets at montalvoarts.org, ticketmaster.org, or call the Montalvo Box Office at 408-961-5858, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Box Office is also open one hour prior to performance.

About Montalvo Arts Center Montalvo Arts Center is an oasis of culture and nature whose mission is to create and present arts of all types, nurture artists, and use our historic Villa, buildings, and grounds in innovative ways that engage people in the creative process. Located in Silicon Valley's Saratoga hills, Montalvo Arts Center occupies a Mediterranean-style villa on 175 stunning acres, including an international artist residency program. Senator James Phelan left the historic villa and grounds to the people of California for the encouragement of art, music, literature and architecture. The Montalvo experience reflects the intersection of three unique assets that nourish creativity: Place, People, and Programs. For more information about Montalvo Arts Center, call (408) 961-5800 or visit http://www.montalvoarts.org/.