Press Release Jan 2008
Veteran performer Káren Hunter opened 2008 with a series of festival appearances in celebration of summer including Prana ( Coromandel) , Parihaka and the Festival of Light (Taranaki).
Now with Waitakere Sounds Waitangi day, the Christchurch Jazz festival and several shows booked in Coromandel and Northland approaching 2008 looks to be another exciting year for this one woman powerhouse.
The release of her fourth album Rubble heralded a busy 2007 for Hunter as she juggled a two month National CD release tour with teaching duties at both the University of Auckland and the contemporary music course at MAINZ polytech.
Rubble is a breakthrough album for Káren Hunter as she experiments with blending jazz and blues traditions with her own irreverent humour and funky acoustic grooves.
Hunter uses a 'Loop' pedal in live shows to achieve a complex array of percussion, vocal and guitar, a veritable 'one woman band'.
By only looping ideas played 'on the fly' Hunter keeps her live show fresh and unpredictable which she finds adds to her performance pleasure immensely.
“I have a hard time performing the same thing every show, I find if I take a few risks on stage both the audience and I have much more fun. An appreciation of the unexpected and good sense of humour are trademarks of my live work”.
For more information contact; Káren Hunter karen@karenhunter.com
09-376-4873 / 021-946-399
For those who know Káren's music, no introduction is necessary, for those who don't, think Michelle Shocked, Rickie Lee Jones, or even Sarah Jones of "your revolution will not happen between these thighs" fame. Think melodic jazz infused female vocals, and stripped back accompaniment that is more country than folk. Think snare shuffles and guitars that meander, most of all think of story telli ng lyrics introduced by unstrained singing. www.amplifier.com
...her delivery is cool and illuminating. That she can switch from a dirty jazz-blues rhythm section arrangement to a simple guitar-picking delivery to spoken word reveals Hunter as a major New Zealand talent. From every turn, Rubble is one rough-cut gem of an album. Waikato Times
.....a cracked jazz balladeer; backed by hipster-jazz and creating a creepy mood for hushed spoken-word pieces and lazy bar-room blues, it is as if Hunter has unlocked her inner Rickie Lee Jones, tending also to touch on the spirit of Tom Waits ... Rubble is a class act of an album – do your best to check it out. Dominion PostKaren Hunter is a "ridiculously accomplished guitar-playing, singing, songwriting Aucklander whose performances are pithy, compassionate and insightful Metro magazine
Songwriting this good can not be faked. Ripitup magazine
A full bountiful voice matched with a wild sensitive spirit. Pavement magazine
