CD review: Jayne’s ‘Blue Plate Fellas’ is special

By: John Ziegler, Duluth News Tribune


Emily Jayne describes herself as a musician, artist, writer, web designer, tattooist, raw foods chef, cook, wife, mother and someone who spends entirely too much time on the couch.

She also has a new release called “Blue Plate Fellas” that was recorded in her Cloquet home and features a kind of d.i.y. charm.

It’s a semi-jazzy stroll through a batch of original tunes that all seem to be vignettes involving everything from shady guys who aren’t what they appear to poor decisions on automobile purchases. Most involve fairly dysfunctional relationships that, if nothing else, served as fodder for future songs.

Jayne has a unique way of choosing where to place the accents in her vocal phrasing that causes me to pay attention to the syntax, like getting a rap on the knuckles with a wooden ruler. There’s a kind of sing-songy, hushed, breathy vibe as she glisses through multiple syllables in one fell swoop like Clifford Brown’s agile trumpet stylings.

Jayne has recruited a few of Duluth’s best players, such as bassists Ethan Thompson and George Ellsworth (she actually uses four bass players on the project), and even jazz-oriented Twin Cities pianist James Tyler O’Neill helps with some tasty playing. Travis Crotteau and Tyler Dubla helped with arrangements.

“Mr. Dick” is a swingin’ little tale of Little Jimmy Richard, who led the narrator on and “tore her head apart.” The saga then delves into gunplay and bang-bang; Little Jimmy Richard is dead. Fine piano from O’Neill and some lyrical trumpet from Crotteau.

“The Blue Room” deals with the sensitive topic of rape.

Jayne directs “Stupid” at herself for buying a diesel automobile in Minnesota “where it’s always

30 below,” and “Prisoner of Snow” is a swirling tale that mixes war zone soldiers, ghosts, cowgirls and arrows.

There’s a certain slight out-of-tuneness to Jayne’s upright piano that’s maybe the perfect metaphor for the whole project. It’s slightly off-kilter, but if you cock your head just a bit you can hear exactly what Jayne is driving it at.

Emily Jayne / "Blue Plate Fellas"

Genre: Pop/rock

Website: www.emilyjayne.com

Engineer: Nicholas Gosen

Personnel: Emily Jayne (vocals, keyboards), Travis Crotteau (guitar, banjo, mandolin, trumpet), Tyler Dubla (drums), Ethan Thompson (bass), John White (bass), Mark Glen (bass), George Ellsworth (bass, keyboards), James Tyler O’Neill (keyboards), Joy Caza (trombone), Joey Aikens (violin), Chris Kelly (vocals)

Upcoming gig: The Duluth CD release of “Blue Plate Fellas” is 8 p.m. Saturday June 11 at Beaner’s Central, 324 N. Central Ave. Also on the bill is James and Younger.

Cost: $5

Call: (218) 624-5957


John Ziegler has worked in the music industry for 37 years as a radio host, interviewer, record producer and professional musician.