Perpetual Change — Give the gift of TG music

Earlier this month in our companion TransVocalizers column, I posted the annual year end music review/gift giving guide that showcased the artists and their projects that were featured in that column throughout the previous year. Now it’s time to offer the same kind of list regarding the artists featured in this column.

Le Sorelle Marinetti

At the first of the year, the Italian vocal group Le Sorelle Marinetti was featured with an interview from the ladies involved. The group is comprised of three actors who were approached with the idea of putting a trio together that would specialize in 1930s-’40s era music that was popular in Italy at that time. They even dress the part and are backed by the Orchestra Maniscalchi, under the direction of Christian Schmitz. The three singers are Andrea Allinoe, whose stage name is Mercuria; Marco Lugli, i.e. Scintilla; and Nicola Olivieri, a.k.a. Turbina. They sing mostly in Italian, but also have some English language songs recorded.

Two reviews were posted in November of 2011 covering their Christmas album Note Di Nalale and another project, Signorine Nove Cento. Look for another review after the first of the year, and the group is also working on yet another project that will be released sometime in the spring of 2013. Visit their website for more information. They’re also on MySpace.

Baby Dee

One artist that received a lot of attention in this column is Baby Dee. Granted, it’s probably not a good thing for a reviewer to admit to becoming a fan of any of the artists they review, but I couldn’t help myself in this case. I’m a real fan of instrumental music and in particular any music you can’t dance to. In Baby Dee’s case, she fits the bill. She’s incredibly proficient at piano and harp and is an incredible writer. Her vocals are admittedly sort of an acquired taste — being somewhat more suited for cabaret or musical theater — but nonetheless they do not take away from her charm and overall appeal.

In May, I posted a review of Dee’s latest project, Regifted Light. While the album is mostly instrumental, there are some vocals included. What’s striking, though, is the ensemble playing and the overall classical feel of the entire project. Two other albums, Baby Dee Goes Down To Amsterdam (live recording); and A Book Of Songs For Anne Marie were reviewed in July as well. This is excellent, thought provoking music that is definitely not in the mainstream. An ideal gift for the more discerning musician. (For more information, check out Baby Dee’s website. Her albums also available at amazon.com.

Paul and Nita

In August, Perpetual Change ran an interview with transgender activist and acoustic musician Paul Iwancio. Paul was originally introduced here back in 2005, with the release of his first album entitled Open Heart Stories. Since that time, Paul has gotten married to Nita Paul and the two of them are performing under the name of Ella’s Umbrella. They have released one album, Colors In Our Sky, which was reviewed in November. The new album is a great example of a gifted singer/songwriter at work. Largely influenced by country and folk, it also presents some interesting cover tunes. Visit the Ella’s Umbrella website for more info.

Garcia

Michelle Rocking Horse Garcia was featured here in a two part interview posted in September and October. Once again, I’ve become a fan of this artist. Michelle is incredibly proficient in several different musical genres and her voice is extremely feminine. I’ve never heard music by her that wasn’t top notch. In November, I posted a short review of one of her better known albums, San Francisco Queers, in this column. And, of this writing, I just received an advance copy of her newest project, Dead End Street. This new project will be reviewed after the first of the year, and though I don’t want to give anything away, let’s just say that I personally feel it’s Michelle’s best work to date. She also has a number of other projects that have been released over the years, including one instrumental project called Spanish Traveler which is excellent. I plan on reviewing that as well. She has a website with music samples and is also available on amazon.com.

Jessup and the Philosopher Dogs

Our last official column before this one was an interview with east coast musician Georgie Jessup. Georgie is yet another transgender musician who has been around for quite some time, and is also well known as a Native American activist. Her best known album to date is 1994s American Holocaust. For the past several months, she has been at work on a new project entitled Philosopher Dogs, which is scheduled for release soon. I was extremely privileged to have Georgie send me downloads of the album’s tunes during the recording process. A very brief review was posted here in July about some of these newer tunes. This new project will be perhaps Georgie’s best to date. Excellent production values and Georgie managed to pull in some very talented backing musicians as well. I’m promised a copy of the finished album when it’s finally available, so look for a review of yet another great album coming your way next year. Get more info and listen to her music on Georgie’s Website.

Rev. Yolanda

To round out this list, mention must also be made of Rev. Yolanda’s Old Time Gospel Hour. As long time readers of the column will know, Yolanda has been mentioned here quite often, and her work has been reviewed here as well. This year, Yolanda embarked on a new project, The Old Time Gospel Hour show, which has now become a fixture at NYC’s The Duplex. The show has been nominated for various awards, and an album, Rev. Yolanda’s Country Gospel Kirtan, has just been released. Look for a review after the first of the year. Visit Yolanda’s website.

Okay, so this is of course only a partial list of great music by very talented transgender musicians. But, these are the folks who have been featured here in 2012 and these are the folks who deserve our support. There’s still time for some last minute shopping, especially for that hard-to-please music fan on your list.

LAST WORDS

I’d like to say Merry Christmas (yeah, I know, it’s early) and THANK YOU to all TGForum readers who help keep the music and musicians in our community thriving. And of course, thank you for reading both Perpetual Change and TransVocalizers throughout the year. I can’t believe that this January, I will have been writing for TGForum.com for 14 years. All of you have stayed with me this long, and I dearly appreciate it and thank you. Again, have a Merry Christmas with family and friends, and a safe and prosperous New Year.

Tags: featured, music, Musician

Category: Music