Jamie Browning is a Toronto-based independent artist with fingers in several musical pies.
An accomplished singer-songwriter, Jamie has played with over 200 musicians in past and
present projects, both
hers and theirs. She has donated her time and talent to
concerts benefiting organizations such as hospitals, women's
shelters, college radio, food banks, music therapy, theatre companies,
literacy, various publications, food banks, Indigenous Peoples,
Anti-Racist Action, breast cancer and AIDS research, and environmental
issues. Over the years Jamie has contributed tracks to numerous
cd compilations and film scores, and her ventures into acting,
journalism and session work have resulted in film work and live
musical theatre, published articles, and backing vocals for other
bands.
2005/2006 projects in addition
to Blues Element include live and session backing vocals for
Antimatter, session backing vocals for Trout and Dubmatix, and live
backing vocals for Liar, Liar Spandex on Fire. (More info about these
projects and weblinks coming soon.)
Fast Facts
- Jamie's work has been featured in 8 film scores to date, with others currently in development.
- Jamie appeared as Mary Magdelane in 1992's acclaimed Toronto Indie-rock band production of Jesus Christ Superstar.
- Jamie is a four time finalist in CFNY's New Music Search, actually making it all the way and onto the compilation cd twice; once each with 2 different bands; Saturnalia and DropDeadBeats.
- The song "Underground" from the album "Immoral of the Story" was pre-released on Spawner Records "Give Us a Break 3" cd compilation, which was given away for free at the 2002 Warped Tour.
- "Songs Of Saturnalia" received extensive airplay on European commercial radio, and both "Myth Conception" and "Immoral of the Story" received airplay on 48 Canadian Campus radio stations. All 3 albums were also played on the CBC and as well they enjoyed at least scattered U.S. campus spins.
- "Songs Of Saturnalia" mysteriously seems to be for sale at a several European internet music sites, and although Jamie doesn't know where they got the copies she thinks it's kind of cool anyway.
- Jamie's work has also been included on an Indie-Can compilation, CKLN's Wired For Sound, 2001's Live Compilation "From October", and "2003's Fabulous Gay Tunes Volume 2"
- Jamie has played at 3 Toronto Pride Celebrations as well as one each in Montreal and Ottawa.
- Jamie's newest project Blues Element has been receiving steady airplay worldwide since May 2005, from stations in 30 countries on 6 continents.
Current Music Projects |
Past Music ProjectsJP Wasson BandTruly Ruthless DropDeadBeats FOAM Saturnalia AmoebA QuichE Daphne's Purple Closet The Electric Pigs |
Current Music Projects
Blues Element (2004-present) photo: see link below
Blues & jazz and a wide open road ahead. There's much to be
said about the only actual officially active band among these "Current
Music Projects" but it's being said elsewhere. Click here.
finalprogram (2001-present?) photo: coming soon
Smooth, groovy, fierce and moving. Live P.A., jungle-style.
Crankin'
beats and thundering bass. First few performances were as "Fortran 77"
until they found out that name was taken. Is this band current or
past?? Or maybe future? Well, Famous G and Bad Button went on hiatus
while they indoctrinated their 4th drummer and
searched for their 4th bass maker. And then Famous G moved to
Montreal... for good? For a spell? Recording and a video could follow,
as well as more live shows. Only time will tell...
Jamie Browning (1997-2001, but also birth to present)
Jamie Browning Band (2001-2003)
photo: Graham Kennedy
The "official"
bio said: pop-rock-alt-prog-reggae-jazz-country-goth & more... You
could say that this band arose from the ashes of Saturnalia, although
nothing is ever that simple.
And, given that several members of Saturnalia
contributed to Jamie's first 2 "solo" albums, and the entity pictured
here that was actually known
as the Jamie Browning Band has folded, we weren't sure if
this whole mess should be included with Current or Past projects. See
WHAT for more details about that
as well as for info about Jamie's available recordings (4 albums worth
of material crammed onto 3, just to save you money!) The fact that a)
Jamie is still Jamie and b) these recordings are still active even if
the band isn't also adds to the confusion. Music from this catalogue is
still popping up on Film soundtracks. Released one music
video (so far?), courtesy of the directorial team that
created Sleep Always. So, what is to become of the Jamie
Browning
Band? Well, for one thing they never did find that
perfect band name. But Edgar and Jamie wrote an album's worth of great
new material before things fizzled, so some of that may yet surface
some day. And never say never to the possiblity of at least an acoustic
duo performance from the two of them again at some point in the
future.
Past Music Projects
JP Wasson Band (1998-2005)
photo: Debbie Wasson
Jamie found out that this band had to be moved from the "Current Music Projects" section to the "Past Music Projects" section after a random visit to JP's site :) For more information about the band please pay them a visit yourself. They haven't called it quits, they've just quit Jamie. Formed in 1996, the band plays "City-Country" as JP likes to call it, and they've released 3 cds with a 4th in the can, plus a video that was shot before Jamie was recruited to add backing vocals in 1998.
Truly Ruthless! (2003-2004) photo: I'm working on it
Mid 20th Century R&B, Rock & Roll, Jazz, Country. The Truly Ruthless dancing-shoes-required repertoire featured tunes immortalized by the brilliant Ruth Brown (thus the band name), James Brown, Patsy Cline, Little Willie John, Dinah Washington, Sam Cooke, Bobby Troupe, Chuck Willis, Louis Jordan, and others. The lights first went on for Jamie when JP Wasson bassman Reno Jack took it upon himself to educate Jamie about some real music, and school evolved into a band that soon included JP guitarist Al Miller. After a period of immersion which saw Jamie learn 30+ cover songs, she began writing in this incredible genre with drummer Iain Green, and Blues Element was born.
DropDeadBeats (1997-1998) photo: Tony Fong
Fun & funky, spunky all girl dance and roll. Feather boas,
glitter, go-go dancers, politics, outdoor music festivals. Kickin'
originals (even a touch of that old Sci-Fi) plus select funk-style
covers. Three part harmony and Jamie even tries her hand at
rapping (the jury is still out on that one). DDB overlaps with
the tail end of Saturnalia's life span. Released one self-titled 5-song
demo cassette plus a remake of one of those tracks (recorded
at a separate one-off session) makes it on CFNY's New Music Search
cd. Not exactly an amicable break up (but there are no lingering
hard feelings!) just as they may have been about to break through. Or
so it seems, with the fuzzy distance of retrospect.
FOAM (1992) photos: unknown
Spontaneity and repetition CAN co-exist in an endless disco jam. Masked and costumed (for good reason?) all-star line-up (exact numbers unconfirmed). Two unforgettable live performances only, and (thankfully?) no recordings were made (but there ARE pictures!). The "band", comprised of drums, mandolin, bass, guitar, keys, clarinet, and sax played whatever they felt like while Jamie and co-conspirator Geoff (on guitar as well as vox) sang whatever popped into their heads while looking (for inspiration) at a giant list of all the song titles they had been able to think of. Ten years later Jamie and Geoff reunite to form finalprogram.
Saturnalia (1990-1997) photo: Graham Kennedy
Lush & edgy, raw &
sophisticated acoustic pop-rock. Gargoyles, Roman holidays, winter
solstice, and don't forget the ever present Sci-Fi. Over the band's
life
span the line-up ebbs and flows up and down from 2 to 6 members and
includes revolving bass players, no less than 4 drummers, and a
percussionist. Live and studio guests include trombone,
viola and flute. One cross Canada tour, 3 music videos, plus a pile of
recordings including 8-song "AmoebAcoustic", 9-song
"Over My Head", and contributions to various compilations & film
scores. The line blurs between Saturnalia and the Jamie
Browning Band, but suffice to say that Saturnalia slowly dissolves and
Jamie splits with the keyboard player after recording the first of her
"solo" albums.
Here's one version of Saturnalia:
Here's another one:
AmoebA QuichE (1985-1989) photo: who took this photo?
Speedy but poppy
metallic
candy country-punk. Still more Sci-Fi and body paint. Permission given
by Iggy Pop to record his song "Sick of You". The buzz generated during
a cross Canada tour lures Bryan Adams out to a gig but he has
to catch a plane and can't stay, but that's okay because kd lang
is the bartender, and they think that's cooler. Released one music
video, a 4-song cassette "Justice Liver" and 11-song "Random Dither"
plus the mostly unreleased "A Cracker Jack Notion" (the lost &
frantic tapes). Band survives a change of drummers and an added sax
player/back up vox. New drummer starts working shift work and Jamie
splits with the guitarist.
Here's one version of AmoebA QuichE (performing an Iggy Pop song):
And the same version performing an AQ song:
Daphne's
Purple Closet (1984-1985) photo: and this one?
Gothic sugar punk space-pop. Sci-Fi, spiders, rats and bats. Body paint, politics, strippers and Mohawk hair cuts. Queen St. West (Toronto) regulars with an Ottawa-based fan club. Released one self-titled 6-song demo cassette. One member change (the drummer, of course). Then, founding member moves to London, Ontario and wants to continue long-distance-style, but Jamie splits with the new drummer. The band's final performance at a political rally as Daphne's Purple Circus is half Closet, half future QuichE, and ends abruptly when the police cut the power to the stage.
The Electric Pigs (1983)
photo:
none taken that I know of
Quirky, snakey prog-punk and roll. Bizarre Sci-Fi themed originals and choice 60's & 70's covers. Played only one actual live gig. Non-amicable early departure of founding drummer results in damaged gear and a lawsuit. The new lineup rocks but Jamie eventually quits (because they won't let her boss them around). She records what turns out to be their final rehearsal for a souvenir.
