In her long career as a musician, songwriter and producer Jennifer has collaborated with international artists such as Joan Armatrading, Bonnie Raitt, Mark Knopfler, Gerry Rafferty, Van Morrison and Boy George, Paul Brady and Robert Wyatt. She was a member of Penguin Café Orchestra for many years, and it was there that she met her partner Annie Whitehead. Her solo album is entitled Dreamland, and its genesis is rooted in a dream Jennifer had while on the road with David Torn on David Sylvian’s 1988 ‘In Praise of Shamans’ World Tour. Visiting Woodstock for the first time the following year, Jennifer recognized the area as the place of which she had dreamed. After a long incubation period and occasional visits, she and Annie bought a cottage in Woodstock in 2014. In 2016 Jennifer began putting the Dreamland album together. She continues to be much in demand as a musician, working with Annie and The Orchestra That Fell To Earth, and as a member of UK funk/soul band Kokomo and the Murray Head band in France. Recently she has also been guesting with Secret City, the New York based ‘art church’. Jennifer came out publicly as transgender in the 1980s and formally transitioned in 2001.
Music Review
Exposed Vocals Score: 8.3/10
Jennifer Maidman delves into a glorious, big band sound with the expansive “Open The Door”. Nicely bringing together big band, jazz, the blues, and rock, the whole piece positively teems with a tremendous amount of life. Instrumentally dense, at times the track veers into a psychedelic aura. The many twists and turns of the song make it a true delight to behold. By crafting a true journey everything shines with a great deal of color, for Jennifer Maidman chooses a heat-soaked, celebratory spirit to imbue the entire piece with such intensity. Vocals swim through the many layers of sound that work in unison to create a fully realized aural universe.
Beginning with a playful trumpet flare, the piece starts off with such literal fanfare. From there the entire piece takes on a rollicking rhythm. Quite quickly the groove is established allowing the whole track to drive forward with such clear-eyed splendor. Her vocals have a warmth to them while the whole piece grows into such a fantastic crescendo. Allowing nothing to remain still for long, the way that Jennifer Maidman plays with listener expectations is particularly satisfying. Employing wonderful wordplay with such joy the way the entire piece unfurls gives it a tremendous carefree attitude. On the latter half of the piece things get particularly busy, as Jennifer Maidman embarks with an ageless sound. Things work themselves up into a fantastic frenzy of freewheeling joy.
“Tremendous hope and optimism pour out of Jennifer Maidman’s life-affirming “Open The Door”.
There is a short documentary (by freelance New York Times writer Dakota Lane) about Jennifer, which has been selected for the New York City Independent Film Festival , screening May 13th at the Producers Club Manhattan. Link here: https://www.nycindieff.
