Since her late-Nineties emergence on the world stage, fans, critics and Hollywood have been captivated by the truth-seeking lyricism and all-encompassing artistry of Judith Owen. With her newest album, Happy This Way (2007, Courgette Records), on the heels of the acclaimed Here (2006), Owen is in the midst of a breakthrough period, earning a critical and popular embrace that situates her in an even more rarefied group of distinguished artists.

Following the release of Here, which earned her an appearance on NBC’s “Today Show” among many other accolades, Owen performed the material live in major cities across the U.S., Canada and the UK. Reviewing her at NYC’s great launching pad for singer-songwriters, The Living Room, The New York Times raved that she “has the kind of wailing folk-jazz voice that slices away surfaces to touch vulnerable emotional nerve endings and leave you quivering.”

Preceded wherever she goes by her sterling reputation—Variety effusively describes her as “a charmer and a seducer, a rocker, and a jazz chanteuse”—Owen has recorded and toured with some of the world’s finest contemporary musicians, including k.d. lang, bluesman Keb ‘Mo, saxophonist Tom Scott, Julia Fordham, jazz vocalist Ian Shaw, Quantic and others. Cassandra Wilson calls her “one of the most passionate, mesmerizing, thoroughly creative vocal artists on the scene today.” Jamie Cullum has deemed Owen a “female Randy Newman.”

British folk-rock legend Richard Thompson was so impressed by the songbird that he invited her to perform on his tour, “1000 Years of Popular Music.” Owen’s considerable contributions to this historic jaunt are documented on a collectable 2006 CD and DVD of the event, where she and Thompson perform music dating back to the 13th century, up to contemporary tracks by Julie London, the Beatles and even Britney Spears. Owen has become Thompson’s female foil of choice: Aside from him performing on Happy This Way, Owen is featured on his most recent album, Sweet Warrior, and will join him in more U.S. performances of “1000 Years” this winter, when the show returns to the road.

More about this artist at www.judithowen.net

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