political and poetic sonic experiment, with haunting, vocal acrobatics.
Jolie Rickman is a fiercely independent and expermental singer/songwriter with a nation-wide community of support. Over the part two years, Jolie has been welcomed into colleges, cafes, clubs, house-parties, community centers, computers and stereos across the US. jolie tours in support of her three full-length, indie cds including her latest, "Suffer to be Beautiful" (HEN 2000). Jolie's earlier cds, Sublime Detonation (1998) and Sing It Down: Songs to Close the School of the Americas (a 1999 collaborative project with fellow singer-sonwriter Colleen Kattau) received national airplay and were featured on nationally-syndicated radio programs including The Midnight Express (WFMT Chicago) and Pacifica's Democracy Now.
Jolie is consistent in her commitment to sonic, lyrical and cultural innovation. She is difficult to catagorize and proud of it. With comparisons ranging from Billy Bragg (the Peace Newsletter) to Joni Mitchell (the Chicago Reader), or from ani difranco (Syracuse Herald American) to Tori Amos and Laurie Anderson (Syracuse New Times), critics stuggle to define her eclectic, pervasive sound.
Jolie's longtime connection with movements for cultural change have landed her on stage with folk legends including Pete Seeger and Tom Paxton. These opportunities help a young performer strengthen her connection to the living history of topical performance. Jolie says of the experience, Recently Pete Seeger told me that he believes we're entering into a new era of activism. Now is an exciting time to be a folksinger. Audiences are active listeners, challenging us to push the boundaries of our music. Audiences and critics affirm that Jolie exceeds expectations. According to the California Aggie, ...[her] lyrics elicited laughter, tears and heartfelt participation; Rickman recieved a standing ovation.
Whether experimenting with acoustics in a cozy cafe, redefining the edges of an alternative club, or stomping out political anthems and folk music for a rally of thousands, crowds from coast-to-coast claim this hard-working girl as one of their own.
