the female voice
yesterday in the bathtub, “it’s never quite what it seems” from over the rhine popped in my head. a soft, folksy ballad that i haven’t heard in a couple years, though back then was in heavy rotation. i saw over the rhine once at schubas back in chicago and loved every minute of that show. karin bergquist’s voice, musicality and emotion are simply remarkable recorded, and even moreso live. what’s more remarkable, though, is how i became introduced to the band in the first place and how vividly i recall that girl’s voice.
the girl i’m referring to is a tall, lovely women by the name of jesse/jessie. obviously, the spelling of her first name is a blur, her last name completely escapes me, and our relationship was short-lived as coworkers at a former independent bookstore in st. louis.
she was shy, so when word circulated that she had a band, was a brilliant guitarist and an outstanding singer, i was somewhat surprised, but also very intrigued. this was the time in my life when i attempted to put my college graduation present to good use —an acoustic guitar that sits minus one string in the corner of our current apartment—and frequented a karaoke bar exhausting my pipes to no doubt’s “spiderwebs.” instead of just feigning my own musical prowess, i had to see firsthand what true talent looked like.
jesse had a few solo gigs at a coffee shop downtown, so i was happy to sit with a cup of tea, talk amongst friends and ultimately be wowed by her performance. i can’t recall if she sang any original songs, but among her lineup was the aforementioned “it’s never quite what it seems” and then a rousing rendition of “faithfully dangerous.” holy crap. it may be safe to say i had a slight girl crush on her after the performance, or at least a slant towards fangirl status.
i wish i could say that her skills as singer/guitarist inspired me to play harder and longer on my own guitar. but alas, i hit a plateau several times in my self teaching, and i was never able to transcend to an acceptable playing level. and as for singing while playing? forget about it. i can pat my head and rub my tummy simultaneously, but singing and strumming confounds me.
and jesse. i tried googling her, but without a last name and not being completely sure of her whereabouts (this was about 10 years ago after all), i couldn’t track her down. not that i would contact her anyway. it was really more a curiosity to see if she kept up with her music and if she was succeeding in the industry.
i may not remember jesse’s last name, but i can still hear her voice and see her powerful guitar playing. and karin bergquist still lives in my itunes for times like these, when i’m feeling nostalgic.