 Jean
Shy
is
an
internationally acclaimed
Soul, Blues, Rhythm & Blues, Jazz, and
Gospel
Singer; Songwriter, Music Producer,
Actress, and Author.
With three Top Ten Hits under her belt, the
2009 Blues Music Award
"Soul Blues Female Artist Of The Year"
Nominee,
is
definitely a multi-talented, truly unique
Artist, and audiences are overwhelmed by her
powerful vocal delivery, and entertaining Show.
Born in Chicago,
Jean's vocal background had it's
beginning in
Gospel Music.
Elvis
Presley was her
first inspiration to become a professional
Entertainer in commercial Music.
Later she was also greatly influenced by
Mahalia Jackson, Sammy Davis Jr., Ella
Fitzgerald, Ray Charles,
Harry Belafonte, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight,
Dionne Warwick, Dinah Washington, Carmen McRae,
and others. Jean was already receiving awards
for her musical talents by the time she reached
High School. At the age of twelve she was
signed by
Leonard and Phil Chess
to the legendary
Chess Label
in Chicago. The release of “Spring
Fever†by Tim & Jean
became a Regional Hit.
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 Just before
leaving High School Jean was
signed by Carl
Davis
for
Brunswick Records.
With
various regional Record successes she
toured as an Opening-Act with
Otis Leavill, Tyrone Davis, Barbara Acklin,
The Chi-Lites, The O'Jays, Al
Green, The Stylistics, and
Jackie Wilson,
gathering a tremendous
amount of Stage
Experience.
Jean wrote her first Album which was
produced by
Hense Powell;
Executive Produced by
Emerson Featherstone. One
Single from that
production Speak
Talk About It
was signed by Jay
Butler
to
Playboy Records. |
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Jean Shy was later produced by
Harvey Fuqua
who was the founder and
lead singer for seminal
R&B/doo wop group
The Moonglows.
He
was an early mentor of Marvin Gaye,
(co-producing "Sexual Healing" and
Gaye's hit duets with Tammi Terrell),
helped to develop several Motown acts,
and helped to launch the careers of '70s
soul-pop group New Birth, and disco
superstar Sylvester (Disco Heat, You
Make Me Feel Mighty
Real).
The Songs Harvey produced on
Jean were released on
Honey Records,
and a few others in conjunction with Fantasy
Records. |
Jean and Harvey Fuqua |
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Jean and Carlo
Bohlaender |
In 1978
Jean branched out and went to Europe.
Soon after she arrived in Frankfurt,
Germany she
performed at the famous Jazz Kneipe
owned by Musician Wolfgang
Dosch.
There she met
Dr. Carlo Bohlaender
one of Europe's
acclaimed
Jazz Critics,
Trumpet Player and Book Author
who introduced her into Frankfurt's Jazz
Scene as well as to one of Germany’s Top
Jazz, Blues & Gospel Booking Agents
Dieter Nentwig.
Carlo included
Jean
in his series of Jazz Encyclopedias as
the youngest Jazz Vocalist, which Jean
is very proud of. |
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 After
the
performance of a few Jazz Concerts
the Cultural Department
sent Jean
as a cultural Ambassador to represent
the city "Frankfurt am Main" in the
Partner City Milano, Italy, with
an Open Air performance in front of the
world famous
Skala
which Jean performed with one of
Frankfurt’s Top Jazz Bands Herbert
Christ & The Jazz Babies.
Shy
met Chilly Producer
Bernt Moehrle
(pictured right)
in Frankfurt who produced two Singles
Layla, and Do The Locomotion on her,
which were released on
Polydor Records.
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 Soon
after Jean signed a contract with
Al Coury,
President of
R.S.O. Records
through her Business Manager
Nick Sevano,
who also managed Artist such as Glen
Campbell and Julia McGuinnes.
Producer
Bob Esty
was brought in to produce Shy while
he was working on Albums with
Barbara Streisand
and Cher.
The release of
this now considered
"classic" 12" Single
production of the Song
Night
Dancer,
written by
Bob Esty,
and
Michael W. Brooks,
brought Jean
her first national Record success in
the US. It became a
#9 Hit in the
Billboard Top 100
Disco Charts.
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 "Night
Dancer" also was one of the
Soundtracks in the Movie
Roller
Boogie
starring
Linda Blair.
The B-Side was the
classic Jazz Song
That
Old Black Magic
which made it to
#13 in
the US Dance Charts.
After her success with R.S.O. Jean returned to
Europe making Germany her second home.
Soon after, she signed an exclusive Booking
Contract with the Dieter Nentwig International
Musikagentur. Because a well known Colleague had
to cancel a
performance at the
Lahnstein
Blues Festival
presented by SWF Radio, Jean
was booked to perform
with
The Frankfurt City Blues Band,
this concert,
which was |
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also recorded
and broadcast by SWF
Radio, exceeded all
expectations.
After
that, countless performances at
national and International
Jazz & Blues Festivals with
The Frankfurt City Blues Band,
and other known Bands such as
The
Blues Company,
The
Barrelhouse Jazz Band,
The
Climax Band Cologne, and
JBBO
(Jazz Band Ball Orchestra)
followed.
Since 1982 Jean has been
working with the German
Label
King Edward Records. Her
first Album
Maze (I Just Wanna Escape) was released
in 1983.
Believing
in Jean Shy in
every aspect of her musical
Talent
the Label
has supported her
diverse
Music Styles, therefore
releasing various Cd’s by
her over the Years, which,
just like her Concerts,
range from Rhythm & Blues/
Blues-Rock to Jazz, Blues,
and Gospel.
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 Jean
formed her own Band
Streetblues
with Vladimir Rada
(Bass), Gerd Freymann
(Drums), Hannsjoerg
Scheid (Guitar), and
Mike Hoffmann (Piano).
With the finishing of
their first Album
together
in 1984
entitled
Tough Enough the
Band Name was changed to
"Bordell".
When King Edward Records
signed a licensing deal
with
Record Shack Records
for a UK release of the
Album, the Band Name was
changed once again:
Jean Shy & The Shy
Guys
was born. Soon after,
The Shy Guys consisted
of new members only.
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 Two
original members of
-The
new Shy Guys-
Klaus Zimmermann
(Guitar), and
Martin Hoette
(Guitar) as well as
long time members
Bernhard Spiess
(Drums),
Sascha Kuehn
(Keyboards), and
Bernd
Winterschladen
(Sax) are still
performing as part
of the Band today.
The newest addition
to the Group was
Michael -Schnuff-
Strohm
(Bass.) and a few
years later
Georg Mahr
on the B3 Hammond
Organ, who had been
a Guest Musician on
many Jean Shy Shows
during the last 15
Years.
|
Dove Soap
Commercial
 |
In between
Touring, and
Recording in
Europe, Jean
has gone
back and
forth
between
Germany, and
Los Angeles.
In 1988 she
signed a
five year
contract
with
Lever
Brothers,
to do a
:15
and :30 Sec.
National TV
Spot for
Dove Soap.
She became
the
National
Dove Soap
Lady Of The
Year.
The Dove
Soap Spot
won the
CEBA
Award Of
Excellence.
Shy was then
represented
by one of
Americas
biggest
Commercial
Agencies
Sutton,
Barth &
Vennari,
through
which she
landed other
major
Commercials
for
Silo
Electronics,
US West
Communications
and
Ames Department
Stores.
Jean also
played a
Leading Role
in the
Soap-Opera
Secret
Passions
as Council
woman June
Tshwaila.
During that
same time
period Jean
hosted her
own TV Talk
Show The
Jean Shy
Rhythm &
News Show
produced by
Walker
Entertainment
which aired
weekly on
Cable TV.
After
the
Germany
release
of
her
CD
Ready
For
Love
produced
by
Michael
McGregor,
and
alongside
of
performing
with
her
Shy
Guys,
Jean
joined
an
interesting
project
in
1994. She
was
the
featured
Singer
for
the
Dutch
formation
T-Spoon
which
prior
had
two
Top
10
Hits.
T-Spoon
featuring
Jean
Shy
(pictured
below)
landed
a |
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 No.
5
Hit
with
the
very
jazzy
oriented
euro
dance
track
Where
R U
Now,
and
with
the
remake
of
the
Janis
Joplin
Song
Mercedes
Benz
in
an
euro
reggae
style,
they
made
it
to
No.
7
in
the
Benelux.
With
the
following
Project
N678ALL
featuring
Jean
Shy she
landed
at
No.32
on
the
British
Dance
Charts
with
the
Song
Summernation.
Upon
the
request
of
many
Fans
over
the
Years,
Jean
Shy
&
The
Shy
Guys
finally
recorded
a
-Live-CD-
in
1998,
entitled
Unchain
My
Heart.
Because
Jean
almost
always
performs
at
least
one
Gospel
Song
during
her
Concerts,
whether
high
powered
Soul,
or
Jazz,
many
of
her
European
Fans
requested
her
to
do a
traditional
Gospel
Album.
Finally
in
1999
Jean
recorded
her
first Gospel
CD
Amazing
Grace,
with
a
smaller "Shy
Guys"
formation.
Going
back
to
her
Roots,
with
"Amazing
Grace,"
Jean
has
gone
on
many
Gospel
Tours
in
Germany,
presenting
her
Special
Gospel
&
Spiritual
Program
Jean
Shy
sings
Mahalia
Jackson,
live
as
well
as
on
this
CD.
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 Her
next
CD
Still
Swingin'
(After
All
These
Years)
was
recorded
Live
in
Cologne
with
The
Climax
Band
Cologne,
with
whom
she
prior
recorded
the
Albums
The
Night
Time
Is
The
Right
Time,
and
Just
The
Way
We
Are.
Performing
with
The
Climax
Band
Cologne
has
been
a
continuous Special
Project
for
Jean over the
Years,
keeping
her
Jazz
Roots
alive
in
Germany,
and
in
The
Netherlands. The
CD
"Still
Swingin'
(After
All
These
Years),"
was
recorded
in
celebration
of
their
20th
Anniversary.
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 In May 2002 Jean Shy toured as a Special Guest with the
Jazz Band Ball Orchestra (JBBO) from Krakow for the first time, even though they had been playing on many of the same Stages for over twenty Years. The JBBO is Poland's oldest, and Internationally best known European Jazz Formation. During their Tour they performed at Jazz Festivals in Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. In Hungary the Concert at the Salgotarjan Jazz Festival was recorded and broadcast by Magyar Radio.
Since the Tour was such an excellent success, they recorded a Jazz & Blues CD together at the Radio Krakow Studio, entitled
The Other Side Of Blue. The CD was released in Poland in 2003. Other Tours within Poland, and adjacent countries followed, along with national Live-TV Performances, including the Polish Oscars at which the JBBO won an Award once again for being "The Best Jazz Band of the Year," presenting Jean Shy as their Special Guest. The performances, and the CD received a great response from critiques, and audiences alike.
In September 2004 Jean got a leading part in a National TV Spot as well as the Print Advertisement for
Target, one of the largest Department Stores in the USA. She also hosted her new Cable TV Talk Show In the Spotlight with Jean Shy.
Jean Shy’s second Gospel Album entitled
One Day is a mixture of
live, and Studio recordings with her Shy Guys. The Album, as well as the first Radio Single entitled "Precious Memories" was released in the US on April 14.2005, as a joint Venture between King Edward Records, and Featherstone Records, and received much Airplay on Gospel Radio Stations across the country.
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 On
Oct. 31.2008 King Edward Records released
the Jean Shy & The Shy Guys CD
The Blues Got Soul.
In
conjunction with this Album Jean Shy
received a nomination from the Blues
Foundation
for the
2009 Blues Music
Awards
in the category of
Soul Blues Female Artists of the Year.
The Music of Jean Shy
& The Shy Guys are comparable to The Rolling
Stones, ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, and
Aerosmith.
The
latest of Jean's 13 Albums entitled "Blow Top
Blues," was released September 29, 2010 on King
Edward Music. On this CD
Jean Shy presents yet another part
of her "World of Blues," which is contrary, but
definitely not inferior in Style from her previous
Jean Shy & The Shy Guys release "The Blues Got
Soul."
Blow Top Blues
is a brilliant Album compilation
ranging from the Style of
Dinah Washington,
and
Tony Bennett,
to
Ray Charles
and
Aretha Franklin.
Seeing that Jean is also a Songwriter, the CD
includes a few of her own compositions. The
Tracks were recorded with the three main Bands
that Jean has been performing with in Europe for
many years. The "Friends" on this CD are: Shy's
own Band The Shy Guys (Germany), The Climax Band
Cologne (Germany), and the JBBO (Jazz Band Ball
Orchestra, Poland).
Three of the Tracks were produced by
Michael McGregor for one of Jean Shy's Solo
Albums.
Last but not least, a powerful re-mastering of
all Tracks was done by Mastering great
Bob "Big Bottom" Lanzner.
Altogether this
makes up a superb, and unique CD that shows off
that the "Blues" burns in Jean's veins, no
matter what style of the Blues she sings. On
February 15th 2011 the CD was nominated by the
10th Independent Music Awards as "Blues Album Of
The Year."
A critique once described Jean's performance as
follows: Jean
Shy has the
conciseness of a Tina Turner, the vivid
Northern-Soul feeling of a Van Morrison, the
expressiveness of an Etta James and she convinces
above all with one thing "honesty."
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