The Story
Jean Synodinos (say it like this: sin-uh-DEE-nus) delivers grit, grace and acoustic soul with a voice that's been hailed by critics as “big league” and "show-stopping." Her award-winning writing digs deep, moving from big affirmations to little ironies at the turn of a phrase. Deftly skating between genres, Jean easily slips from folk to pop to jazz to blues and more to create dynamic live performances and recordings that make audiences ask for more.
It’s been five years in the making, but Jean's third studio disc, Girls Good & Otherwise, has now been released. As always, Jean has attracted some of Austin's finest players to the studio, and this new collection features Bruce Hughes on bass (Jason Mraz, The Resentments), Rob Hooper on drums (Carolyn Wonderland, Guy Forsythe), and Charles Rieser (The Scabs, Boombox) on electric guitars and production. Guest performers on select tracks include Redd Volkaert (Merle Haggard) on blistering guitar, Red Young (Joan Armatrading) on B3 and piano, and John Pointer on beatbox and cello.
Jean's previous releases, Breathe and Lucky, received critical acclaim nationally and locally. Third Coast Music raved, “Synodinos is amazing… She has excellent moves as a songwriter and is an accomplished acoustic guitarist, but her big gun is the marvel that is her voice.”
She lives with her husband, guitarist and producer Charles Rieser, and their superior mutt Freida. Jean gardens in spite of repeated failures and is always kind to animals. A breast cancer survivor, she appreciates all opportunities to remind women (and the men who love them), that early detection not only saves lives--it saves the quality of lives.
And finally, because Jean philosophically believes that generalization is far more fun than specialization, she's embarked on a three-year odyssey to work her way through the badges in the Junior Girl Scout handbook. You can follow her (mis?)adventures on her other blog, The Big Scout Project.
A Few Select Highights/Awards...
Winner: Songwriter Serenade Competition (2011, Halletsville, TX); KRCL/Founders Title Folk Festival/Susanne Millsaps Memorial Songwriting Competition (2003, Salt Lake City, UT); Kerrville New Folk Competition (1996, Kerrville, TX)
Finalist: Wildflower! Songwriter Competition (2003, Dallas, TX); Kerrville New Folk (1995, Kerrville, TX)
Honorable Mention: Folks Festival Songwriting Competition (2011, Lyons, CO)
Official Showcase Artist: Southwest Regional Folk Alliance Conference (2004, Austin, TX); Northgate Music Festival (2002, College Station, TX); Millennium Music Conference (2002, Harrisburg, PA)
And what's the deal with that last name, anyway?
