| press: "I was
hooked and drawn in from the first few bars of Choffel's urban
and soulful sound. Her music styles are varied from quiet
and introspective to politically motivated stories written to a
jazz beat with vocal and rhythm arrangements reminiscent
of a female version of Sting." "Suzanna Choffel deserves a listen because she's among the most rare of artists, a performing songwriter who is based in Austin and was actually born and raised there. But that novelty aside, Choffel is a singer and songwriter who brings to bear a potent mixture of formal music education and natural talent. In a world in which it's hard to dodge the herd of performing songwriters, Choffel stands out with a clever and imaginative mixture of smart words and music that brings together pop, rock, jazz and more." Jim Beal Jr., Music Columnist San Antonio Express-News/Disc Jockey KSYM "Last November this artist BLEW US AWAY during a live set on RadioACTIVE here at KPFT. She seamlessly blends together the elements of pop, rock, and jazz simultaneously. Her name is Suzanna Choffel." Rhonda Garner, KPFT 90.1, Pacifica Radio "The crowd absolutely adored you!..we were extremely honored to have you". Jay Podrette, Producer, Houston Women's Music Festival. awards: Winner:
International Songwriting Contest 2003
"Rarely
do debut albums sound as rich and mature as Shudders & Rings.
Austin native Suzanna Choffel blends her talent and formal training
into a jazz-infused folk sound built atop urban rhythms. Despite
all the layers swirling beneath her throaty voice, the album shines
with its clean melodies and accessible lyrics, all written by Choffel.
"Weeds" borders on hip-hop, and "Since Friday Night"
floats above the lovelorn lines. Choffel even makes the lyrics from
"Hey Mister' sound uplifting: "I don't need your dirty
dishes in my kitchen sink, so be gone, roll on, stroll on. Get the
hell out of my life." Choffel's fresh sound stands out in the
crowded singer/songwriter genre." "Austin-born
Suzanna Choffel calls her slippery style "urban folk",
and that's not a bad summation of the well-crafted compositions
on her debut CD, Shudders & Rings. It's also worth noting that
Choffel is schooled in music and that her ease in performing and
writing comes from early exposure through the Grammy in the Schools
program, not to mention playing in kid bands when she was young.
It sounds cliche to say "watch this one", but don't say
you weren't warned." "Singer/songwriter Suzanna Choffel's version of folk -- she calls it urban+folk -- employs pop elements with lots of tiny, percussive, calypso bubbles floating to the surface beneath her breathy Lauren Hill-ish vocals..." William Michael Smith, click link for full review: Houston Press review
"Suzanna Choffel's music is so yummy and warm- just the right sound for cozy autumn and winter weather! A talented songwriter with sweet but righteous lyrics, a soulful, soothing voice, and a jazzy, magical sound! so good you'll want it with ice cream!" julie, california "Suzanna's music is like a dream that lingers. It will stay with you as a thread in the back of your thoughts; you'll find yourself humming songs like "The Challenge" and "First Breath" and "Hey Mister" as you go about your business, and then want nothing more than to listen to them again at the end of the day. Her songs resonate with understatement. All the emotions expressed in her lyrics are utterly genuine and relatable, mixed in with a subtle sense of humor. If you could call this "folk music," (a weird and imprecise term) it'd be folk for grownups. And as for that voice...well, there's nothing quite like it. I give "Shudders and Rings" 4 stars only because I'm 500 percent certain that what she does next will be even better. Pick it up immediately." elise, north carolina
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