 A
little story.
While kayaking in the upper peninsula of Michigan back in 2000, Aj along with her husband Jeff, found an amazing stone building which they dubbed, "The Stonehouse" which became their home until 2009. During those years, Aj founded " The Stonehouse Music Cooperative", a collective of Michigan songwriters and musicians, and produced it's first edition in 2006. The Stone House along with another lake house project in Melrose Florida, fueled more projects which led to a 1922 general store in Traunik, Michigan, 9 miles from the stonehouse, which sold in 2010. Until Then: Photo Journal Here Now homeless and jobless, while hiking the winter streets in Calumet, we found another beauty and once again are swinging trowels and hammers. Photo Journal Here Fischer's immediate return to music sparked in Calumet, thanks to the prodding of Jesse Fitzpatrick, founding member of an Ann Arbor 70's band, " Trees " from the Houghton area. |
Reviews of Deo Volente Vol.1 ¶ Acoustic guitarist and singer debut release "Deo Volente, Vol. 1" is a tapesty of spicy jazz licks, (A Poet's Affair, When He Gets Bored), tender yet unsentimental ballads, (Rigby, The Mayflower Bookstore), and foot tapping odes to the open road, (Desert Skies, Trains).  Her songs are
seamlessly crafted originals, poetry set to melodies which are by
turns lilting, playful, moody, spare, and haunting. I had fun imagining
her songs as soundtracks, such as the song "Tundra" with the film
"Smilla's Sense
of Snow."At times I was reminded of Emmylou, Gillian Welch, and Joni Mitchell, but it would be more fair and true to say Aj can stand in her own right with the likes of these nationally known performers. She's that good, her songs are that powerful, and her musicianship, well that ain't too bad either".  Additional musicians include the wonderfully charged music of Jazz Mandolinist, Don Julin and Bassist, Glenn Wolff, along with Pat Neimisto on fiddle. You can hear both artists on www.mandozineradio.com - FA  "--There
have been years of woodsheding while building her own "off the grid"
home out of cordwood masonry,
and didn't play for audiences for years at stretch. "Music and swinging a hammer just don't mesh well, my hands hurt and swell, and there's just too much work ahead of you everyday.." But a performance in Biloxi, Mississippi prompted Fischer to return to music in 1995 after her cabin was finished". "A poet with a guitar as a prop."is how Aj describes her art and what she does. She offer as evidence an accomplished and haunting debut recording, Deo Volente, Vol I These songs are crafted with a sure melodic sense and performed with a smoky elegance. As she treks across musical terrain from folk-bop to finely etched character pieces, the geographic landscapes of her nomadic lifestyle is evident throughout the album. Although a classically trained piano & guitar player, Fischer shed formal teaching methods, reaching into the ever mysterious spontanious life of song weaving, logging 10 books of travel and music."... the rest, remains in the future - NS Record Eagle Fischer's "Poets Affair" is featured on Redfella's Record's 2008 release in Marquette, Michigan. Meanwhile, Aj's "Crow Moon" third solo project is nearing completion with master tapes arriving just spring of 2010. |
Fischer Began playing at
Shield's Keller & The Sawmill in Traverse City, Michigan  Born
and raised in Ann Arbor,
Michigan.
She started traveling in the late seventies, and later spent 17 winters in Dallas and Austin, Texas. She worked for 8 of those years for Tom Garrison at the Stoneleigh P, and "Strictly Tabu", a venue for jazz musicians coming out of Denton's North Texas University -which she states; "Working at a furious pace and listening to Jazz music 6 nights affected my ears & soul forever, in a good way *wink* which also prompted her to study Joe Pass guitar method which can be heard weaving through her compositions. "For those lucky enough to have ever heard her, you know what I mean when I say the word - magical." B.Sullivan, WKTL Music Past Sitings: Wheatland Music Festival Bliss Festival The Sutton's Bay Theater Aura Jamboree The Biloxi Theater Hiawatha Music Festival Air Currents: CdBaby WNMC FM WIAAFM Manodzine Radio Artists Kitchenradio.ca Talkingdogradio.com Reverb Nation  Back |