No trash talk. No “dancing like a  ho" no “London, London bridge wanna go down.”  Not a Fergie or Pussycat Doll, not a plasticene pop star stamped from the American Idol  assembly line. 

Jamie Coon’s music is something else. Grown-up. Sensual. Intuitive. Artistically generous. It is those qualities, plus a voice oft’ compared to Sarah McLachlan or Natalie Merchant that is earning her distinction in an industry drowning in thousands of sound-alike artists. 

It’s easy to see, or shall I say, hear  why. At first listen, you think…yeah, Norah Jones. Then on second thought, her stripped down acoustic sound harkens the 70s folk-rock sounds of John David Souther and Bonnie Raitt; or on further inspection, a singer-songwriter in the best pop tradition.

But whatever her sound is, it isn’t by accident.  

“I guess you’d call my music soulful pop. But really I have many influences,” Jamie says. “Probably my biggest influence in music is Elton John, who I’ve listened to since I was a kid. Another artist is Ronnie Milsap, the country singer, yeah, Ronnie all the way. Others are Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin and a lot of soul and blues music.” 

A Creek/Seminole from Okemah, Oklahoma, Jamie’s parents instilled in her a love of music early in life; by the time she hit her teens she was already writing songs as well as performing.  Her passion eventually led her to California seven years ago to attend the Musicians Institute in Hollywood where she received the Outstanding Student of the Year Award.  All the while she remains connected to her roots, proudly wearing the mantel of “Native American singer-songwriter.”  

“I’m so proud of my heritage and my family; it’s such a huge part of who I am. Being a Native American, of course it influences my music.” When asked whether being Indian has posed any challenges, Jamie’s experience has been consistently positive. “I haven’t run into problems so far with people holding preconceived notions of who I am. The only question that comes up is ‘what tribe are you from?’…Really, I’ve gotten great support.” 

Maybe because her music so seamlessly fuses various genres, she is able to cross the divide insurmountable to other Indigenous artists. Then again, maybe it’s because she’s just so damn good  she simply defies simplistic stereotyping. She has assembled a team as eclectic and daring as she is—acoustic guitarist Rafael Barajas, who adds a distinct Latin flavor; Byron Evans on keyboards and guitar; drummer LJ Holifield; bass/keyboardist Tom Von Doom; guitarist Eric Sampson; and Patrick Evans, her music producer. 

Jamie and her band’s first CD, Everything So Far,  was released two years ago. Her music has appeared in the independent films Long Term Relationship, Gone but not Forgotten, Virtuality, and Deceit.  Most recently, her single “Waiting” was featured in an episode of the CBS series, Ghost Whisperer.  She’s planning a small tour this summer, followed by the completion of her next album scheduled for a late fall release. 

Meanwhile, she continues to drive herself to beat her personal best and respecting the audience who listen to her words, her music, her performance. “When it comes to my music, I want you to take from it whatever you’re feeling at that moment. If you’re feeling in a particular mood on a certain day—take that. That’s all any performer can ask for; to know that their music is touching somebody. If I do that, then I’ve succeeded.” 

And succeeding she is, leaving the trash talking to the potty mouths warbling about “dancing like a ho” and Simon, Randy and Paula bickering over the next karaoke superstar. Jamie Coon is a grown-up musical artist, and like a grown-up, she is fully confident sharing the deeper feelings of adult intimacy sung with her unique satin-with-edge vocals.

Sensual, intuitive, artistically generous and damn, damn  good.

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I told you Jamie Coon was generous…She's sharing with us two of her songs. Better with each listening:)))

(MP3 Song) Breathe

(MP3 Song) Waiting

Jamie's songs are available on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby, Tower Records, and Yahoo Music. For more info, please visit her official website: www.jamiecoon.com