Anne Weiss Wows With Her Mixed Musical Style

By Laurie Morrisey

“A mix of blues, soul, gospel, funk, and folk, depending upon the song,” is the way blues singer Anne Weiss describes her music. “I like to start with one of several genres and expand outward. Some are just straight ahead R&B, and others can be more in the contemporary folk genre with a groove. Sometimes I will use a Delta blues feel, and add something like sitar. I really like to bring in different elements to create a new experience.”

That’s how Anne describes her music, so it’s hard to believe when this gritty blues singer says, “I was very shy about performing when I was younger. The music business at the time seemed like something I wanted to stay away from, so I didn’t originally think of music as a career.”

Born and raised in New York City, Anne’s first gig was in a coffeehouse in Manhattan when she was 13. “But I would say that I started thinking of myself as a musician when I was hired to do background vocals with Shawn Colvin and Patty Larkin when I was 23. Shortly after that I got to open for Richie Havens, who really encouraged me to follow music as a path.”

“I also began teaching guitar and voice around then. So depending upon how you count it, I have been a professional musician for either 30 or 40 years,” she said.

But music isn’t the path she first started down. “I had a big interest in the outdoors, and I became an environmental educator and professional outdoor leader/mountaineer for many years. During some of that time I took a break and went to college, where people would ask me to come perform at benefits for important causes, and I felt that no matter how shy I was, I ought to go perform.”

“At some point those performances led to having a music engineer, a producer, and a bunch of musicians offer to help me record an album for free, so by then I was out of excuses for why I couldn’t make an album. Back then, my first recording was on cassette, and even the duplication costs were generously covered by a fan. From there, I started being offered shows and festivals, and I knew I was lucky. So I came to music as a profession through the back door.” Anne said.

After touring on and off for about 20 years, Anne wanted to stay home more often and “have a family, community, and garden. I love producing and supporting others’ music and teaching music, and so when I’m not touring or performing you can find me singing on recording projects, producing, or teaching. I teach at Portland Community College, Artichoke Music, at music camps and privately. I teach folk and blues vocals, guitar, piano, ukulele, and songwriting to kids and adults.”

She also leads a world music choir called The Everyone Welcome Community Choir. “It’s all very flexible work, so it enables me to perform as much as I would like,” according to Anne.

Influences

Like all artists, Anne says a host of musicians influenced her music: Aretha Franklin, Muddy Waters, Bonnie Raitt, Tracy Nelson, Rickie Lee Jones with some Jackson Browne thrown in for lyric influence. “My friend, Dar Williams, also has influenced my writing and my career over the years,” she said.

Training

Anne’s musical training started at a young age. “I took piano lessons from my grandmother, Elizabeth Weiss. They were classical lessons, but because I had visual problems that went undetected, I learned everything by ear. She was a very patient and loving teacher who was always willing to play a passage for me over again. I developed a really good ear for instruments and for harmonies. I learned a lot about technique and music theory too, but even more importantly, I learned how to be a patient and encouraging teacher, which has been priceless.”

“I also took a summer of guitar lessons in my teens from a wonderful hippie guy who recognized my natural ability and pushed me really hard for a whole summer. It was great to have a teacher who had so much faith in my ability. He had me playing Pheobe Snow songs right alongside Elizabeth Cotton tunes and blues riffs. It was pretty great.”

When Anne first moved to the NW she had the opportunity to study with the one and only John Cephas. “I had one week when I was really starting out in Delta blues where I got to take lessons from John every day, just me and one other student. I still play all the deep dark Skip James songs John taught us and tell stories from that wonderful time.”

These days Anne is primarily a vocalist, but plays piano, guitar, blues ukulele, and “about one really good lick on harmonica,” she said.

Awards

When discussing awards, Anne said she avoided most competitions. “A few years ago I won second place at the Telluride Blues Festival competition. It kind of changed my outlook about competitions, because everyone there was rooting for each other, where I had expected a very edgy vibe. It was a really nice experience. Very few women have been awarded first or second place in that competition, so it was also nice to represent.”

CD’s

Anne has several CD’s out, including Tomorrow’s Gate, Crossing the Border, Braille, Concrete World and the Lover’s Dream, Singing for the Vocally Challenged (instructional CD), and Where Folk Gets The Blues (double CD). She is currently working on another release which she hopes to have “in the can” in the next few months.

Artists Anne Has Performed With

“Since I’ve been playing such a long time, I’ve had the good fortune to play with a lot of wonderful people. The short list includes opening for and/or playing with Taj Mahal, Chris Smither, Ani DiFranco, Cephas and Wiggins, Richie Havens, and Dar Williams. Locally I have had the pleasure to perform with Mary Flower, Alice Stuart, David Jacobs-Strain, LaRhonda Steele, Norman Sylvester, Joe McMurrian, Janice Scroggins, the Northwest Community Gospel Choir, and many others,” she said.

Band Members

Anne’s band members change depending upon the gig and location. She often plays in solo, duo or trio form but occasionally has a whole gospel choir backing her up. “Lately I have been part of a lot of projects, such as the Bonnie Raitt Music Tribute, which has involved Dan Steuber on drums, Mark Bowden and David Jacobs-Strain on electric and slide guitars, Lisa Mann on bass, and Rich Lauder on keys. She shares lead and background vocals on the project with Ara Lee, Bre Gregg, and Shelley Rudolf.  “I have also worked a lot with Spank Hopkins on drums and Donny Wright on bass. I have had the pleasure of working with JP Garau on piano quite a bit lately.”

Adopting

These days, Anne and her partner Eric are busy preparing for the adoption of a baby girl from Ethiopia. She is about nine months old and from the region of Gambella. “After three years of filling out paperwork, waiting, hoping and jumping over many hurdles, we joyfully received and accepted her referral on March 5th, my birthday. What a birthday present!” said Anne.

One of the big hurdles left in order to adopt their baby is funding. At this point, they still need to raise another $20,000. “Every single step in adoption has costs, some of them reasonable and many unreasonable but all beyond our control. Adoption is tragically expensive and complicated, tragic because so many families can’t afford it and can’t take all the complicated steps necessary to adopt here or elsewhere, and that leads to many parentless and homeless children. But adopting her means one less homeless child, and Eric and I will become one less childless family! This is our dream.”

Anne and Eric have a GoFundMe page at http://www.gofundme.com/r3b77yc. All donations over $50 get a free CD as a thank you. For donations over $500, Anne will write a song for you on any topic you like, in almost any style or Eric will make you a beautiful hand turned wooden bowl (your choice.)

They have had two fundraising concerts in Oregon and a third one is set for August 2, 2015. Anne Weiss and Friends will perform at a house concert in Oakland, Calif.  Special guests include Marc Silber, all around mandolin player Gerry Tenney, Tom Wishing, Noam Cohen, and Jill McAnally. Contact Rufus Diamant at rufusdiamant@gmail.com for ticket details and directions. “If anyone would like to host a fundraising concert at their home, please let me know,” Anne said.

Eric is also selling his beautiful handmade wooden bowls as a fundraiser. His work is incredible. Take a look at: http://www.nwfinewoodturning.com/. To order a bowl, please get in touch with them directly through their gofundme site.

In Closing

Life these days is busy for Anne, with her top priority being to get their daughter here from Ethiopia. She does have some upcoming shows, including “Something to Talk About: A Celebration of the Music of Bonnie Raitt” on October 10, 2015 at The Alberta Rose Theatre. For more information about Anne and her upcoming shows visit her website at www.anneweiss.com.