Biography: Jeni Fleming

FEATURED ARTIST

JENI FLEMING

VOCALIST

Fast becoming one of the west's most sought-after musicians, Jeni Fleming brings a breathtaking originality to some of the best music of the American songbook. From classic jazz standards from composers such as Gershwin, Cole Porter and Jobim, to re-arranged pop hits by Cyndi Lauper, The Grateful Dead, or The Beatles, Jeni defies easy classification simply saying in defense “a good song is a good song.” Her signature ballads drip with so much emotion that an audience member suggested adding Kleenex boxes on each chair in her Tech Rider. The Big Sky Journal commented “an evening of this and you’re both whipped and exhilarated, you’ve wiped your eyes, yet your cheeks hurt from all the grinning.” With every performance, the songs and stories of Jeni Fleming are winning the hearts of audiences from coast to coast.

The second of four daughters to a Lutheran pastor and an English teacher, Jeni's love of music was nurtured at a very young age. “The first songs I knew were hymns,” and since their mother was the director of the church children’s choir she and her three sisters all sang in that choir, as she puts it, “...whether or not we wanted to. Some families bond through athletics, some through academics, ours was centered around music.” Private piano lessons began at age 6, by 13 she had won The Young Artist Award and made her classical piano debut with The Billing Symphony, the first of a string of successes in the competitive classical piano world. College offered her a chance to pursue another love, visual arts but after four years as an architecture major, music found her again and she graduated from Montana State University in music.

“Having studied classical piano for most of my life, it is the thing I know something about, but singing is the thing I feel something about.” With the 1997 release of "It Is Well" Jeni was featured on a nationally-televised program by the Odyssey Channel. Following the success of her subsequent three recordings, The Jeni Fleming Trio was featured as the pilot episode of "11th and Grant with Eric Funk," which aired on Montana PBS in September 2005, winning an Emmy.

Jeni has performed as a vocalist at many major music festivals including UNC Greeley Jazz Festival, (winning two Outstanding Soloist Awards), Yellowstone Jazz Festival, Powell Jazz Festival, Juan de Fuca Festival, Jazz Montana (three years in a row opening for Hilton Ruiz, Dave Valentine, Nicholas Payton, Tim Warfield, Cyrus Chestnut, Gary Bartz and Stefon Harris), Big Timber Jazz Society Concert Series, Phillipsburg Jazz Festival, Jazz at the Depot (Billings, MT opening for Hank Jones), Minot Jazz Festival, Jazz In the Canyon (Twin Bridges, ID, and Jazz Fest International (Victoria, BC), opening for famed pianist Dave Brubeck. Jeni has toured the country and beyond in many different ensembles, she has been a guest soloist with various Big Bands, house rhythm sections, and in promotion of her album "We'll Be Together Again" with symphony orchestras across the country.

Jeni maintains a full-time private studio of piano and voice students. She Co-founded Hand Me Down Some Silver, Inc. (HMDSS), a 501(c)3 organization offering need-based scholarships to young musicians for music lessons, instruments, and creating professional recording and performance opportunities. (www.HandMeDownSomeSilver.org). Her performance of the single “Three Cups of Tea” (Jake Fleming), commissioned by Nobel Peace Prize nominee and author Greg Mortenson of the National Best Selling book of the same title, continues to garner rave reviews. Proceeds from the single go towards the efforts of The Central Asia Institute.

Jeni has eight albums in her discography, but has sung on countless other projects. Her first album "It Is Well" was released in 1997 with [former husband] Jake Fleming. In 2002, the duo added friend and bassist Chad Langford and together The Jeni Fleming Acoustic Trio released five albums. Jeni's album “We’ll Be Together Again,” features 14 tracks of lushly-arranged standards and original pieces, and the work of The String Orchestra of the Rockies, Montana’s premiere string ensemble. The winter and holiday-themed album "December" was intended to be a project with Jeni's beloved mentor and champion, Ralph Sappington (trumpet). Unfortunately, Ralph passed away just weeks before heading into the studio, that album is dedicated to him. The 2010 release "Come To Life" reflects the sometimes rough and painful parts of a relationship, and perhaps was a foreshadowing of the separation from musical partner and husband Jake. The music is raw and honest and marks an obvious turning point in Jeni's musical path.

"Jeni Fleming is a rare elegance…revealing a great sensitivity and beautiful musicality."

- Jazz Hot Magazine, Paris