Search - Jana :: Smoke & Mirrors

CAUTION: Not the "Real" Jana

Troy Santi | 03/31/2007

(1 out of 5 stars)

"FYI. This is not the beautiful, talented, native american singer Jana who produced Flash of a Firefly, American Indian Story, American Indian Christmas, plus various singles. The other reviews made it sound as if it could be and even Amazon's editorial review is somewhat vague. They should be a little more clear when there are two artists of identical names. Seems as if others thought as I did since Amazon shows those who bought this album, also bought all of Jana's other albums. Just wanted all to know since this is not readily apparent."

Worthwhile !

Robert Nase | USA | 06/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jana's music subverts traditional structures by moving freely without paying heed to convention. The opening track, "For You", is a fine example of this - the song has only one line without rhyme, which is repeated at various junctures throughout the track. By doing so Jana makes her first track with neither traditional verse/chorus structure nor typical rhyme schemes and predictable song segments. In fact, unlike most albums, the music here doesn't feel segmented at all. Rather the songs feel natural because the usual swift transitions from verse to chorus are gone and replaced by music that more gradually rises and falls. The instrumentation on this record is unpredictable as well. Disparate elements exist throughout the record - from the hard-rock guitar wail at the end of the folk laden "Enchanted Minds" to the soft soulful patches on the otherwise funky "Lucky Day". Several tracks on what could be characterized as a new age folk record represent genres by mimicking their conventional forms. "Private Gates" is the repetitive blues track, "Many a Time" the rocker which attempts to break Neil Peart's record for the most drum rolls in a single track.
Jeff Tweeter and Jeff Thornton produced this record to good effect making heavy use of echo and layering to give Jana a slightly different voice on virtually every track. Acoustic guitars sound lucid and dominate the soft bass and drums. Considering the wide assortment of styles on Smoke & Mirrors the production incorporates different elements to better suit the specific songs. Overall the production and instrumentation combine to make this a worthwhile record."

Jana's vocals are beautiful, strong and melodic

Robert Nase | 06/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, you need to know that in listening to this CD you are going to hear sounds and stylings which cross many musical borders - from light, ethereal pop to harder-edged pop-rock. Along the way, you'll notice an overall infusion of light jazz elements, and of course, Jana's soaring vocals.
Jana's vocals are beautiful, strong and melodic. The musicianship is absolutely topnotch.
The production is strong, even and sensitive to the music and the vocals.
She sings about love & life in a very simple and straightforward way.
To me, this CD is very very good, and Jana's words and melodies carry the tunes very well.
I would recommend this CD highly to anyone who is interested in a laid-back pop/jazz feeling or to anyone who appreciates very high-quality playing in that genre."