Tony Cummings reports on JANET BLAIR, a singer/songwriter whose 'Songs For The Waiting' is out in March

Janet Blair

I'm not sure if having the same name as a once famous star of the silver screen is an advantage or not but there are certainly some famous name connections that will surely help the burgeoning career of new American singer/songwriter Janet Blair. Janet's debut album 'Songs For The Waiting' was produced by Jars Of Clay guitarist Matthew Odmark with that man's bandmates Charlie Lowell and Stephen Mason contributing to an album which is already receiving critical accolades.

A single from the album, "Eternity Grows" has brought forth praise from music existence.com who enthused, "Blair combines a stunning and vibrant melody with an orchestral flare. Bringing to life her influences of classical and pop songwriting, she proves instantly that she is not just another singer/songwriter. 'Eternity Grows' instantly speaks volumes for the singer as it showcases her talents a

An orchestral oboist, Blair's career changed course after the death of a friend's infant sent her into a period of grief and depression. Struggling to come to terms with the tragedy on a sleepless night, Blair remembers, "I was laying awake at 2 AM when God put a song in my head. So I sat down at my piano and I wrote it out - my first song. I think I needed to process the emotion, so the song was a gift to me." Over the following year, Blair sat down at the piano again and again, capturing moments of inspiration. These songwriting sessions produced music that explores darkness and light, tragedy and triumph, from the mundane to the eternal.

Through networking with other songwriters and musicians Janet met Matthew Odmark and asked him to produce what was to become the 'Songs For The Waiting' album. In turn, Odmark called on his own network of friends including genre-jumping string arranger Avery Bright and instrumentalists Paul Eckberg and Matt Nelson. The 10 tracks on 'Songs For The Waiting' were recorded over a three-week period at Nashville, Tennessee's Gray Matters studio with Blair accompanying her vocals with an upright piano and Odmark laying in swathes of cello, guitar and brass. It looks like being a highly significant start to a hugely promising career.