Comments & Discussion About This Session

Recorded in San Francisco, CA. on October 15, 2009.

As a beautiful San Francisco October day was coming to an end, Alex and Janel, an Americana/folk duo based out of New York, turned a quaint garden backyard into their latest performance venue for an upbeat session with One Night Music. With flowers, vines and colorful apartments as their backdrop, Alex and Janel commanded the ears of anyone within listening distance: A group of young kids peered over fences and shrubs from their back porch a few houses down; a neighbor hung out of his third story window; and anyone within a block likely caught at least a few chords of their tunes. To everyone present at the session Alex and Janel left a lasting impression, without a doubt due to their undeniably catchy choruses (try to not get one of their songs stuck in your head), but also because of the humble and appreciating air with which they carried themselves. They are truly enjoyable to be around, and this only enhances the live experience of their music.

Though it was the duo's first time performing in San Francisco, they quickly proved that they could hold their own in the city's vibrant independent music scene. This five-song set opens with I Don't Know You at All, a love song meets lullaby. Listen and you'll know why Alex and Janel are so special: their complex harmonies are seemingly effortless and executed with extreme precision, demonstrating their past vocal training and seasoned performance skills.

In the third song, Nobody's Watching, their friend Tony Marcus from Oakland joins the duo on fiddle to add some beautiful texture to the melodies. Tony plays with the band for two more songs, culminating with Little Girl, a great lively piece that combines all the best aspects of Alex and Janel and showcases their ability to put on an impeccable live performance.

Alex Brumel, a veteran singer/songwriter, released his third solo record, To Bring You Home, in January of 2009. Janel Elizabeth is an accomplished jazz and blues singer and released her debut jazz recording, Live at Ronnie Scott's, in the spring of 2008. Together, under the name Alex and Janel, they released their debut album The Mill Stone in 2009.

Alex and Janel have an impressive list of musical accomplishments: they've performed individually or as a duo with Bruce Springsteen, Ingrid Michaelson, Duncan Sheik, Ari Hest, Pete Francis of Dispatch, Adam Levy and others. Their work has been widely critically acclaimed, and they were recently nominated for six Ashbury Music Awards. After their short West Coast tour, Alex and Janel returned home to the East Coast. When they're not performing as an acoustic duo, they are backed by a full band and play regularly at venues such as the Nokia Theatre, Mercury Lounge, and Joe's Pub in New York.