{"id":20837,"date":"2024-06-18T13:39:59","date_gmt":"2024-06-18T17:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/?p=20837"},"modified":"2024-12-19T09:58:54","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T14:58:54","slug":"modern-jazz-icon-rebecca-martin-releases-unearthed-once-blue-video-footage-from-the-90s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/?p=20837","title":{"rendered":"Modern Jazz Icon Rebecca Martin Releases Unearthed ONCE BLUE Video Footage From the ’90s"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before there was Norah Jones, there was Once Blue<\/strong>.\u00a0 Once Blue was a modern jazz\/pop band out of NYC lead by the songwriting duo of Rebecca Martin and Jesse Harris (who wrote Norah Jones’ breakout hit, “Don’t Know Why) who emerged in the early\/mid-’90s with a sound that was so out of place for it’s time yet loved dearly by the dedicated, cult following that they built (including yours truly.)\u00a0 Once Blue released their self-titled debut album in 1995 and then eight years later re-released the album with all of the tracks that were to make up the follow-up album that was never released.<\/p>\n

Rebecca Martin recounts on how the duo came together to become Once Blue and release their stellar debut album:<\/p>\n

\u201cJesse and I met through a mutual friend who had been trying for months to introduce us. She told me I would love his music,\u201d Martin recalls. Jesse finally came to see Rebecca perform at the Bitter End in November of \u201992. The couple formed a musical partnership about six months later soon adding Street, Rosenwinkel and Jim Black (later, Kenny Wollesen would join the group and record their debut album). By the fall of \u201994, they had already played high profile gigs at Manhattan clubs such as Cafe Sin-e, CBGB\u2019s Gallery, The Bottom Line and Fez. They attracted a loyal, steadfast following of fans who thrived on the band\u2019s incomparable live performance. In fact, it was at CBGB\u2019s Gallery gig that ONCE BLUE was signed \u2013 in true Cinderella fashion \u2013 by EMI president and CEO Davitt Sigerson who\u2019d wandered in after seeing another band next door. He offered the duo a record deal on the basis of that night\u2019s performance.<\/span><\/span>“<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I love Once Blue so much and they still get a lot of plays in my household.\u00a0 They were such a special band but in those days, we didn’t have smartphones or small video cameras to document performances.\u00a0 That’s why when things begin to unearth over the years, it fuels my fandom that much more and has me running to absorb everything I can find.\u00a0 This time around, former Once Blue lead vocalist\/songwriter Rebecca Martin came across some ’90s footage of them and graciously shared them with the world.\u00a0 Here’s what Rebecca had to say about the footage:<\/p>\n

In a bag of old tapes, I came across a couple of Video 8\u2019s of my old band Once Blue.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Once Blue was popular in New York City back in the 1990\u2019s led by Jesse Harris and I. It featured the musicians Ben Street (Acoustic Bass), Kurt Rosenwinkel (Electric Guitar) and Kenny Wollesen (Drums). \u00a0We were signed to EMI Records in 1994 and would go on to release two albums: \u00a0Once Blue (1995)<\/a> and a re-release of the same album with bonus tracks (2003)<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

At a time before phones and social media, there isn\u2019t any video documentation of this band. \u00a0I\u2019m very glad to have found these and to be able to share them with you.”<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n