Kate Fenner is a Canadian musician, currently based in New York City. The ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' describes her vocal stylings as having a "lusty, alternative, Joni Mitchell-ish sound." She was one of the primary singers and songwriters for the Canadian

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

band

Bourbon Tabernacle Choir The Bourbon Tabernacle Choir were a Canadian alternative rock band that formed in 1985 in Toronto. History The band consisted of vocalist Kate Fenner, vocalist and organist Chris Brown, vocalist and guitarist Andrew Whiteman, guitarist Chris M ...

in the 1980s and 1990s. After its dissolution, Fenner continued performing as a duo with her former Bourbon bandmate

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...

. In 2000, she toured and sang with Canadian rock band

The Tragically Hip The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as the Hip, was a Canadian rock band formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1984, consisting of vocalist Gord Downie, guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker (known as Bobby Baker until 1994), bassis ...

on the "Music @ Work" tour. Fenner released a solo album, ''Horses and Burning Cars'', in 2003, followed by her second solo album, ''Magnet,'' produced by Chris Brown. While a member of the Bourbon Tabernacle Choir, she performed the singing voice of

Marnie McPhail Marnie McPhail-Diamond is an American-born Canadian actress and musician. She began her career starring as Annie Edison in the CBC Television children's series ''The Edison Twins'' (1984–1986)."Movie based on real baby snatching" by Tony Ather ...

's character in the drama film '' The Circle Game''. Fenner's music was also featured on the soundtrack for the '' Mystery on Fifth Avenue'' Apartment project by the New York City architecture firm 212box. ''Salamandre'', co-written by her and Brown, was built around four melodies of inspiration through four centuries of music, including renaissance, classical, Victorian, a Venetian waltz, jazz, ragtime, blues, folk, and funk. ''Salamandre'' was commissioned and curated as part of the "Mystery On Fifth Avenue" by architectural designer Eric Clough. The song was also covered by

Sarah Harmer Sarah Lois Harmer (born November 12, 1970) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and environmental activist. Early life Born and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Harmer gained her first exposure to the musical lifestyle as a teenager, when her older s ...

on her 2005 album '' I'm a Mountain''. In December 2004, through January 2005, Fenner was invited to be the opening act for blues artist

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, sh ...

on a tour through the American South, and at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut and BB King's in New York City, performing a 30-minute set. At this time, Fenner also began to sing in several performance pieces for the visual artist Joan Jonas, among them "The Shape, the Scent, the Feel of Things" (originally commissioned by the Dia Beacon and subsequently performed around the world (Berlin, São Paulo), "Reading Dante", and "They Come to Us Without a Word", which premiered at the Venice Biennale in 2015. In November 2017, she released a third solo album, ''Middle Voice'', followed with some performances. Fenner recorded it with long-time musical collaborator Tony Scherr. Musical contributors to the recording include

Bill Frisell William Richard Frisell (born March 18, 1951) is an American jazz guitarist. He first came to prominence at ECM Records in the 1980s, as both a session player and a leader. He went on to work in a variety of contexts, notably as a participant ...

, Jason Moran,

Norah Jones Norah Jones ( ; born Geethali Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has won several awards for her music and, , has sold more than 53 million records worldwide. '' Billboard'' named her the top jazz artist of ...

, Chris Brown, and Tony Scherr.

Discography

Kate Fenner

* ''Horses and Burning Cars'' (2003) * ''Magnet'' (2007) * ''Middle Voice'' (2017) * ''Dead Reckoning'' (2023)

Chris Brown and Kate Fenner

* ''Other People's Heavens'' (1997) * ''Geronimo'' (1999) * ''Great Lakes Bootleg'' (2000) * ''O Witness'' (2001) * ''Songs'' (2003) * ''Go On'' (2004) * ''Salamandre – Soundtrack for "Mystery on Fifth Avenue" '' (2008)

With Bourbon Tabernacle Choir

* ''A First Taste of Bourbon'' (1985) * ''If Hell Had a Houseband'' (1987) * ''Sister Anthony'' (1990) * ''Superior Cackling Hen'' (1992) * ''Shy Folk'' (1995) * ''Simply the Best 1985–1995'' (2000)

Contributions

* Chris Brown – ''Burden of Belief'' (2003) * Chris Brown and the Citizens Band – ''Oblivion'' (2007) * Pros and Cons Program – ''Postcards from the County'' (2014) *

References

External links

Kate Fenner
s official website
Kate Fenner
s site at bandcamp.com * Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Canadian expatriate musicians in the United States Canadian women rock singers Canadian folk singer-songwriters Singers from Toronto Canadian women singer-songwriters 20th-century Canadian singer-songwriters 20th-century Canadian women singers 21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters 21st-century Canadian women singers {{Canada-singer-songwriter-stub