Donna Burke is a singer-songwriter based in Tokyo, Japan.
Please visit her homepage www.donnaburke.com for more information, video, mp3s, photos and bio.
She is about to release her jazz/country/folk album "Blue Nights", mixed and mastered by Seigen Ono.
Press Info
JAPAN TRAVELLER September 2000
By Peter Miles
With Lost and Found, Donna Burke (vocals) and Bill Benfield (guitars and mandolin) have realized a long held dream of recording songs that were special to them. Donna is gifted with a strong voice and an exceptional range, no doubt developed through her years of singing everything from Puccini, Celtic ballads, jazz, pop to soul. Bill's passion lies more with blues and folk music and whether on acoustic or electric guitar, you can be assured to hear some inspired playing. The arrangements on this CD range from covers of Bob Dylan to Gershwin to John Denver, yet this couple brings a fresh outlook to this material. Jim Webb's Wichita Lineman has been adapted to bring out the beautiful melancholic chordal progression of the music, sensitively played by keyboardist Morgan Fisher (formerly of Mott the Hoople) with Donna crafting the vocal line into a haunting ballad. I Love You Honey which brought such success to Patsy Cline is reworked
Influences
Eddie Reader, Eva Cassidy, Mary Black, Patsy Cline,Judy Garland
Bio
Donna Burke, from Perth Australia, escaped to Japan in the mid 1990's to make a new life for herself as a singer songwriter in Tokyo.
It is here that she has found a true musical home playing in jazz clubs, smokey Irish pubs and English bars. Friends like Morgan Fisher (Mott the Hoople) played on Donna's first album Lost and Found and she regularly performs with world renowned bluegrass star Arita Yoshihiro live in Tokyo-yep she likes lots of different genres of music- much like Eva Cassidy who Donna is often compared to.
Donna's own songs range in style from jazz to blues and country. Some are amusing takes on being a domestic goddess in the new millenium (I need a wife and Perfect Man) Where did the time go, a moving ballad was written for her Grandma from who's lips the title comes from. Mr Wrong is about giving up on the search for Mr Right and being happy about it! Don't I look pretty is a new country song touching on the need for a compliment now and then. Am I your future is a simple tune about wondering if you are The One.
Donna recorded an album of her favourite jazz standards live at Mad Hatter Studios in Los Angeles in 2001 and Ron Eschete (guitar) and Paul Humphreys (drums) also appear on her next CD due for release in the summer of 2003 titled Blue Nights on her label Dagmusic.
Donna is in demand for concerts and recordings in Japan where she lives with her husband, English guitarist Bill Benfield and three cats.