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The Peninsula Pulse
She Wrote the Song By Sheila Sabrey-Saperstein
Consider this a personal invitation to the birth of Jeanne Kuhns' first CD. Jeanne is performing her "Riverbed"
CD-release concert at 7:30pm, Saturday August 30 at the Third Avenue Playhouse in Sturgeon Bay. Joining her in this
happy event are her brother Roger Kuhns on guitar and harmonica, "amazing, wonderful" man-in-her-life Rich Brophy
on drums, son Eli Mattson on piano, Julian Hagan on harmonies and Jay Whitney on guitar and bass. Special guests
"HomeBrew" will be the opening act.
Jeanne was one of the best-kept secrets in Door County for several years while she was raising a family and working
as a nurse. She had sung all through high school as part of a folk duet in the Chicago suburbs and sang and ac"ed in
college while performing with brother Roger at folk concerts throughout the Midwest. This new career of hers began
when, "I came up to the White Gull in Fish Creek for a winter concert and saw Annie Hill and I was very much drawn
back into singing from that point on. I borrowed a guitar and started playing again, just for myself, and started working
on my voice." Roger moved back to Door County from Africa where he had been working and performing. "He asked
me if I would like to sing together again. He had a wealth of original material that I loved and it was just like magic
singing with him after all those years. We grew up very close and I think our connection helps our music. Since then we
have played all over the county. We are now starting to branch out and have added drummer Rich Brophy to our
band."
And now, nine years after that Annie Hill concert, Jeanne is introducing her first CD of original music, half are her
compositions and half are Roger's. "This CD experience has been wonderful," Jeanne said. "I've learned tons about
myself and how I want to present myself as a singer/songwriter. I selected seven of my own compositions and seven of
Roger's that especially spoke to me. With Roger's songs, I gave them my own interpretation, I made them mine."
The CD was recorded at Roger's recording studio in Jacksonport. "He is so amazing and I am so thankful for his talent
and his friendship and I am so grateful to all the others who played with me," Jeanne said. "It was quite wonderful to
have my son Eli playing a song I had written for the both of us. It is the first song I ever wrote, so it's very emotional for
me to sing it with him." Jeanne talked about the kind of music she sings. "My roots are in folk music and I love the
everyman quality about it, but I am leaning away from that style now. Roger writes wonderful story-songs and ballads
and really funny songs that we sing. In our group "Allegory" we are doing all original material. I started writing my songs
last year and they are heading more into blues-rock type stuff. My musical heroes are Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Etta
James, Aretha Franklin and Carol King. I really like a good beat and like to move while I sing."
"I take the opportunity in my music to say things that I feel strongly about. I am very grounded in nature, in my view of
the world as an artist and in my role as a single mother," Jeanne said. "I care about this earth we live on, this county we
live in so I write about the experiences I've had: the ups and downs of relationships, cares and concerns about our
world, the difficult times I have gone through with my children and most especially about my becoming a strong woman
who can stand up for myself finally. I so want to offer hope to people who have been through abusive relationships, to
show them that there is strength in themselves they can find. I guess it's the human spirit that so astounds me; the
resilience and ability to move on as a new and improved soul! I also like to bring a bit of laughter into my music. I am
working on that."
"I'm getting a late start after some tough years," said Jeanne, "but I am making up for all that now. I have things to say
and the songs I've written have been because I've learned something." She is her own woman with her own style, a
survivor, an interpreter of life from a unique perspective, an actress, singer, songwriter for the times. She walks in
beauty and in the light. You'll know who she is when you hear her sing, "Riverbed." Hear it at The Third Avenue
Playhouse, Saturday, August 30th at 7:30 pm. Call 920.743.1760 for the $10 tickets.