It is an amazing experience to see Krystle Warren perform live for the first time. First, it is utterly unbelievable. She shuffles onto the stage with a low-key hello and then proceeds to sing with an effortless power believing her small frame. She can fill a packed club with her voice without ever using a microphone. Her vocals are as mesmerizing as Wonder or Hathaway’s. But she puts all that talent to work for music that isn’t there – country and folk, songs that have been influenced by everyone, from Nick Drake to Joni Mitchel to Willie Nelson. But when you’ve gotten past the incongruities, you quickly begin enjoying her for what she is – a wholly original singer-songwriter-poet in an age of few. Krystle has a sweet voice and sophisticated lyrics. But that’s not the case. Kansas City native, Krystle was raised in Kansas City. Music was a casual part of her life, from the eight-track tapes her grandmom made, to the lullabies she sang around the house, and a short but bitter stint in the church choir. Although she can recall singing at the age four, it was not until she watched an ABC special on The Beatles that she became truly passionate about music and learning how to perform it. Krystle was able to learn her first chords from Rubber Soul and Revolver. Her musical horizons soon expanded to include classic Brit Pop (The Kinks and The Who), grunge (Smashing pumpkins and Soundgarden), and jazz (in particular Betty Carter and Nina Simone, Kurt Elling, and even Mel Torme). It was not surprising that Krystle developed her own sound from these varied influences. Krystle, then 17, took her songwriting skills into KC’s counterculture. She made friends with a variety of avant-garde artists from street poets to singers and painters, who helped her move forward with her music. Krystle recalled that she knew many amazing people in Kansas City, including a number of musicians and composers who were passionate about something new. Although I started my career in the singer/songwriter world, I was only twenty when I started performing in jazz venues. Those people were a great help in my education. Krystle didn’t see any limitations to what she could do musically in the Midwest. However, she felt a growing sense of wanderlust. I could have been anywhere, Austin or San Francisco, it didn’t matter to me. I wanted to see something new and NYC was that. It was hard to leave KC, as I had never lived elsewhere. It was thrilling to see NYC my first night, but I felt like I was going crazy after falling on many couches in the West Village. Krystle soon found a group of jazz musicians with whom she would share the stage. Krystle’s live performances have received praise from critics and fans alike. She’s toured the US alongside artists such as Zap Mama and Martha Wainwright.
