KEY WEST, FL — Jennifer Batten has never done anything the usual way, which explains why the guitarist/composer is supporting her latest CD, Whatever, with a one of a kind, one-woman multimedia tour.
Each show features the instrumentalist playing guitar in sync with self-made films that are projected onto a giant screen as she describes her unusual approach to life, art and music making.
Asked about the tour, Batten described it as “a different kind of experience. A one-woman show, but there’s a lot to see for the ADD generation.” “I bought a motor home last year and toured 15,000 miles around America,” she continued. “I’ll be touring through May and June with part of it on the East Coast where I’ll be joining up with Vicki Genfan (Guitar Player’s 2008 Guitar Player of the Year) for something we’re calling ‘Guitars Gone Wild.’ She’s a badass acoustic tapper/singer-songwriter and it should be pretty different.”
“Different” effectively describes Batten’s career arc, from teaching at L.A.’s Musician’s Institute to word of mouth buzz in guitar circles about her electric rethink of John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” on a guitar magazine CD compilation.
Batten played with Michael Jackson’s band on the Bad, Dangerous and HIStory world tours, and with Jeff Beck and other leading artists live and in the studio.
After two solo albums––Above, Below and Beyond and the eclectic Jennifer Batten’s Tribal Rage—Momentum, in 2008 she released Whatever, which ventures into electronica, vocal samples and film.
For the current multimedia tour, Batten’s setup includes two Bose L1 towers which serve as her monitor and PA system with a large screen hanging between them. Her guitar goes into two Celestion 1×12” cabinets miked with CAD Trion 7000 ribbon mics.
Why the Trion? “It reproduces exactly what I want,” she said. “I got really frustrated when I started recording myself and couldn’t find the right microphone for my guitar cabinets. The Trion 7000 represents the ultimate step up in terms of quality. I really like the way it sounds for my guitar.”
Batten added that her one-woman show grew out of practical concerns: “I was trying to figure out how I could support Whatever without going broke because the thought of flying band members around the world, hotel costs and per diem made me nauseous. Last year’s tour was the first solo thing I’ve ever done, and it actually makes sense given the concept behind the album and how personal it is.”
For more information, please visit www.cadmics.com.
