Most singers and songwriters work their lives for that sweet taste of the music business. But for recording artist Keri Noble, the opposite was true.
Signed by the same team that signed jazz crooner Norah Jones and releasing her debut CD, "Fearless," in 2004 on Manhattan Records -- a subsidiary of EMI -- Noble learned quickly the bitterness of the industry.
"It was impossible to break the stereotype of being another girl who played the piano and sang," Noble said in a phone interview. "And, with a major label, it was hard to get and keep record executives' attention. I felt very tentative, which was ironic because the title of the CD was 'Fearless.' I think I always knew it wasn't the right fit for me."
Noble left the label after one CD and departed from music for four years.
Today, she is revitalized and newly signed with the smaller independent label Telarc and has released a second self-titled CD.
"It's been a big evolution," Noble said. "It feels like my debut. After I left my old label, it didn't
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Event: Keri Noble Time: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Date: Friday, Nov. 13 Place: Silver Dollar Cantina, Dubuque Cost: $4 have a listen Check out Noble's music on the Web at www.THonline.com. Also, hear more of Noble's music on Kelly Clarkson's latest CD, "All I Ever Wanted."
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"There is an underlying theme of empowerment. When I was recording it, I really didn't know who I was recording it for. I didn't have a record label, so it was just for me."
Noble will showcase her music in a solo performance Friday, Nov. 13, at the Silver Dollar Cantina, in Dubuque.
Touring on and off for six years, Noble said she has gone through different incarnations, performing solo or with a trio.
Noble's music and live show pack more punch than your average solo act.
"I think what people will hear will be very much like the record," Noble said. "People seem to be surprised. There is more energy than what they might expect from a solo show. I used to tour and open for a lot of guy groups, and when you are playing for that kind of audience, you have to step it up pretty quickly. They really aren't there to hear a girl sing quiet love songs."
Growing up in a quiet Detroit household, Noble found her voice and other outlets to express herself through church music and later through hip-hop and R&B. But it was Joni Mitchell's album "Blue" that struck a chord in her.
"My dad was a pastor, so we weren't really allowed to listen to secular music," Noble said. "But that Joni Mitchell album I really felt. It's strange how much one thing can change the course of your entire life. All of the elements just came together. It awakened something I didn't know was there."
Noble doesn't compare herself or her musical style to Mitchell, but credits her fellow singer and songwriter with helping her learn to express herself.
"It's an incredible thing to be able to put your emotions into songs and give them to other people who might be feeling the same way," Noble said.
