Jan Carden
Free and Easy
201- 321-7741
“"Music for me has been a lifelong inspiration.”
About the Artist
Growing up, melodic rhythms and poetic lyrics filled our house and my young mind; From Errol Garner and Fats Waller to opera and classical symphonies, I was surrounded by the sound of music.
Billy, my older brother, was a self taught guitarist, drummer, pianist, organist – Bill could play just about anything, and he sang as well. My mother played the piano, and my father had a beautiful tenor voice and sang as a guest singer in churches in many small towns in Pennsylvania during the late 1940’s and 50’s.
I never had formal voice training but listened intently and learned a great deal from my Cousin Rick’s voice teacher. Rick was blind and when I took him for vocal lessons my time waiting just outside the practice studio was not wasted. As a kid I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from my voice, especially when one evening I went to bed a soprano and woke up a baritone. What happened there?
In 1951 I bought my first LP. It was Sarah Vaughan’s Images and that first album cost me a very hard earned $2.98. Sarah would remain one of my most favorite singers throughout my life. Her lush, rich voice and impressive range inspired me to stretch for deeper and higher notes.
My dearest friend, Gene Davis, and I began to listen to a wide range of singers, comparing each other’s albums and listening to both pop and jazz artists and literally inhaling scat patterns and jazz riffs. As I became more comfortable with my voice, I began to develop my own style of scatting and vocal improvisation. Singing was something I did for the joy of it but life and responsibility intervened, and after graduating from art college with a degree in art education, I taught fine art in the Newark, New Jersey public schools, married, and became the father of three beautiful children. Fortunately, my wife Jann loved music as much as I did and was always encouraging about my venturing into performing. She’s my constant audience, truthful critic, “mother” – reminding me to take care of ‘the voice’, and a forever youthful groupie – something every performer’s ego needs from time to time.
As you browse through this site’s pages, you’ll notice that this passion of mine has expanded into related arts which I’ve thrown myself into fearlessly but with a tiny initial terror ((I’ve heard Academy Award winners speak unabashedly of this same terror, so I’m in good company). I’ve done commercials, corporate in house video productions, a film, voice-overs, and had roles in dramatic and musical theatre (even played God once). I look forward to each new “gig” as an opportunity to continue doing what I love. Thanks always to my family and dear friends who show me so much support.