NAOMI ASHLEY
Singer-Songwriter
Intimate, plainspoken and gorgeously sung songs - drawing on American folk, blues and country traditions.
ASK FOR LIGHT
Recorded with Jon Williams for Jenny Bienemann's 'Haiku Milieu' book release show. Inspired by her haiku: You and I are so / much more than we are willing / to let ourselves be.
ABOUT
With her cream-and-Kahlua voice, Chicago's Naomi Ashley is a dazzling performer who brings her songs to startling, vibrant life. When she's singing, she disappears into the song. Her pitch-perfect voice has the ability to convey pitch perfect emotional life. The music she makes is intimate, plainspoken and gorgeously sung – drawing on the American folk, blues and country traditions – which surge with all the contradictory impulses of real, imperfect life.
Naomi's song 'Trying to Fly' appears in the Showtime original series 'Work in Progress.' She is a recipient of grants from the Chicago Artist Assistance Program and Illinois Arts Council for her albums 'Trying to Fly' (2013) and 'Another Year or So' (2006).
Her newest album 'Last Wednesdays Live' was released April 2019 and can be purchased HERE.
As cross-genre collaborator, Naomi has performed & created original works with writer/spoken word performer David Kodeski, poetry slam founder Marc Smith and visual artist Zsofia Otvos. She is in a Bob Dylan tribute band called The Zimmerman, is 1/3 of the trio Rainy Day Women and is lead singer of the Pretenders tribute band, Real Pretenders.
Naomi's band is made up of Chicago music scene veterans: Andon Davis (guitar), Cathie Van Wert (violin), Michael Krayniak (bass) and Paul Bivans (drums).