"Jamie Brace really rocked the house at the Madison Blues Society 2009 Wild Women event… Jamie's powerful voice breathed life into blues standards and familiar favorites alike. Thanks, Jamie, for demonstrating what Wild Women are made of!" - Tim Davis, Madison Blues Society Secretary
Jamie Brace, a Native American from the Lac Courte Oreilles band of the Ojibwe Tribe was born in Milwaukee and currently resides in Grafton, WI. She is the proud recipient of the Shepherd Express 2007 Best Female Vocalist Award and was honored to have been nominated for the 2010 WAMI Best Female Vocalist.
Jamie is a professional vocalist, songwriter and inspirational speaker.
Currently Jamie is the lead vocalist for October Soul and Gypsies In The Palace (an acoustic trio).
Jamie speaks at Universities and Colleges telling her life story. She talks about alcoholism, her heritage, domestic violence, overcoming abuse and healing through music. She also has started teaching at grade schools with her program 'Kindred Spirits Songwriting Workshop' who she teaches with Greg Kellicut (drummer of Loose Change).
October Soul is an award winning Milwaukee-based rock band with an all-star line-up of musicians with Joe Barborich on lead guitar, Scott Walters on bass and Steve Campeau on drums and percussion. Most recently October Soul won Debut Group of the Year for the 2011 NAMMY awards (Native American Music Awards) in New York! They also won the 2011 People's Choice Award at the Grafton Blues Challenge and were Grafton Blues Challenge Finalists 2 years in a row!
Jamie is the former lead vocalist for the Milwaukee-based blues band Hounds Tooth and has seen them through some pretty amazing acknowledgements; among them: 2009 and 2010 WAMI nominee for Best Blues Band, 2008 WAMI winner, 2009 IBC nominee for Best Self-Produced CD and the Shepherd Express' runner-up for Best Blues Band in 2008 and runner-up in 2009.
For a brief period in 2010, Jamie also fronted Red Sage which consisted of most of the lineup from October Soul (at that time). Red Sage was an experimental country band. The setlist was eventually combined with October Soul's setlist to focus on October Soul only.
Recently Jamie Brace (October Soul) and Greg Kellicut (Loose Change) formed an acoustic trio called 'Gypsies In The Palace' with Rock N Roll guitarist Ann Rakowiecki (The Dots). This acoustic trio will play out a few very select shows throughout the year!
Jamie has studied voice at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music on Milwaukee’s eastside, and also studied vocal techniques with Milwaukee vocal coach Diane Lane and Chicago vocal coach Tamara Anderson. Still there are some things that can’t be taught. Jamie’s natural talent and stage presence proves that music is within us, deep in our soul. Her voice has been compared to Susan Tedeschi and Janis Joplin, but certainly she has a style true to her own. Jamie brings power, passion and feeling to every note she sings. Jamie’s roots are rock, country and blues.
Jamie is a Chick Singer Night alumnus, Women in Music alumnus, Grafton Blues Association member and WAMI member. Over the past 4 years she has had numerous opportunities such as singing the National Anthem for the Brewers (2008), performing for the Best of Chick Singer night (2008,2009,2010 & 2011), selected for the Wild Women of The Blues in Madison, WI (2009), judged for the Indian Summer Music Awards (2009, 2010 & 2011), presented at the Indian Summer Music Awards (2009 & 2010) and judged for Indian Summer Festival Idol-oake contest (2009).
Having had the awesome experience to share the same stage as the likes of Miranda Lambert, Indigenous, Eagle & Hawk, Brule, Wade Fernandez, Reverend Raven and Alex Wilson, Jamie has had the exciting opportunity to open for Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Shannon Curfman and Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames.
