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Meschiya Lake And The Little Big

Biography

Meschiya Lake is a New Orleans-based jazz and traditional music vocalist who leads the acclaimed band Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns. Born in Grants Pass, Oregon, and raised in South Dakota, Lake's musical journey began at the remarkably young age of nine when she won an adults-only singing contest at a South Dakota steakhouse, earning $500 and a regular gig that paid $25 per song at the South Dakota Opry. Her unconventional path to jazz stardom took a dramatic turn in 2000 when she arrived in New Orleans as a glass eater with the Know Nothing Family Zirkus Zideshow and End of the World Circus, a traveling sideshow where she performed thrilling acts including glass and insect eating and fire dancing with flame-doused nunchucks.

Immediately captivated by New Orleans' unique culture and musical heritage, Lake made the Crescent City her permanent home and immersed herself in its rich jazz traditions. In 2007, she joined the traditional jazz outfit The Loose Marbles on Royal Street, beginning what she calls her "jazz boot camp" and completely dedicating herself to mastering the genre. Unsatisfied with being a sideman, she formed her own group, The Little Big Horns, in 2009. The band's debut album Lucky Devil was released and honored by NPR's All Things Considered as one of David Kunian's favorite albums of 2010, followed by Fooler's Gold in 2013 and Bad Kids Club. Lake also formed the country-influenced duo Magnolia Beacon with singer Erika Lewis in 2007, exploring darker, melodic compositions that showcased her versatility beyond jazz.

Lake's powerful pre-microphone singing style has been described by The New Yorker's Dan Baum as opening "her throat like an air raid siren to croon in a thrilling pre-microphone style that can make you feel by turns as though you were shivering around a campfire in a railroad yard or drinking in a Budapest nightclub in 1938." Her career has taken her to prestigious venues including Lincoln Center and major international festivals across the United States, Brazil, Denmark, the Netherlands, Russia, and the United Kingdom. She was crowned First Lady of Jazz at the 2013 Sun Valley Jazz Festival and won Female Performer of the Year three years running at the Big Easy Awards. In New Orleans, she was named Best Female Singer in Offbeat Magazine's Best of the Beat poll in 2013 and 2014, while the Little Big Horns received the coveted Best Trad Band award in 2013. Lake has also collaborated with notable musicians including Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Tom Waits, and she lectures on jazz and blues history while continuing to perform regularly in New Orleans.

Fun Facts

  • Lake's first performance job at age nine paid her $500 and a weekly singing gig at a steakhouse after winning an adults-only contest, with subsequent performances earning $25 per song at the South Dakota Opry.
  • Before becoming a jazz singer, Lake worked as a glass eater and fire dancer with flame-doused nunchucks for the Know Nothing Family Zirkus Zideshow and End of the World Circus, performing thrilling sideshow acts including insect eating.
  • The cover art for her debut album Lucky Devil features Lake styled like an E.J. Bellocq photograph of a Storyville prostitute with striped stockings, paying homage to New Orleans' historic red-light district.
  • Lake considers Berlin, Germany to be like 'a second home' and frequently performed there, developing skills as her own manager and booking agent while commuting between New Orleans and Europe.
  • Lake views music as mental health therapy, stating 'For me, music has been mental health during very hard times. It's kept me going when I thought I couldn't, because I've heard someone singing about the very same thing.'

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

  • The Loose Marbles - Traditional jazz outfit that provided Lake's 'jazz boot camp' education in traditional jazz performance (Performances on Royal Street in the French Quarter) [2007-2008]

Key Collaborators

  • The Little Big Horns - Lake's primary band that she formed and leads, performing traditional jazz with a contemporary sensibility (Lucky Devil (2010), Fooler's Gold (2013), Bad Kids Club) [2009-present]
  • Erika Lewis - Co-founder of country-influenced duo The Magnolia Beacon, creating original dark melodic compositions with vocal harmonies (Original compositions featured in German film 'Peirogi') [2007-ongoing]
  • Alec Ounsworth - Collaborated as vocalist in studio work with the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah member (Studio recordings) [Not specified]
  • Tom Waits - Worked as vocalist with the legendary musician (Vocal work) [Not specified]
  • Tom McDermott - Recorded live album material together (Live recording at Chickie Wah Wah) [March 2012]
  • Chance Bushman and Amy Johnson - Jazz dancers who performed with Lake and The Loose Marbles, creating a revival of traditional jazz and dance (Street and club performances, touring United States and Europe) [2007]

Connection Network

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Collaborators
Influenced
Mentors
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Discography

Albums

Title Release Date Type
Foolers' Gold 2013-05-31 Album
Lucky Devil 2010-05-01 Album
Lucky Devil 2012-07-03 Album
Bad Kids Club 2015-12-02 Album
Bad Kids Club 2016-02-12 Album
Foolers' Gold 2013-06-04 Album

Top Tracks

  1. Do Right (Foolers' Gold)
  2. It's the Rhythm in Me (Foolers' Gold)
  3. Comes Love (Lucky Devil)
  4. Comes Love (Lucky Devil)
  5. I Believe in Music (Foolers' Gold)
  6. Catch Em Young (Foolers' Gold)
  7. Don't Start With Me (Foolers' Gold)
  8. I'll Wait for You (Foolers' Gold)
  9. I Ain't Got Nuthin' but the Blues (Lucky Devil)
  10. Lucky Devil (Lucky Devil)

References

  1. paard.nl
  2. heydaymediagroup.com
  3. myneworleans.com
  4. syncopatedtimes.com
  5. last.fm

Heard on WWOZ

Meschiya Lake And The Little Big has been played 7 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.

DateTimeTitleShowSpotify
Nov 27, 202514:19That Chick`s Too Young To Fryfrom Bad Kids ClubBluesw/ DJ Giant
Nov 7, 202511:22Flim Flam Manfrom Bad Kids ClubNew Orleans Music Showw/ Black Mold or Bill DeTurk
Oct 30, 202522:18satan, your kingdom must come downKitchen Sinkw/ Jennifer Brady
Oct 13, 202506:21Flim Flam Manfrom Bad Kids ClubThe Morning Setw/ Stuart Hall
Oct 6, 202513:24`lectric Chair Bluesfrom Bad Kids ClubNew Orleans Music Showw/ Murf Reeves
Sep 29, 202513:44Brand New Funkfrom Bad Kids ClubNew Orleans Music Showw/ Murf Reeves
Sep 16, 202509:25I`ll Be A Friend With Pleasurefrom Bad Kids ClubTraditional Jazzw/ Leslie Cooper