New York Singer/Songwriter Jill Stevenson

If you're not a native of New York or Colorado, you may not have heard her name before. Even those walking the streets of Manhattan may not yet have heard a note she's sung or played. Notwithstanding, after you give one of Jill Stevenson's songs a first listen, it's a surefire bet you'll be craving more; and you certainly wouldn't be alone.

A handful of students from Long Island's Adelphi University first experienced Stevenson's raw talent and vocal fire at The Red Lion on Bleecker St., NYC. Many listeners that night were newcomers to this songstress; this particular group sat in the back, patiently awaiting the technical red tape that preceded her performance. At last, as she ascended the stage with her guitar, the barflies' gaze became fixed on her pursed lips and agile hands. Without a word of introduction, she began playing.

Her opener was "Times Like These," a gem which has become a staple of her performances in Manhattan and elsewhere.

You're nameless
And I can see
We're careless
And we are free

As she crooned the lyrics, her face expressed truth from a well of emotion not visible to the audience. She wore what has become, at least in spectators' eyes, her signature wardrobe: tattered but stylish blue jeans, dark casual heels with the "Kenneth Cole" look, and a form-fitting auburn tank top. Beside her sat her partner-in-crime, Ryan Vaughn, a trained percussionist with a rhythmic mastery that would keep John Bonham at attention. Lacking the signature drum kit that most concertgoers would expect, Vaughn usually kept time with a tambourine, shaker, or bongos, which fit accordingly with Stevenson's laidback style.

Many of those who witnessed this performance became regulars on these Tuesday nights. As many as thirty sets of ears listened to Stevenson breathe fervor into such creations as the sexually vivid "Keeping Secrets," in which she intones, "Tonight, I hope I'm an animal/Tonight, I hope we kiss," or the vibrant overseas lovers' tale "Mr. Perfect," wherein she offers, "Baby, I got a proposition/If you let me/Promise to be your lost and found." During a formal interview, which came many months later, she gave one unseasoned journalist the distinct pleasure of having a buzz session face-to-face.

Stevenson's musical growth has been apparent over the course of three albums; her debut, Underway, was merely a suggestion of the vocal skill and lyrical palette that she possessed. Her follow-up, 1308 Ditmas, provided a satisfying main course to the appetizer of her debut. Ditmas introduced many listeners to such core tunes as the above-mentioned "Times Like These," "Ghosts," which in particular contains evocative imagery, and "Let Me Know," a piano-backed signature song that asks questions of a relationship. Not long after, she continued to satiate listeners with the live album L, a smattering of performances from her many New York shows.

For a clearer concept of her sound, Stevenson lists a few of her myriad influences: contemporaries the Indigo Girls, Ben Folds, Ani DiFranco, and John Mayer, as well as the gone-too-soon Bradley Nowell of Sublime. One can hear an Indigo inspiration in "Ghosts," wherein Stevenson lays her emotions on the table: "Naked body/naked soul, fully present/I'll make me invisible, to be reclusive." Furthermore, if you're enamored with Ben Folds Five's "Brick" ("She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly...") or John Mayer's "My Stupid Mouth" ("How could I forget/Mama said, think before speakin'"), then many of the deep personal tales that Stevenson weaves, such as the gently rolling "Where We're Not," may pluck your inner strings as well. It's also worth mentioning that if you've only heard Jill Stevenson through a recording, you will have missed out on her rapier-sharp rants against Oprah's overdramatized afternoon specials, or the rhythmic simplicity of Meg White's backup drumming.

Unfortunately, like her predecessors, the confines of a CD or MP3 aren't enough to contain her full potential. So, for those who haven't yet had the opportunity to see her onstage, take that trek over to Greenwich Village and catch Stevenson at The Bitter End, The Red Lion, The Slipper Room, and other hotspots. If you aren't a native New Yorker, but would like the chance to savor some of her songs, you can sample MP3s at her website, http://www.jillstevenson.com; purchase an album on http://www.cdbaby.com; or download any of her work on iTunes.

If this all sounds promising, expect a new album sometime this summer...Jill Stevenson never said she'd keep secrets from you.