REVIEWS | ARTICLES

It may wind up being a bigger hit than the Rockies ' play in the World Series.Musicians Jenn Cleary of Boulder and Mark "Mad Dog" Friedman of Lafayette wrote a song for the team's appearance in the Fall Classic. You could buy the compact disc for $5 outside Coors Field tonight, or online at WeDontSuck.com — a Web address Friedman said they chose because for so long, people said the Rockies were horrible. The song, aptly titled "2007 Rockies Song," was meant to be fun and funny, they said. With Cleary on guitar and Friedman on the harmonica, it includes lyrics about several players and manager Clint Hurdle, who is a big music fan. Among them "Clint, you are a bubble gum man, Keepin' cool with an intuitive game plan."For shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, they sing "obvious Rookie of the Year, you know how to persevere."And for Kazuo Matsui, who is trailed almost constantly by Japanese media: "He's got the stamina to be followed around by a camera."Cleary and Friedman said they are big Rockies fans, even if Cleary was born and raised in Boston . They like the fact that most of the players came through the Rockies ' farm system, not acquired for huge, multimillion-dollar contracts."This team is a real baseball team," Friedman said. "Not a bought baseball team."

-Sara Burnett
The Rocky Mountain News

Jenn Cleary
Breakin’ Loose
This debut may not be original but it showcases a rare talent that puts Jenn Cleary at the top of her game. There seems to be too many artists like Jenn Cleary. It's not an insult to suggest that BREAKIN' LOOSE will not secure Jenn Cleary's fame and fortune, it is far too down to earth and honest for that, but for those who like their music laced with reality then it's a pure joy. On the evidence of BREAKIN” LOOSE, Cleary is the epitome of a “working” musician.
Peace In Our World smolders along, the heat generated by a combination of Cleary's smoking vocals and the stunning keyboards of Ricardo Pena. BREAKIN' LOOSE offers a nice contrast between ballads like Life Starts Over Again and the rockers championed by I Ain't Got Time and Little Yellow Sports Car , but whichever it is, Jenn Cleary pours her heart and soul into the music and what more can you ask.
BREAKIN LOOSE' may not be radically different or particularly innovative but it puts Jenn Cleary amongst the top of the crop of female American singers.

Robert Mills
www.maverick-country.com
United Kingdom

Jenn Cleary
Breakin’ Loose
"The title of this album says everything - Jenn Cleary creates a fantastic opportunity in Breakin’ Loose to show off her eclectic musical abilities and wide range of style. Cleary’s guitar takes us from flamenco to rock-ballad electric, from earthy folk to a bit of country twang. But her voice, featuring a quality that harkens back to Carol King and Holly Near, is home base through the 11 songs and one reprise. Breakin’ Loose tackles a range of themes including the dogma of institutionalized religion, dealing with unstoppably forward-moving time, out-and-out girl fun, and of course love, that musical staple. With each song able to stand on its own, Cleary has created what sounds more like a best-hits album from a long-time performer, rather than a first CD. However polished this album is, Cleary never loses her grassroots feel, and the album sounds like something you could pick up on a table at a small-time music festival boasting big-name talents."
Jaymi Heimbuch
www.girlistic.com
www.myspace.com/girlistic

Mysterious ailment leads to musical rebirth
By Greg Glasgow, Camera Music Writer
August 4, 2006
It took a health crisis to get Boulder singer-songwriter Jenn Cleary serious about her music.
Cleary heads the local nonprofit All Together Now International, which helps people around the world who have severe medical conditions. In the midst of helping others, Cleary began losing her vision a few years ago. Doctors still have no explanation, and though her condition stabilized and she is not completely blind, the experience still has been one of the most harrowing of Cleary's life. Click here to read the full story

Foot-tappin' fun combined with thought-provoking lyrics. Singer-songwriter Jenn Cleary's debut album is a lot of fun to listen to. She covers the spectrum of musical styles from rock to blues to a bit of country with a big dash of heartful singing in the mix. The theme of much of her original lyrics is transforming one's life through soulful expression. There's a nice balance of danceable songs and mood tunes. Check it out!
-Connie Shaw, Sentient Publications
www.SentientPublications.com

"Jenny Cleary lets go on Breakin’ Loose
Jenn Cleary wrote her first song after going through a figurative and literal dark period of nearly losing her eyesight. The result Breaking Loose is a musical instruction on letting go. On her debut album Cleary embarks on her own version of female indie rock, leaping from playful tones to social critique and inquisition."
—Monica Banks, The Marque
www.marqueemag.com/reviews.html#6