Thursday, January 03, 2008

Erin Bode says legal woes are "officially over"

Singer Erin Bode, who in August 2007 solicited donations from fans for what first was called a "legal defense fund" (later changed to "legal support fund"), sent a message to fans today along with her January gig schedule, stating that her legal troubles are "officially over." From the email:
"I am very happy to announce that our legal troubles are officially over and I would like to take this opportunity to thank each one of you who donated to our legal support fund. Your help made it possible for The Erin Bode Group to continue with our music and our career as a band. We are so grateful for the help of people like you.

While I cannot tell you all the details of the issues that we had, I can say that the matter has been resolved, and while the terms of that resolution are confidential, I am allowed to state: "The parties have agreed to terminate any remaining contractual arrangement between them."
While Bode has never revealed either the specific nature of her legal dispute or the other still-unnamed party, StLJN's sources suggested last fall that she was attempting to break her deal with St. Louis-based MAXJAZZ, which, according to those same sources, called for four additional CDs beyond the two she had already done for the label. If that's the case, a parting of ways ultimately may be best for both singer and label, as MAXJAZZ's emphasis on straight-ahead jazz recordings would seem to be at odds with Bode's career evolution from a singer of standards (on her first CD) to her current persona as a singer-songwriter who incorporates jazz among many musical influences.

While all the details of this story may never become public, at least there's finally some resolution, which theoretically should allow Bode to get on with her next recording. Her most recent CD for MAXJAZZ came out two years ago, and though she did issue the "Themba Girls" benefit CD in the interim (without involvement from MAXJAZZ) and returned to South Africa in September to record an as-yet-unreleased follow-up, a new recording spotlighting Bode's songs, voice and band would seem to be a logical, if somewhat overdue, next move.

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