JEN SHANKMAN BIOGRAPHY: Armed with her guitar and a voice that rises from the caverns of her soul, Jen Shankman will keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting more. At a mere 5’1”, when this New Yorker takes the stage, she is anything but small. With the right combination of bare-boned honesty, sass and carefully crafted melodies and stories, Jen’s live performances are a storytelling, fun, light-hearted view into the workings of the soul; an in-depth search into what makes us tick. With penetrating lyrics and melodies that reach the deepest-hidden-truths, Jen is a force to be reckoned with. She has a voice of honest acceptance of the world, her words reaching into the inside of pain ---and looking for something else there. Her joy and pain in facing the daily rhythms of New York City and places beyond come to life in an extensive repertoire of original music. Jen has won fans and left lasting impression at clubs and colleges across the United States. Her most notable performance spaces include Madison Square Garden and The MCI Center. Jen has had the distinct honor of playing guitar for Joan Osborne and has shared the stage with such notable talents as Ani DiFranco, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Patty Griffin, Ellis Paul, and Jonatha Brooke. She was a finalist in the Lilith Fair Talent Search, and a winner in the Musician’s Guide Independent Music Awards. Jen has also appeared on the Oxygen Network three times, including their launch day in 2000, and performed at V-Day 2001 at Madison Square Garden. With her third CD under her belt and a track on the new Wondermore Records compilation of the “best and the brightest,” Jen has once again proven herself as both a gifted writer and a powerhouse performer. One little girl with one big voice. Just listen.