Raised in a Butte Montana, Kari Marguerite was introduced to Jazz and Swing at an early age, by her father who played trombone in various swing big bands. A desire to learn how to play her own instrument, lead to piano lessons at the age of 8. She later dabbled in cello and sang horrible arrangements of 70’s easy listening hits in high school choir.

A desire to see something a bit more of the world, led to college in Colorado, and then her first professional job in Spokane, Washington. "Basically, I was very young, in a field where I worked independently and interacted with so few young people...I was very lonely," says Kari Marguerite. "I remember, one day, coming home from work, and finding a lovely note from an anonymous neighbor. The note basically said how much he/she enjoyed listening to my music as it filtered through the plaster walls and how I should continue playing, how I should share it. It was just what I needed at that moment, because I was feeling so low. I obviously couldn’t drag my huge antique piano around with me, so I thought I’d take up a more portable instrument. I bought a cheap acoustic guitar and took some lessons. I built up the courage to hit some open mic nights and make some friends."

Don’t worry, it all worked out. She made some friends, she joined some bands. She performed in some pretty crappy bars. She had a great time. In 2009, she was playing keys and songwriting for a project that imploded. Vowing to do it better, her own way, Kari Marguerite wrote a bunch of angry “my band broke up” songs. Then she stopped, wrote some good songs, and went to the studio.

With producer Eddie Ramirez at the helm, Kari Marguerite began working on her debut album. Taking her first love of Jazz and combining it with the soulful-pop stylings of artists she had come to admire (Jill Scott, Amy Winehouse, Nikka Costa, Fiona Apple, Norah Jones, Lilly Allen and Sara Barielles) Kari Marguerite began forming a style of music that was uniquely her own. The self titled LP is a 12 song journey through the fantastic and the everyday. "The jubilation of new love, the deep understanding of mature love, cautionary tales, and even my dorky sense of humor, " says Kari Marguerite, "I think these songs speak to the heart, and make you bop your head at the same time."

The album was released on Feb 19 2011. It’s been called “Seductive...sassy and soulful, but always seductive.” (83Music.com) and “passionate songwriting and impressive production” (checkitoutmusic.com). Kari Marguerite and her band, The Seventy-Six can be found performing in and around the local Spokane/CDA area and are planning tours around the northwest United States. You can visit her website karimarguerite.com for music samples, live show schedules and to pre-order your copy of the CD.