Here’s a nice look at Sarah Jarosz and a few of the songs from her debut CD, Song Up In Her Head.

It was shot last month during her Texas CD release party at Blue Rock Studios on June 11. Alex Hargreaves is on fiddle and Sam Grisman on bass. Sarah shares a bit about the project, and performs a few songs.

Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Jarosz, whose debut CD Song Up In Her Head is just out on Sugar Hill, performed live on KXAN television in Austin, TX about two weeks ago.

Her solo version of the title track shows the degree of poise and professionalism that has brought this talented young woman to such prominence just as she graduates from high school.

Have a look…

Sugar Hill Records is very excited about their next major release, Song Up In Her Head, from 17 year old Texan Sarah Jarosz.

Produced by Gary Paczosa, who also brought Sarah to Sugar Hill, the sound is airy and ethereal, combining elements of old time and modern acoustic string band music with the surprisingly mature and very appealing voice of this new artist. 11 of the 13 tracks are her originals, 2 of those instrumentals featuring Jarosz on mandolin and clawhammer banjo.

Not many high school seniors celebrate their graduation with a much-heralded album on a major independent label, but then, not many are such confident singers, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists. Fewer still managed to capture the attention of top artists in a highly-competitive corner of the music business before most high schoolers had learned to drive.

Sarah’s songs are carefully crafted and light in subject matter, while still offering compelling lyrical content. The sound is very easy on the ear, owing as much to contemporary folk music as to the mountain sound of traditional fiddle music.

Think equal parts Joni Mitchell, Tim O’Brien, and Gillian Welch.

Sugar Hill has agreed to let us preview a few tracks from the new CD in advance of its June 12 street date. All three trackswere written by Jarosz.

The arrangements throughout are note perfect – sparse for the most part, using a variety of stringed instruments and subtle percussion. Backing musicians include Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Jerry Douglas on slide guitar, Chris Thile on mandolin and Chris Eldridge on guitar. Harmony vocals are provided by Tim O’Brien, Aoife O’Donovan, Sarah Siskind and Darrell Scott.

Promos for Song Up In Her Head will soon ship to radio, and you can expect this album to get a good bit of airplay on Americana and folk shows leading up to the 6/12 release date.

Austin360.com has a nice story up about Sarah Jarosz and her forthcoming recording, Song Up In Her Head. Co-produced with Gary Paczosa, the project is set to be released June 16 on Sugar Hill Records.

If you’re unfamiliar with Jarosz, be sure to read the story we published in June of 2008, Sarah Jarosz signs with Sugar Hill.

The Austin360 story concludes with this,

The long journey just begun gets really interesting in the next few weeks as Sarah Jarosz graduates from high school, turns 18 and releases her first album.

And in September she’ll be moving to Boston to attend one of two prestigous music schools who have both accepted her, Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory. Jarosz says she hasn’t made her mind up yet, and with choices like that I can see that it might be difficult.

Jarosz plays several instruments, but considers the mandolin to be her primary instrument. If you haven’t heard her yet, it might be worth your time to give her a listen.