Dallas born-and-raised musician Sarah Jaffe performs at the Meyerson Symphony Center on Monday for a particularly special collaboration. A Constellation of Sorts encompasses Jaffe’s career, pairing her older and newer works with the grandeur of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
Jaffe’s sound has gone through several evolutions since she released her breakout debut, Suburban Nature, in 2010. She’s taken her dreamy vocals to explore folksy rhythms, gothic tones, and bedroom pop over the past decade. Jaffe will cover as much ground as she can in this show. Given that so many of her songs already have a symphonic vibe, collaborating with the DSO seemed like a natural fit. As a Dallas native, it was something she had always dreamed of.
“It’s really just a big bonus being added to the mix. It’s like an extra zero at the end of a check. DSO players are, obviously, so pro,” says Jaffe. “It’s really just about going through my songs and really thinking about what songs or transitions would make sense for orchestral parts. Some of these songs have strings on them from my records. Some don’t, but now they will!”
A Constellation of Sorts is just that; Jaffe connects the personal and sonic themes of her discography, tracing disparate dots into a cohesive picture. In the last year, she released an EP duo inspired by heartbreak, then turned around to deliver SMUT, a celebration of her singlehood, less than six months later. The deeply personal, intimate nature of her work offers a lot of material to explore.
“It’s interesting to revisit and relearn some of my older material and hear it as if it’s brand new,” says Jaffe. “Thinking about my work from a sentimental standpoint is, sometimes, a necessary part for me to see things as they are.”
This unique performance will blend her years of experience. She’ll play with her full band, and, on some songs, musicians from the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. For Jaffe, the concert will give her a chance to celebrate her home city.
“Dallas has been so very good to me,” she says. “I have such pride when I get to play for my hometown. I want gratitude to translate in all the positive ways that it can. I know my bandmates feel the same. When you get everyone on stage with those intentions, good memories are made. I want this to be a good memory for the folks coming.”
Jaffe will perform with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra on Monday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m. Find tickets here.
