Jackie Shane, an American-Canadian soul musician who's transgender, has remained largely unknown outside of Toronto, where she had a brief, successful career in the '60s.
Now, the singer's music is being revived through a new artist-approved compilation of her work, called Any Other Way, due out October 20 via Numero Group. The collection will feature all six of Shane's 45s and every highlight from her 1967 live sessions at the Sapphire Tavern, including three previously-unreleased tracks.
Shane openly lived her life as a woman in a decade when civil rights were severly slashed for Black LGBTQ Canadians. Despite the dangerously fierce social and legal ramnifications, she never hid her identity or sexuality, but instead projected femininity onstage and off. Her performances weren't viewed by fans to indulge in exotica, but rather to genuinely enjoy the music--a truth that still rings true today.
While she hasn't performed since her last appearance in Toronto in 1971, Shane's Any Other Way collection arrives at a perfect time--her first communication with the public in nearly half a century. With more public trans figures than ever and a U.S. President who's vocally attacked the LGBTQ community, her music, though nostalgic, will sound significantly relevant upon its reissue this fall.
Listen to the project's title track, "Any Other Way," originally released in 1962, below.
