In March 2009, her self-released debut album, Take to the Sky, reached the Top 20 on the Billboard magazine jazz chart. Way Down Low was released in 2012, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Her third album, The Big Picture, was released on September 30, 2014.
"You see a show like the one Kat Edmonson put on Tuesday night at Scullers, and you wonder what the heck people are doing at Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry concerts. Really, the world is unjust... Edmonson, a petite singer from Austin, Texas, is at once a throwback and a pioneer. Her intimate vocal style and stage presence recall the heyday of jazz
- she has the expressiveness of Billie Holiday, the elegance of Ella Fitzgerald, and the voice of Blossom Dearie. Yet she doesn't merely retread standards. Sure, she likes her Cole Porter, but she and her pianist/arranger, Kevin Lovejoy, molded and modernized chestnuts like "Just One of Those Things," "Night and Day," and "It's All Right With Me" into entirely fresh tunes with new harmonies, inventive rhythm structures, and sometimes mysterious undertones.
Edmonson has grown quite comfortable inside these songs, taking even more liberties with them than she did on her recent CD, Take to the Sky, which stands among the best records of 2009. Like Holiday, Edmonson likes to sing just behind the beat, which infuses her demure voice with drama and heartbreak.
Kat Edmonson is a great jazz singer.
Avion
Kat Edmonson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gotta take a ride where no one knows my name
Sunday in the park
He had me seein′ sparks
Now it's up in the air
See if I still care when I get back to New York
Avion
I want to ride across the sea and around the sun
That no one else can see
I can′t wait any more
What is all this for if I don't feel free
Avion
I want to ride
Across the sea
And around the sun
Have you seen the sun in so very long?
It's been raining everyday
When you look for me baby I′ll be gone
I′ll be far away
Instrumental
Gotta sail away on a big jet plane
Gotta take a ride to the other side where no one knows my name
Avion
I want to ride
Across the sea
And around the sun
Avion
I want to ride
Across the sea
And around the sun
In Kat Edmonson’s song “Avion,” she expresses her longing for adventure and escape in a dreamy and wistful tone. The lyrics speak of her desire to get away from her current surroundings, to “ride across the sea and around the sun,” in order to find something that only she can see. It is a romanticized view of leaving one’s responsibilities behind to embark on a journey of self-discovery. The use of the word “Avion” is the French word for airplane, which only adds to the romantic and whimsical nature of the song.
The opening lines “Gotta sail away on a big jet plane / Gotta take a ride where no one knows my name” sets the stage for the longing to be anonymous, to travel without any preconceived notions or judgments about who she is. The mention of “Sunday in the park” and “seein’ sparks” makes it clear that there is a love interest involved, but that doesn’t seem to matter as much as the need to break free. She questions what her life is for if she doesn’t feel free, and the repetition of “Avion” reinforces that this is her escape route.
In the chorus, Edmonson asks if the listener has seen the sun in so very long, emphasizing the idea that the journey she’s embarking on will allow her to experience things she hasn’t in a while. She ends the song with the same refrain from the chorus, reassuring the listener that she will be gone and far away on this adventure.
Line by Line Meaning
Gotta sail away on a big jet plane
I need to escape my current situation by leaving on a plane
Gotta take a ride where no one knows my name
I want to go somewhere where I'm not known and can start anew
Sunday in the park
A specific memory of a time spent with someone
He had me seein′ sparks
The memory was special and intense
Now it's up in the air
The future of the relationship isn't certain
See if I still care when I get back to New York
I'll have to reassess my feelings when I return home
Avion
The desire for an escape on a plane
I want to ride across the sea and around the sun
The desire for adventure and experiencing something new
Something else for me
Searching for an experience that is uniquely for herself
That no one else can see
Wanting an experience that is only hers and cannot be shared by others
I can′t wait any more
The desire is too strong to wait any longer
What is all this for if I don't feel free
Questioning the purpose of life if she cannot feel free and follow her desires
Have you seen the sun in so very long?
Reflecting on how long it has been since she has felt truly happy
It's been raining everyday
The current state of her life is miserable and continuing without relief
When you look for me baby I′ll be gone
Leaving without notice to search for something better
I′ll be far away
The destination of the escape is unknown and will be far from her current surroundings
Avion
The repeated desire for an escape on a plane
I want to ride across the sea and around the sun
The repeated desire for adventure and experiencing something new
Avion
The final repeated desire for an escape on a plane
I want to ride across the sea and around the sun
The final repeated desire for adventure and experiencing something new
Writer(s): Alfredo Joaquin Zuniga, Katherine Edmonson
Contributed by Jordyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.