Bennie Jaye

Bennie Jaye is a musician based in Rochester, NY. She sings original songs set to poems written by her late partner, Martha A. Kelch (1963-2020).

Martha left behind over 500 poems, written between 1998 and 2005, that explore sex, religion, death, lost love, and mental illness, always with a distinct voice and often with humor. After her passing in 2020, Bennie took on the mission of transforming the poems into songs.

Bennie accompanies herself on ukulele and pandeiro (Brazilian tambourine), bringing melody, emotion, and her own interpretations to Martha’s work.