Late singer-songwriter Bob Corbin’s daughter Jess Corbin releases CD

Instead of following in her father’s footsteps in the country music genre, Jess Corbin wanted to create her own musical path.

“I had always thought, ‘That is what my dad did,’” said Corbin, whose dad Bob co-founded the Corbin/Hanner band. “But I decided to give it a try.”

That attempt turned into her first CD, “Simple” which was released in 2023.

Corbin’s dad, a Ford City native, and her mom Edana Corbin introduced their daughter to music. Her mother gave her the Thompson “Teaching Little Fingers to Play” book when she was 5 years old.

It was at that age that Corbin recalled attending an outdoor concert of the band.

“I love those early memories of seeing them onstage,” Corbin said. “I could not figure out how they could make so much sound. Through the years, all those sounds became magical. There is something beautiful that happens when you play music to other people.”

Courtesy of Dee Dasher

Jess Corbin has taught music for decades.

Corbin started by playing the piano and singing in choirs. She was a piano performance major at Duquesne University and earned a master’s degree in music theory at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind.

Corbin founded the Bella Voce Singers Women’s Choir in Brooklyn, which began as an after-school teen choir when she was teaching at FH LaGuardia High School in New York City.

For nearly three decades she has been teaching — the past almost six years as a lecturer of music and music director for the City University of New York Kingsborough Community College. Prior to that, she was an adjunct for six years.

She commutes from Jim Thorpe, Pa., staying a few days a week.

A fellow songwriter, Eliza Rush, who lives outside of Allentown in Lehigh County, invited Corbin to a writing challenge on Facebook in the summer of 2021, which inspired the CD.

“I’m so grateful for my whole family — in addition to my songwriter-influence dad and my supportive mom, I’m thankful for my three kids who always at least pretend to like my music,” Corbin said. “And my husband and partner-in-everything Chris who has been my support system, my love, my sounding board, my okay now listen to ‘this’ version person.”

Corbin wasn’t able to market the CD because her parents’ health was declining — Bob and Edana Corbin died the same week in September 2023.

“After losing them days apart — although not completely unexpected it still was sudden and shocking — in addition to losing my mother-in-law two weeks prior to that, I really had no energy for doing much other than getting through each day,” she said.

In January she started thinking about music again.

The CD features 10 original songs recorded at Red Rock Recording Studio in Saylorsburg, Pa.

“It is great to see her writing music,” said Dee Dasher, co-writer of the song “2Chris” (both are married to a Chris). “She helped me grow as an artist. People gravitate towards her. She has confidence.”

Corbin makes everyone around her better, said John Rafferty, who co-wrote the song “Clark & Clementine.”

“As soon I heard her sing I was like ‘her sound is so good,’” Rafferty said. “She is a true artist. This is her time to shine.”

Courtesy of Julia Xanthos Liddy

Jess Corbin

Hanner, of Bradford Woods, a friend of Bob Corbin’s since seventh grade, said Jess has always had potential.

“It’s kind of obvious now that there have always been songs in her subconscious waiting to come out,” Hanner said. “And now that she’s opened the door, as long as she keeps sitting down to write they’ll keep coming.”

Corbin is a strong storyteller, said her brother Cole Corbin, who lives outside New York City.

“The path she took is different from the one our father took,” he said. “Her lyrics are more personal. Clearly, she got the talent bug handed down, but she did this on her own.”

When he hears Corbin’s voice, he thinks of Carol King and Joni Mitchell, said drummer Chris Cummings.

“We all come to this at a different point in our life,” Cummings said. “She is brilliant and one of the best human beings I have ever met. We are kindred spirits of sorts. I respect her immensely.”

Corbin recalled after the 2020 pandemic she went to a friend’s performance and was handed a microphone.

“I was crying because we had live music again,” Corbin said. “It had been so long. Music brings everyone together for the experience. Sometimes the whole is better than the sum of its parts. This process has been exciting, nerve-wracking, educational, confidence-building, and above all, really fun. You are listening and contributing at the same time. That’s what my dad did.”

Now it is Jess Corbin’s turn on the stage. She shared her music with her dad and he suggested a few changes.

“I gently but firmly told him I appreciated his help,” she said. “But I wanted to do it my way.”

And she has.

“Simple” can be streamed on all platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and Amazon.