Joelle Lurie’s Take Me There Arriving September 30th

Recently Featured At Lincoln Center, Vocalist Joelle Lurie
Pops Up Jazz and Jazzes Up Pop on
Her Debut Album Take Me There (September 30)

A favorite secret inside the New York City music scene, Joelle Lurie’s bright voice and effervescent performance style has made her a first pick for high-profile events including the recent James Beard Awards at Lincoln Center. Originally from Boston, the New Yorker studied jazz and opera and brings that training to her distinctive “jazzed up pop/popped up jazz” modern style on Take Me There (September 30), her debut self-release of standards, originals and pop covers.

Produced and arranged by longtime bassist and bandmate, Ben Gallina (Amy Lynn and the Gunshow, Anthony D’Amato, Honey Honey), Take Me There showcases Joelle’s tight band of six years, The Pinehurst Trio. The trio is named for the quaint street in Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood – often featured on the legendary NBC TV show “Law & Order” – where they all lived until Joelle made the move to Brooklyn. All millennial kids, the trio is influenced by many musical styles including pop, Motown, folk and jazz and have performed around the world.

Recorded at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, the CD engages from the opening track, the jazz standard “All or Nothing At All” done with a hip hop feel. Joelle calls on her contemporary pop influences with the Tears for Fears song that follows, “Head Over Heels.” She welcomes special guest vocalist and pianist Matt Kanelos on the next two moving songs, “Should We” and the title track. Kanelos has been featured on the ABC TV show “Private Practice”, on Nickelodeon’s “Degrassi” and on NPR’s Song of the Day. Joelle returns on a sauntering version of Ric Ocasek’s “Just What I Needed.” She, Gallina and Anna Marquardt wrote the next track, “What We Have Is Better,” featuring a funky throwback soul sound. The haunting 17th century secular folk song “Hares On The Mountain” is given a jazz waltz treatment. Acknowledging her musical theater roots, Joelle includes the Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim song, “Somewhere,” which is followed by the standard “Almost Like Being in Love,” which marries an uptempo swing with the groove from “Can’t Hurry Love.” Next is “Three States Away,” a Burt Bacharach inspired original with lyrics from a poem by Craig Crist-Evans entitled “What The Heart Thinks.” “The Man I Love” by the Gershwins is reimagined as an upbeat homage to Stevie Wonder. The closing song, the classic “Detour Ahead,” is approached with a lush, orchestral studio sound.

The Pinehurst Trio is Nick Consol on piano, fender rhodes and Wurlitzer; Ben Gallina on upright bass, electric bass and acoustic guitar on track 10; and Conor Meehan on drums, pandeiro, tambourine and shaker. Also featured on the recording are: Andrew Smiley, (1-6, 8-12) on electric guitar and acoustic guitar; Jeremy Viner (tracks 1-3, 5-12) on alto, tenor, baritone saxophones, flute and clarinet; Eli Asher (tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 9-11) on trumpet; Curtis Stewart (tracks 4, 7) on violin; and Claire Bryant (tracks 4, 7) on cello.

BIO
Joelle started singing jazz in high school and took to it so quickly that she began studying jazz and classical at New England Conservatory of Music and at Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute. She studied opera at Indiana University School of Music, The Opera Festival of Lucca and Boston University, earning a bachelor of music in vocal performance. She moved to New York City in 2005 to pursue a music and acting career. She’s been featured on a variety of recording, voiceovers, commercial jingle spots, radio branding ads and on back up vocals. She was featured on Josh Ritter’s acclaimed album, “The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter” released by Sony Victor/Independent records.

Joelle performs regularly with her jazz trio Joelle & The Pinehurst Trio at venues including Rockwood Music Hall, The Boom Boom Room at The Standard Hotel, Cornelia Street Cafe and Zinc Bar. Recent high-profile events they’ve performed for include the recent JFK Terminal 5 opening at the New York Stock Exchange, the James Beard Foundation’s Silver Anniversary Gala and Fashion’s Night Out at Henri Bendel for Fashion Week.

As a musical theater perform and Actor’s Equity member, Joelle has participated in concerts of new musical works and has performed in workshops and regional theatre. Some highlights include Broadway’s 24 Hour Musicals festival at the Gramercy Theatre; Jerry Springer The Opera with Speakeasy Stage Company at Boston Center for the Arts; soloist with the Boston Holiday Pops; a recent segment on The Wendy Williams TV show; and singing back up for Chris Mann at NBC’s Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting ceremony.