Freedom Jazz Dance
Thomas Conrad, Stereophile Magazine
May 2024
Talented new jazz singers are never in short supply. The trick is to find one who moves you. Currently, two of the most acclaimed are Jazzmeia Horn and Samara Joy. They both possess extraordinary vocal instruments, but they sometimes sound more interested in displaying their chops than telling a story, much less breaking your heart.
Julie Kelly is none of the above. She is not new. She began performing in public in the 1970s. She is insufficiently acclaimed. She does not have a set of pipes that can blow the windows out of auditoriums. But she has the kind of voice you want to spend time with. It projects vocal qualities that are in short supply, like personality and emotional integrity.
You could enjoy such a voice singing any good song, but Kelly finds ones that sound meant for her. Sting’s “Practical Arrangement” is a dry-eyed, unsentimental love song. “Sunday in New York,” by Peter Nero and Carroll Coates, is one of the most joyful of the world’s countless New York songs. Kelly’s rejection of sentimentality makes her credible on the subject of joy.
Where Kelly truly shines is on relatively familiar material like Gordon Lightfoot’s “Early Morning Rain.” When you hear it interpreted by her lived-in, street-wise voice, you feel you finally understand the tune. Her mashup of Willie Nelson’s “Funny How Time Slips Away” and Bill Withers’s “Hello Like Before” deepens both by making them one story. The songs by Lightfoot and Nelson and Withers demonstrate that Kelly is an artist with range: She can portray joy, but she can also render complex feelings like sadness tempered by irony and resignation.
Two other virtues of this album: the elegant arrangements by Josh Nelson and the crystalline sound by Talley Sherwood and Harriet Tam.
Freedom Jazz Dance
Dee Dee McNeil, L.A. Jazz Scene
February 12, 2024
Julie Kelly grew up in Oakland, California, a city in the San Francisco area. She and her twin sister, Kate, loved music and sang in their Catholic School choir. The two formed a folk singing act in the 1960s and worked the coffee house circuit. They even opened for Peter, Paul, and Mary, a very popular folk/pop group back-in-the-day. Meantime, she was listening to jazz, blues, and gospel.
“When I was thirteen, I was listening to Thelonius Monk, John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, as well as Dave Brubeck, and those wonderful albums with Miles Davis and Gil Evans. It wasn’t long before I was sneaking into clubs in Oakland to hear people like Earl “Fatha” Hines. The Blues is what guides me, and the great ones have shown the way,” Julie Kelly says in her online bio.
But before she had crossed that vocal threshold of jazz, in 1971 Kelly packed a backpack and her guitar, (like a hippie) she and a friend took buses and boats down the Amazon landing in Rio de Janeiro. There, Kelly developed a great love of Brazilian music.
On this album she sings “A Ra” which translates to “The Frog” with the wonderful accompaniment of Josh Nelson on piano, who also co-produced this album. Impressively, Kelly sings in Portuguese. I was surprised to hear her interpret a Gregory Porter tune, “Take Me to the Alley.” That was no easy feat. The tune is very beautiful, quite spiritual, and has a challenging melody. Julie Kelly successfully put her own artistic stamp on it.
In 1984, she released her debut album on Pausa Records called “We’re On Our Way” and this is the voice I remember.
I also recall hearing Julie on her album “Kelly Sings Christy” and enjoying her “Never Let Me Go” album. Her vocals are no longer the powerhouse they used to be, but Kelly still knows how to tell a story with her songs. She is emotional and honest. I can appreciate that. Barbara Brighton, Kelly’s old friend, produced this album. Brighten is a very fine producer, who also produced Kelly’s former album release called, “Happy to Be.”
One thing I have always admired is that Julie Kelly knows how to choose and interpret songs with lyrics she believes in and melodies that are unique and lovely. For instance, her take on the Sting tune, “Practical Arrangement” is striking and reflects vulnerability. The guitar additions of Larry Koonse and Andrew Synowiec on this project lends sensitivity and beauty. Kelly was co-writer on “River People” a song composed with memories of her trip down the Amazon. Her folk roots become apparent when she chooses the Gordon Lightfoot tune, “Early Morning Rain.” The Brazilian arrangement on Bill Wither’s composition, “Hello Like Before” is wonderful.
Freedom Jazz Dance
Jonathan Widran, The J.W. Vibe
January 28, 2024
If you know anything about Julie Kelly’s peripatetic life, it makes perfect sense that the eminently stylish veteran jazz vocalist decided to title her first album in ten years Freedom Jazz Dance – and include a quirky, peppy twist on the Eddie Harris/Eddie Jefferson classic that includes sung and spoken passages. In some ways, her whole existence has been a freedom jazz dance, from her days folk singing with her twin sister Kate to backpacking through South America and establishing herself in the jazz scenes of San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles.
Musically, one of the most impactful years of her life was the one she spent singing in Rio, where she met legends and developed a lifelong love for Brazilian music. Decades later, these passions are still empowering her, leading her and pianist/arranger Josh Nelson to create fresh, feisty and fabulous swirls through “A Ra (The Frog)” and “Ponteio,” both sung flawlessly and soulfully in Portuguese. Anyone curious about Kelly’s adventures on the Amazon will enjoy the poetic narrative she creates on the hypnotic ballad “River People,” which she co-wrote with Brazilian-American singer Catina DeLuna. Speaking of exotic things and rivers, she showcases her equal facility for Spanish on a gentle, sensual sway through “Al Otro Lado Del Rio,” the Oscar winning song from The Motorcycle Diaries.
Elsewhere, she celebrates her memories of NYC on the timeless 60’s gem “Sunday in New York,” mines the tender heart of Gregory Porter’s socially conscious “Take Me to the Alley,” brings a passionate longing and sensuality to Gordon Lightfoot’s “Early Morning Rain” and a wondrous, intimate take on the beautiful Sting obscurity “Practical Arrangement.” This latest triumph in Kelly’s career was co-produced by Nelson and Barbara Brighton.
Freedom Jazz Dance
C. Michael Bailey, Wild Mercury Rhythm
February 17, 2024
Is it possible that Julie Kelly has been recording for 40 years? Beginning in 1984 with the release of We’re On Our Way (Pausa Records), the West Coast-based singer has been releasing music regularly since, ringing up a total of seven releases, nine if we are to count the present Freedom Jazz Dance. This recording and Kelly’s last, Happy To Be (Jazzed Media, 2014) were produced by the much-in-demand Barbara Brighton (with recording date pianist Josh Nelson), who, most recently, produced Mark Winkler’s The Rules Don’t Apply (Café Pacific Records, 2023), Gary Brumburgh’s Full Circle (Café Pacific Records, 2022), and Beverley Church Hogan’s Can’t Get Out Of This Mood (Café Pacific Records, 2018). This artist-producer collaboration is as fertile as fortunate.
Kelly is a singer not allergic to the jazz standard but is choosy when selecting a program to record. On Freedom Jazz Dance, the title tune may be the most well-known of the standards and the most unique of the selections on the record. Kelly is mostly well-behaved with Gregory Porter’s “Take Me To The Alley,” Gordon Lightfoot’s “Early Morning Rain,” and Bob Dorough’s “Nothing Like You,” Then comes the Eddie Harris and Kelly constructs a song without words with a spoken message, funky and proudly robust. The singer arranged the piece as well as the Lightfoot selection. The remainder of the arrangements fell to pianist Nelson, who used a steady and conservative hand when envisioning the songs.
Kelly shows off her Portuguese in “A Ra,” “Al Otro Lado Del Rio,” and “Ponteio” and her clever song choice in the mashup of Willie Nelson’s “Funny How Time Slips Away” and Bill Withers's “Hello Like Before.” Kelly transforms the former into a gentle ballad given a Samba rhythm as it passes into the Withers’s tune, bringing together two songs that work well together. Kelly’s voice is seasoned and tempered into an attractive low alto, not unlike that of Rebecca Parris and Patti Wicks. Beautifully conversational, Freedom Jazz Dance conveys the wide perimeter of Kelly’s talent.
Freedom Jazz Dance
Nicholas Mondello, All About Jazz
March 24, 2024
Freedom Jazz Dance from Los Angeles singer Julie Kelly offers an interesting array of selections that emanate from that musical road less traveled. And, as in life, sometimes that road yields nuggets of delight that would most likely never make it to the tried and "true way."
Peter Nero and Carroll Coates' "New York on Sunday" opens things and is a lilting snap on 2 and 4 groove with Kelly joyously covering it and Josh Nelson slickly comping. Guitarist Larry Koonse, Nelson and bassist Luca Alemanno each offer tasty solos. "Take Me to the Alley," from the highly creative mind of Gregory Porter, is more a message than a swinger. It is a unique track that Kelly devours in its deeper intentions. Kelly, who spent some time in Brazil, sends up João Donato's "A Ra (The Frog)," as a faster samba deftly singing it in Portuguese.
The song list here is as unique as is Kelly's fine vocal instrument, from jazz classics to pop to Brazilian treasures. Hers are darker and deeply resonant pipes rather than girly-lily pristine. That works quite well across the spectrum of this eclectic material. She has a fine rhythmic sense and deftly uses her instrument as an instrument on the varied content.
"Practical Arrangement," from Sting and Robert Mathes, is thoughtful and reflective and hands down a perfect track for Kelly's lyric and melodic approach. It's a brilliant production touch. "Freedom Jazz Dance" gets a harder, percussive take with Kelly stating Jon Hendricks' lyrics. Reedman, Danny Janklow's solos hard over a frantic rhythm bed. "Early Morning Rain," is acoustic and story-sung with subtle "Wichita Lineman" folksy slide guitar overtones. "Nothing Like You," a straight-ahead burner, has Kelly ebulliently delivering a great take on the Bob Dorough tune. It's a standout and very hip track. "Funny How Time Slips Away"/"Hello Like Before" is another fine production touch via Barbara Brighton, Josh Nelson, and Julie Kelly, mashing two diverse tunes in a light bossa take. Latin classic "Ponteio" closes the show with Kelly in Portuguese and all shimmering brightly.
Freedom Jazz Dance is a road worth taking as it certainly offers stimulating music from a terrific vocalist and her outstanding first-call L.A. team.
Happy to Be…
Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz
August 23, 2014
Over the past thirty years, vocalist Julie Kelly has established and cemented her sterling reputation via seven highly praised albums. Her eighth, a beauty in every way, is likely to garner her some more rave reviews.
After tackling a diverse program with able support from pianist Mike Wofford on Everything I Love (Chase Music Group, 2006), and grafting her own personality onto cool school vocalist June Christy's work with some help from pianist-arranger Tom Garvin on Kelly Sings Christy: Thou Swell (Chase Music Group, 2002), Kelly reunites with pianist Bill Cunliffe for this trip through lesser-known and highly agreeable material.
Cunliffe manned the piano and put the arrangements together for Kelly's Stories To Tell (Chase Music Group, 1994) and Into The Light (Chase Music Group, 2001), so both come to this project with a strong connection already firmly in place. Here, Cunliffe provides sensitive support when needed, kicks things up a few notches when the music calls for it, and effortlessly locks in with the two veteran rhythm men who were on board with him for the aforementioned albums—bassist Tom Warrington and drummer Joe LaBarbera. Together, these three establish relaxed and swinging scenarios ("Harpo's Blues"), light a fire under Kelly and the rest ("You're The Dangerous Type"), sway along with middleweight ("Corcovado") and lightweight ("I Never Went Away") bossa nova grooves, and bop along in high-spirited fashion ("High In The Sky"). Man-of-all-moods guitarist Anthony Wilson, vibraphonist Nick Mancini, and a collection of accomplished horn players also make notable contributions throughout.
While Kelly's companions help to set the scenes, it's the singer who's left to work within them. Yes, most of the aforementioned players get to step out and solo at one time or another, but all eyes remain on this sublime vocalist throughout. Her supple and well-trained pipes can match wits with horns, effortlessly traveling the curves and contours of this music, but she never fails to also pay great attention to the meaning of lyrics and the emotional direction of a song: "Our Love Rolls On" and "I Have The Feeling I've Been Here Before" make that much clear.
Out of eleven songs, "Corcovado" is the only one that's covered with extreme regularity, and even that comes out sparkling and new in Kelly's hands. Happy To Be has it all: fine instrumental solos, a Rolls-Royce rhythm section, sharp arrangements, choice material, and a stellar singer who makes great use of it all.
Brent Black, Critical Jazz
August 26, 2014
"Great tone, magnificent phrasing and the innate ability to sing with the band and not around them has Happy to Be one of the more entertaining vocal releases this year."
"More than just a pretty face, Julie Kelly is one of those rare triple threats in improvisational music. An acclaimed vocalist, lyricist and educator has Julie Kelly crawling inside a lyric but never getting in her own way." Julie Kelly is considered one of the best vocalists on the west coast, easy to see why!
Why is it all pretty girls think they can sing? More than just a pretty face, Julie Kelly is one of those rare triple threats in improvisational music. An acclaimed vocalist, lyricist and educator has Julie Kelly crawling inside a lyric but never getting in her own way. Nice! Happy to Be features some finely crafted original work and mercifully some more eclectic jewels from the Great America Songbook. Don't get me wrong, I love Cole Porter as well as the next critic but when you have reviewed the same five songs five hundred times then you really appreciated the song selection here. Song selection is everything!
Joining Julie we have Bill Cunliffe, Anthony Wilson, Joe LaBarbera and Bob Sheppard. The entire band functions with a synergy that is rare on recordings such as this. Old school with contemporary flair would be the best descriptions of tunes such as "High In The Sky" from Thad Jones and "Corcovado" from Antonio Carlos Jobim. Kelly is as technically proficient as she is artistically gifted and this shines through on some deep catalog tunes such as Phobe Snow's "Harpo's Blues."
Great tone, magnificent phrasing and the innate ability to sing with the band and not around them has Happy to Be one of the more entertaining vocal releases this year.
Joe Lang, Jersey Jazz
August 27, 2014
There are many fine singers based in the Los Angeles area, and among the best is JULIE KELLY. Her eighth album, Happy to Be (Jazzed Media - 1067) is a winner from start to finish. She has a wonderful supporting cast of first-call L.A. cats gathered around the superb rhythm section of pianist Bill Cunliffe, guitarist Anthony Wilson, bassist Tom Warrington and drummer Joe LaBarbera. This is a woman who knows how to select fine, but not overdone songs, and sing them with hipness, feeling and smarts. Among the musical treasures are Dave Frishberg's "Our Love Rolls On," Bob Dorough's "You're the Dangerous Type" and Richard Rodney Bennett's "I Never Went Away." Another highlight is "I Have the Feeling I've Been Here Before" by Roger Kellaway and the Bergmans. When I heard a recording several years ago by Stacey Kent of "I Wish I Could Go Traveling Again" by Jim Tomlinson and Kazuo Ishiguro, I imagined that other singers would pick up on it. Well seven years have passed since Kent's recording. Kelly, with vocal assistance and an arrangement by John Proulx, has included it here, and has done this fine song proud. That is the case with each selection on Happy to Be.
All About Jazz by Jack Bowers
September 4, 2014
Julie Kelly is a talented singer whose talents are a fairly well-kept secret except on the West Coast, where she makes her home. Happy to Be is Kelly's eighth album, the first on Graham Carter's Colorado-based Jazzed Media label, and as has been her custom in the past, she chooses for the most part interesting songs that aren't heard nearly often enough. Compositions by Dave Frishberg, Bob Dorough, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Richard Rodney Bennett and even Phoebe Snow are here, hanging out alongside engaging themes by such lesser-known but no less able writers as Bill Peterson, Jim Tomlinson and Susan Marder. Kelly handles each one with care, paying close attention to mood, dynamics and articulation while interpreting lyrics in a straightforward manner that eschews needless embroidery.
Whether Kelly is a "jazz singer" is a matter of opinion. Even though she scats only briefly, and doesn't turn a lyric inside out like, say, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald or Carmen McRae, she clearly knows how to swing, as she shows on Peterson's "Happy to Be," Dorough's "You're the Dangerous Type" or Thad Jones' "High in the Sky," and is rhythmically sharp as well. Perhaps Kelly's strongest bond to jazz, however, lies in her supporting cast, which embodies an A-list of Southern California's busiest and most accomplished sidemen. The rhythm section (Bill Cunliffe, piano; Anthony Wilson, guitar; Tom Warrington, bass; Joe LaBarbera, drums; Walter Rodriguez, percussion) is beyond reproach, as is a front line comprised of trumpeters Clay Jenkins and Ron Stout, saxophonists Bob Sheppard and Kim Richmond, trombonist Bob McChesney and vibraphonist Nick Mancini.
Cunliffe, who plays synthesizer on several numbers, steps aside on Tomlinson's amiable "I Wish I Could Go Traveling Again" (lyric by Kazuo Ishiguro) in favor of John Proulx who duets with Kelly on his own arrangement of the tune. Proulx, whose style is reminiscent of the late Chet Baker, sings in a range so close to Kelly's that it's sometimes hard to tell who's who. That's not a problem elsewhere, as Kelly glides easily through a tantalizing melange of ingredients that begins with Snow's dreamy "Harpo's Blues" and continues through "Happy to Be" (written by Peterson and Inga Swearingin as a tribute to Bobby McFerrin), Frishberg's "Our Love Rolls On," Jobim's "Corcovado," Roger Kellaway's "I Have the Feeling I've Been Here Before" (lyric by Marilyn and Alan Bergman), "The Blues According to Orpheus" (which Kelly co-wrote with Rich Eames, Jeff D'Angelo and David Hocker), Bennett's "I Never Went Away" and Marder's "For Joni," in addition to the songs already noted. When she's not singing, there are brief but persuasive solos by Cunliffe, Wilson, Sheppard, Jenkins, Stout, McChesney and LaBarbera.
Splendid singer, commendable teammates, unerring choice of material. They add up to a well-earned endorsement for Julie Kelly and Happy to Be.
Jack Goodstein, Blogcritics
September 6, 2014
A veteran jazz singer on the West Coast scene, Julie Kelly is set to release her eighth album Happy to Be, her first for Jazzed Media. Working with a top notch 11-piece ensemble, she runs through a menu of 11 tunes, most of which you won't find on the typical songstress' bill of fare. It’s not just original compositions, although there are a couple of those as well. She has chosen a program filled with solid songs that might not have been quite what you’d call standards, but in Kelly’julie kellys hands who knows what the future might bring.
Kelly has something of a special relationship with Brazilian music. Certainly the best-known piece on the album is the Jobim classic "Corcovado." In an arrangement by Venezuelan pianist Otmaro Ruiz she begins in Portuguese before turning to English after a lyrical little guitar passage from Anthony Wilson for an inventive exploration of the tune. She also hits a Latin vibe with “I Wish I Could Go Traveling Again,†with some sweet solo work from Bob Sheppard on flute.
She changes pace with "High in the Sky," a bop romp from Thad Jones with new lyrics by the Dutch vocalist Fleurine. The piece features one of those drum solos from Joe LaBarbera that used to have the rest of the band leaving the stage in the old days and some swinging work from the horns. It is altogether one of the album's many highlights. Kelly supplies a cleverly literary lyric for "The Blues According to Orpheus," a hip take on the myth, with some fine solo work on the synthesizer from the album's producer Bill Cunliffe and guitarist Wilson. Kelly also collaborated with composer/lyricist Susan Marder on the lyric of "For Joni," a beautiful poetic homage to Joni Mitchell which concludes the set.
Kelly gives a sensitive reading to Phoebe Snow's "Harpo's Blues," the album's plaintive opener. But she is equally effective with ballads like "I Have a Feeling I've Been Here Before," "Our Love Rolls On," and "I Never Went Away."
September 4, 2014 Downbeat review in November issue!