noa bursie

Artist Information

Biography

An Acoustic-Soul Storyteller with Jazz, Folk, and Blues Roots

Singer/Songwriter Noa Bursie is proud to say she was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. The youngest of nine children, Noa had a mother who worked Bingo and boasted the tastiest Friday night fish fry on the East Side. a father who was a crane operator at Bethlehem Steel, five altar boy brothers, and three sisters committed to the Legion of Mary by the time they could walk. Though her experiences have taken her across the country and half-way around the world, her roots are here and they are undeniable. Subtle undertones of spice and rhythm tell the tale of a well-traveled soul fluent in the universal language of passion and youthful angst while the small town, parochial school girl peeks from around the corner with a wry grin.
Bursie is fond of recalling stories that her Louisiana-born mother often told about her grandfather who traveled throughout the South in the 30's and 40's playing and living the blues. A self-taught guitarist, like her grandfather, Noa plays with unabashed authority and a natural ease, "...like she was born with the instrument in her hand and her grand- daddy's 'mantle' across her shoulders." Her music is a rich and refreshingly unconventional composite of jazz, acoustic new soul, folk, blues, and roots genres. Infused with supple wit and astute, poetic lyricism, the material flows deftly from history and social commentary, politics and the media, to relationships and even extraterrestrials, often evoking comparisons with artists like Rickie Lee Jones, Joan Armatrading, or John Mayer. Whether it's the alternate guitar tunings, smoothly sensuous vocals, edgy wails, or incisive lyrics, this artist has the ability to work the audience up into a dancing sweat as easily as hypnotize them into pin-drop silence with a single phrase. This is music for people who love a little intellectual stimulation with their toe-tapping and finger-popping and is as diverse as you would expect from a woman weaned on Dinah Washington, Aretha Franklin, and Sam Cooke, nurtured in the cradle of Joni Mitchell and James Taylor (with a little Steely Dan in the mix), and sanctified by Bessie Smith, Bonnie Raitt, and Ray Charles.

Noa Bursie offers a smart, hip, and utterly engaging blend of sound and lyric. She is not to be missed and is available as a solo acoustic performer for smaller venues or with her band that may include electric guitar, upright bass, percussion and horns depending on the venue and event.

LINKS:

www.myspace.com/noabursiesongwriter
www.noabursie.com

CONTACT | BOOKING:
Krtanik Artist Management
Chris Krtanik
1-585-409-8799
c_krtanik@yahoo.com

Instrumentation

vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion

Discography

TalkStory(2005); Familiar Addiction(2008)

Audio

• Sweet William
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• Clouds Cover Me
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• Familiar Addiction
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• Holes in My Pockets
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Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Reviews [+ Show ]
  

  “…Somewhat unassuming on first sight,once on the mic she had the kind of voice that could silence an...“…Somewhat unassuming on first sight,once on the mic she had the kind of voice that could silence an entire room.More than that,people
  were pulled in from outside by the strength of her vocals and the beauty of her melodies.” – Gabrielle Boulaine, Buffalo Rising
  
  
  “…She is bluesy, jazzy, spiritual and a passionate songbird. She has Joni Mitchell’s way with a phrase, Rickie Lee Jones’ way with a melody and is
  as smooth a singer as Astrid Gilberto. – Review of ‘TalkStory’ - Bob Silvestri, Best of Western New York Entertainment
  
  
  “…that voice…sweet and soulful, able to scat with both chops and conviction, to dig down deep and low, to recall Dinah Washington at one moment, or get plain funky and low-down like the sauciest Bonnie Raitt chart the next. That guitar…supple, intelligently voiced, clearly informed by jazz harmony, but funky in the manner practiced by acoustic pop players like Dave Matthews and John Mayer. These songs…smart, in your face, memorable, bolstered by insightful, incisive lyrics, and given wing by Bursie’s phrasing, which is beyond a doubt world-class. Bursie has created a stunning record that bears markings of a classic, and no, I’m not exaggerating...” – Jeff Miers, Buffalo News Music Critic, Gusto
  
  “I was riding in my car and this song comes on the radio. I literally had to pull over. I had to find out who this woman was and go out immediately and get this album. If they didn’t say who it was after the song, I was gonna call the station right then and there.” – Robbie Konikoff, Audio Magic Recording Studios
  
  “…Her riveting, articulate vocals are soft and gentle one moment, edgy the next, and so very powerful… It is no wonder Noa has a tremendous legion of fans in her native Western New York, and has been proudly ‘adopted’ by Southern Ontario music fans with open arms.” - Stuart Berketo, CIWV 94.7fm The Wave, Hamilton, Ontario
  

• Opening for Richie Havens 7/11/07 [+ Show ]
  

  Simply Superb... Crisp summer temperatures met crisp, artful guitar playing as Artpark kicked of...Simply Superb...
  
  Crisp summer temperatures met crisp, artful guitar playing as Artpark kicked off its first Wednesday at the Gorge concert series with legendary musician Richie Havens.
  Buffalo native and opener Noa Bursie’s soulful songs rang through the park as the audience filtered in and set up camp for the night’s events. Bursie’s bluesy vocals were by far one of the treats of the evening, and listeners were able to hear her sing a beautiful, emotional a capella piece as she closed her set. [Noa was called back for an ENCORE and sang the acapella piece for the enthusiastic crowd who simply wouldn't let her leave the stage!] She walked off stage to much applause and seemed genuinely thankful for her audience’s enthusiasm.
  Molly Hirschbeck - BUFFALO NEWS STAFF REPORTER
  

• Noa Wows Audience As Opener for India.Arie [+ Show ]
  

  ...[Arie] also had high praise for her opening act, Buffalo singer-songwriter Noa Bursie. I was glad......[Arie] also had high praise for her opening act, Buffalo singer-songwriter Noa Bursie. I was glad she did; Bursie was a wonder. The self-proclaimed “Buffalo girl” and UB graduate — “Many a time I spent the night in Lockwood Library,” she reminisced — grabbed the crowd quickly with her jazz-infused style, reminiscent of Tracy Chapman and Joni Mitchell. She was one of the freshest Buffalo-based acts I’ve seen in a long while, and her set, which included the line, “My daddy worked in a steel mill in Lackawanna,” was a highlight of the night.
  Bursie is currently working on the follow-up to her debut[CD] ,“TalkStory.” Last night, she more than earned India.Arie’s praise.
  
  University at Buffalo Center for the Arts.

• Noa Nominated for 2007 Buffalo Music Awards [+ Show ]
  

  Click on the link to vote for Noa in the the Best Solo Acoustic category and watch for the announcem...Click on the link to vote for Noa in the the Best Solo Acoustic category and watch for the announcement of winners December 6th.
  
  http://bestofwny.com/entertainment

• SHAWN COLVIN PRAISES HER OPENING ACT [+ Show ]
  

  “…Bursie proved to be the perfect compliment to the evening. Performing a brief five song set she re...“…Bursie proved to be the perfect compliment to the evening. Performing a brief five song set she revealed she had purchased tickets for the show before being asked to be the opening act. Bursie even received praise from Shawn Colvin (twice) during Colvin’s own set, something not done often by the headlining act.” - Bob Silvestri - Review of Shawn Colvin concert at the Tralf Jan. 07

• India Arie Calls Noa Back Out On-Stage [+ Show ]
  

  The concert opened with Noa Bursie, a folk/blues artist with an acoustic guitar, who was amazingly...
  The concert opened with Noa Bursie, a folk/blues artist with an acoustic guitar, who was amazingly talented at the finger-picking style of playing. Her voice was melodic and the lyrics were beautiful and poetic, as seen in lines like, “I drink you down like wine and savor the taste on my lips.” Noa is a University at Buffalo alumni and a proud Buffalo native. Her performance was powerful and captivating, and all eyes were on her as she strummed out bluesy music on her guitar.
  
  Noa Bursie joined India in singing the inspiring song “True Colors,” during which India also played an entrancing flute solo. [Arie praised her opening act profusely during her set and invited Noa back out on stage (to thunderous applause) to sing a duet with her.]

• ARTVOICE - Noa Bursie's Familiar Addiction CD Release [+ Show ]
  

  See You There: NOA BURSIE by Buck Quigley Hometown favorite Noa Bursie will be celebrating th...See You There: NOA BURSIE
  by Buck Quigley
  
  Hometown favorite Noa Bursie will be celebrating the release of her second CD entitled Familiar Addiction in fine style this Saturday night. Bursie, who became recognized as one of the area’s most talented songwriters with the 2005 release of her first CD TalkStory, again displays a keen lyrical ear as she delivers a dozen new originals that highlight her distinctively engaging voice. Steeped in jazz, folk and blues, her roots hearken back to the gut-bucket music played by her maternal grandfather in the 1930s and 40s. But her style is decidedly more contemporary, in the vein of Joni Mitchell or India.Arie. Credit for that must start with her uniquely elegant guitar style and her top notch backing musicians, including John Bacon Jr., Emile Latimer, Mary Ramsey and Ken Kaufman. On the strength of a number of high-profile opening slots over the past year, Bursie has been collecting rave reviews while expanding her number of dedicated fans. For the already converted, this show is an opportunity to hear her on a very special night. For the uninitiated, it’s a chance to discover a major talent here in our midst.

• NOA AT THE TRALF 2.2.08 [+ Show ]
  

  CLUB CHATTER: Noa Bursie at the Tralf BY JEFF MIERS News Pop Music Critic Updated: 02/01/08 7:5...CLUB CHATTER: Noa Bursie at the Tralf
  
  BY JEFF MIERS News Pop Music Critic
  Updated: 02/01/08 7:52 AM
  
  NOA'S ARC
  
  It’s fitting that the recording of singer/songwriter/guitari st Noa Bursie’s new effort, “Familiar Addiction,” provided a cause to gather for a dozen or so of Buffalo’s finest musicians. Great players love great songs, after all, and Bursie is a wonderful writer, a purveyor of wide-open soundscapes and a conduit for considerable soul.
  
  “Familiar Addiction” is a subtle, flavorful hybrid of folk, jazz and pop, marked by nods to the genius of Rickie Lee Jones, Joni Mitchell and Edie Brickell — intentional or otherwise. The songs unfold slowly, take their time establishing their indelible grooves and revolve organically around Bursie’s percussive acoustic guitar and emotive singing.
  
  These songs deserve the accompaniment they’ve been given here from the likes of bassist Jerry Livingston, drummer John Bacon Jr., percussionist Wendell Rivera, guitarists Ron LoCurto and Frank Grizanti, keyboardist Ken Kaufmann and violinist Mary Ramsey, among others. Tracked at Audio Magic studios by the ever-capable Mike Rorick, “Familiar Addiction” is impeccably recorded and produced. It proves Bursie, with the help of her morethan- capable supporting ensemble, to be one of the finest songwriters our neck of the woods has yet produced.

Setlist

original folk, blues, jazz, traditional - the occasional 'cover'...J
Etta James, Nina Simone, Jann Arden, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Dougie MacLean,

Basic Requirements

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