Julian Fleisher

Artist Information

Biography

"A New York nightclub supernova" declares the LA Times. "The Human iPod" says The Baltimore Sun. "Smart, genre-busting pop" reads The New York Times Magazine, and with good reason. "I'd say that I'm Jazz-dominant, Pop-submissive and even Rock-and-Roll-curious. So you do the math. I sing what I like." And if what the The York Post described as "his highly enthusiastic, standing-room only crowd of blissful twenty-somethings" is any measure, then the numbers are indeed adding up.

Anticipating the revolutionary genius of the iPod and the iPod Shuffle by years, Fleisher's shows have always eschewed the the dull constraints of old-fashioned categories in favor of a free-wheeling, eclectic, post-modern approach to entertainment. "Not only do audiences not care if you stick to one style or another, they actually prefer it when you hop around--provided, of course, that you do it well." His philosophy: If it swings, it sings. "Great songs aren't museum pieces. The standard songbook is still being written right now. Like most people my age, I don't get too precious with it. After all, my heroes are Ella, Joni and Prince. They're all a part of the same history in my book. So in my shows, they all get the same treatment."

Son of world-renowned concert pianist Leon Fleisher, Julian was first heard as a boy soprano, a student of the classical repertoire at the prestigious Peabody Conservatory of music in his hometown of Baltimore. After a four year stint as an undergraduate at Yale --where he sang in concerts, and on stage in roles ranging from The Threepenny Opera's Mack the Knife to Guys and Doll's Sky Masterson -- Julian took on New York, the inevitable next step in any young entertainer's journey. Now, he's enjoying a reputation as one of that city's most exciting young nightclub stars.

His love of the best of American song coupled with a fresh and irreverent performance style have garnered him rave reviews and comparisons to predecessors as diverse as Sammy Davis, Jr., Norah Jones and Lenny Bruce. It's no surprise that he enjoys a loyal audience of both young and old alike. From Paris to Berlin, from New York to Los Angeles, from intimate boites to the grooviest supper clubs, he's been dazzling listeners and inspiring an ever growing cadre of devoted followers.

His collaborations with a growing roster of celebrities-turned-singers now has him on a new trajectory: Host Extraordinaire. Molly Ringwald, Isaac Mizrahi, Ana Gasteyer, Martha Plimpton, Lauren Graham, Jennifer Holliday, Keith Carradine, Kiki & Herb: just some of the special guests who, in just the last year, have joined Julian for a spin around the songbook. Whether negotiating the twists and turns of a ditty by Mingus, doubling his horns on a barn-burning rendition of a classic by Arlen, swinging through and unlikely rendition of a contemporary classic by Buffalo Springfield, Stevie Wonder, Gloria Gaynor or Pink -- or just riffing away on one his own crowd-pleasing tunes -- Fleisher and friends prove that his near four-octave vocal range is matched only by the span of his stylistic capabilities.

Furthermore, the weekly showcase Julian Fleisher Presents: Monday Music Starlight which he both hosts and curates was sighted by the New York Times and the New Yorker as one of only three venues in NYC where one is most likely to hear the new Norah Joneses.

As an actor, he starred in the new musical American Mouth (in which he didn't sing!), he recently appeared on CBS's Without A Trace and he can be seen in recent films by directors George Hickenlooper and Maria Maggenti. As a recording artist and producer, Julian is becoming equally as accomplished and wide-ranging. Both he and his original songs have been seen and heard on TV and in films, including Dogtown, Temps and The Man From Elysian Fields starring Andy Garcia and Mick Jagger, for which he wrote, produced and performed the songs. He composed, performed and produced all the songs for Off-Broadway's Almost Maine, by Tony Award nominee John Cariani and he produced both full-length CDs from the legendary downtown duo Kiki & Herb, which include appearances by, among others, Debby Harry, The Scissor Sisters, Rufus Wainwright and Alex Gifford of the Propellerheads.

His own debut CD, Rather Big (Modern Records), was described by Billboard as "a potpourri of sweetly memorable material...exemplary, sterling and delightful". As his star continues its rise, Julian continues to mix a magic concoction swinging songs, downtown vibe and groovy savior-faire for which he and his music are becoming world-renowned.

Instrumentation

Band size varies according to venue, locale, guarantee etc. Can be as small as a trio or as large as 11 pieces plus back-up singers. Following is a sample roster typical for a New York gig at Joe's Pub or Symphony Space:

Julian Fleisher - Vocals, Guitar, Arranger, Leader
Piano - Tedd Firth
Bass- Matt Clohesy
Drums- Chris Michael
Vibes - Nick Mancini
Guitar - Pete Smith
Trumpet - Evan Barker
Trumpet - Jim O'Connor
Trombone - Noah Bless
Sax - Nathan Childers
Sax - Tom Murray
Sax - Howie Leshaw
Backup Vocals - Melissa Haizlip
Backup Vocals - Lynn Loosier

Discography

Julian Fleisher: Live in LA (Modern Records)
Julian Fleisher: Rather Big (Modern Records)
All I Require (from the motion picture The Man From Elysian Fields)
Finally
All They Need to Know

Official Website

http://www.julianfleisher.com

Links

• Twitter
• Complete Press Quotes
• Julian's Podcast
• New York Cool Article

Audio

• For What It's Worth
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• The Limit's the Sky
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• Finally
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• Shop Around (Live in LA)
  Listen  
• I Don't Know How
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• All I Require
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Lyrics

• Finally

Video

Julian Fleisher and Friends

Julian Fleisher & Friends

Photo Gallery

Press

• "a supernova" [+ Show ]
  

  "Singer-composer Fleisher has been a Manhattan nightclub supernova for some time...with a fabulous v..."Singer-composer Fleisher has been a Manhattan nightclub supernova for some time...with a fabulous voice, a soaring instrument."
  
  (See the entire review at artist's website.)

• "...blew the roof off" [+ Show ]
  

  ...I don't want to sign off without saying a little more than that about Julian Fleisher and His Rat......I don't want to sign off without saying a little more than that about Julian Fleisher and His Rather Big Band. Fleisher is a not-exactly- lounge singer who does brainy, oddly tilted versions of such unlikely pop tunes as "Rainy Days and Mondays" and "For What It's Worth" (yes, I mean the Stephen Stills song about the man with the gun over there telling me I've got to beware), backed by a slick 11-piece group that blew the roof off Joe's Pub...I'm definitely coming back for another try, and probably another one after that. I like smart music, and Julian Fleisher is way smart.
  
  -- Terry Teachout, The Washington Post
  
  (See the complete review at the artist's website)

• "Do not the miss the chance to catch him" [+ Show ]
  

  Fleisher's playful delivery sends a clear message: There's more to him than meets the big-band eye.....Fleisher's playful delivery sends a clear message: There's more to him than meets the big-band eye...he's developing a deserved reputation as one of New York's promising young vocalists...as evidenced by his exemplary performance on "Rather Big". The set is a potpourri of sweet, memorable material. Particularly strong are "The Limit's the Sky" and "All I Require." Do not miss the chance to catch him.

• "...quite a following on both coasts." [+ Show ]
  

  A fixture on the downtown scene...generating quite a following on both coasts...sharp-edged composit...A fixture on the downtown scene...generating quite a following on both coasts...sharp-edged compositions and favorites by everyone from Irving Berlin and Joni Mitchell to Prince and Pink.

• "The Human iPod" [+ Show ]
  

  He is The Human iPod. A unique combination...young, chic and timeless! (See the complete review a...He is The Human iPod. A unique combination...young, chic and timeless!
  
  (See the complete review at the artist's website)

• "...the future of vocal jazz!" [+ Show ]
  

  I have seen the future of vocal Jazz! He's got a marvelous, resonant baritone, with impeccable inton...I have seen the future of vocal Jazz! He's got a marvelous, resonant baritone, with impeccable intonation, and a wonderful choice of material. This is no Feinstein, or Pizzarelli, or Connick. He's powerful, yet lovable...talented, funny and hip.

• "it's time we catch up with him!" [+ Show ]
  

  This fellow with the intense gaze is developing quite a reputation as nobody's interpreter but his o...This fellow with the intense gaze is developing quite a reputation as nobody's interpreter but his own in front of an eleven-piece band. Maybe it's time we catch up with him.

• "...he's absolutely RIGHT!" [+ Show ]
  

  If he thinks he can get up in front of a 12-piece band with his two backup singer girlies, belting o...If he thinks he can get up in front of a 12-piece band with his two backup singer girlies, belting out songs in that four-octave voice of his, draggin out those disco ditties and overlooked showtunes -- you've never heard a snappier version of Tomorrow -- and duetting with 80's movie stars (who knew Molly Ringwald could sing?) like he's some kind of classy, all-around entertainer something, then he's absolutely...RIGHT!

• "hard to resist" [+ Show ]
  

  He's got beat, drive. He catches the rhythm. His headlong enthusiasm is hard to resist. His highly-e...He's got beat, drive. He catches the rhythm. His headlong enthusiasm is hard to resist. His highly-enthusiastic, standing-room only crowd was full of blissful twenty-somethings...
  
  (See the complete review at the artist's website)

• "a rockin way to spend a Friday night" [+ Show ]
  

  A charming singer with impeccable taste...(he treats Joni Mitchell with the same reverence as Elling...A charming singer with impeccable taste...(he treats Joni Mitchell with the same reverence as Ellington). It's a rockin way to spend a Friday night!

Setlist

Crazy in Love/For What It's Worth
Peter Gunn
What You Need
Not Again, Again
I Don't Know How
Can I Get a Light
Finally
Close to You
All They Need to Know
Come Together
Tomorrow
Both Sides Now
Leaving the Leaving
I Will Survive

Basic Requirements

PDF Rider

Complete Press Quotes

Calendar