Shelly Bhushan

Artist Information

Biography

Critic's Choice! "feisty, kick-ass soul from Bhushan and her band... we think she's great." -Time Out NY

"This Texas native’s lush voice and impeccable phrasing, both of which grab you from the first hook, promise to make her one of the brightest young female stars in NYC. The friends who came with me, all serious music buffs, looked at each other and mouthed “wow” as she finished her first song." -LICNotes

Songwriter's Hall of Fame Abe Olman Scholarship Winner
For Excellence in Songwriting.
- SHOF

She’s cool, with a frankness and roughness of a fiercely independent woman, quick with a self-deprecating joke, full of anecdotes to warm up her audience – by all appearances, normal like you and me.

It’s when she opens her mouth to sing that you fall back into your seat, with the sound of her honeyed, lush vocals wrapping around you…completely captivated. It’s then you realize there’s nothing normal about her—

Shelly Bhushan is exceptional.

The Texas native has been belting her heart out practically since birth. She moved to New York City to front a soul-rock act, and a few years later when the band broke up she knew she had to make a change and become more than "just a singer". New to songwriting, Shelly created a new direction for herself and began carving out her own musical path in the NYC music scene.

Shelly's sound can best be labeled as AltSoul, a hybrid of the soulful sounds she loved so much and the the late 90s alternative music she was reared on. Some say Indie is the new Alt, but Shelly is the "Alternative" to Indie.

Now an award winning songwriter, Shelly's music can best be described as deeply personal lyrics expressed through intense, jaw-dropping vocals.

Shelly Bhushan has been instrumental in defining the uptown sound of the new Harlem Renaissance at Shrine, also finding a home outside the tested NYC establishment in the burgeoning Long Island City music scene. She's wowed audiences across the country, making appearances at Philly's World Cafe Live!, New York's historic Apollo, Rockwood Music Hall, The Living Room, B.B. King, Mercury Lounge, The Bitter End and countless others...

She is actively performing around the country with her band: Drummer, John Celentano and Bassist, Harry Cordew, making stops along the Northeast and planning shows in her home state of Texas.

Shelly is currently working on a full length album slated to release in the Spring of 2012.

Instrumentation

John Celentano - Drums
Harry Cordew - Bass
Shelly Bhushan - Vocals, Guitar, Piano

Discography

Full Length Album - Due Summer 2012
"Make Believe" EP- July 2010
"Picking Daisies" Full Length -September 2007
"The Shelly Show" EP -March 2005.

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Last.fm
• MySpace
• Reverb Nation
• Sound Cloud
• Youtube

Audio

• Make Believe
  Listen  
• Do You Really Wanna Go There Again?
  Listen  
• Mr. Unicorn
  Listen  
• Beautiful Me
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Beautiful Me
• Make Believe
• Picking Daisies

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Shelly Bhushan - The Deli Magazine [+ Show ]
  

  "Something happens when you listen to the soulful vocals and jazzy influences of Shelly Bhushan song..."Something happens when you listen to the soulful vocals and jazzy influences of Shelly Bhushan songs. Her lyrics have the ability to capture the human soul, and she knows how to elevate this emotionally through her music. "
  

• Time Out NY - Critic's Pick
  

  Feisty, kick-ass soul from Bhushan and her band...We think she’s great.

• Album Reviews - Shelly Bhushan [+ Show ]
  

  “It's one of those albums in which each of the songs are extremely well-written – each of them hit t...“It's one of those albums in which each of the songs are extremely well-written – each of them hit the mark while displaying Bhushan’s amazing voice... it’s not a surprise that the blogosphere has shown some love for this album but artists like Shelly Bhushan also reflect how clueless, misguided and myopic the dying major labels are these days. It’s a shame that TV and major labels can promote and fully support some of the hackneyed nonsense of American Idol and acts like the horrendous Black Eyed Peas while other more worthy acts go under the radar. Still, the Internet and social media sites – our beloved, Facebooks, Twitters and others – have leveled the playing field, and for that we have to be thankful. As for Shelly Bhushan, I think she has a big future ahead of her.”
  

• X2theL Featured Artist - Shelly Bhushan [+ Show ]
  

  I love it when I come across a voice or a sound that I can’t easily classify or compare to someone e...I love it when I come across a voice or a sound that I can’t easily classify or compare to someone else. Shelly Bhushan is that artist. I have listened to her three albums repeatedly and every time I listen, I have this fleeting moment of recognition but it’s gone in a second. I’ve finally decided that Bhushan’s music stands on it’s own.

• LIC NOTES - Shelly Bhushan [+ Show ]
  

  This Texas native’s lush voice and impeccable phrasing, both of which grab you from the first hook, ...This Texas native’s lush voice and impeccable phrasing, both of which grab you from the first hook, promise to make her one of the brightest young female stars in NYC. The friends who came with me, all serious music buffs, looked at each other and mouthed “wow” as she finished her first song. 
  

• Album Review - Make Believe [+ Show ]
  

  Singer-songwriter Shelly Bhushan knows her craft showing the clarity of a grade A diamond with the l...Singer-songwriter Shelly Bhushan knows her craft showing the clarity of a grade A diamond with the luxuriating touch of a steam bath caressing the skin. She can persuade the most down-trodden of us all to alleviate to a state of ecstasy or share her feelings with those going through the blues. Wherever her songs go, they always go some place where people have been or can relate to presently. Her music connects with people on a level that they understand and need, and keeps them company.
  
  Her 6-track EP entitled Make Believe is a melodic collage of steamy blues, funk-glazed pop, and soul-infused rock. Produced by Mark Turrigiano (Ingrid Michaelson, Lizzie Trullie, Rachel Platten) and featuring John Celentano on drums, Harry Cordew on bass, and Ben Hoffstein on organ, Make Believe heralds in a new phase in Bhushan's music with piano-driven melodies fostering an intimate setting for her vocals which makes it seem like she is singing right to you.
  
  Her catchy vocal hooks grazing the title track ride along the pivoting movements of the funky grooves, transitioning to the pulsating dance beats of "Midnight Groove (You're Mine)"which is complemented by a R&B/Soul modulation relatable to Nelly Furtado. The lyrics display Bhushan's unwavering persistence when she tells, "Somebody tried to take you away from me.. if this is all for the best and she could love you more than me / No midnight groove is gonna take you away from me/ You're mine."
  
  The soft silhouettes etched by the piano keys in "Mr. Unicorn" set a dreamy atmospherics, and the sizzling organ of "Do You Really Wanna Go There Again" is stoked by the strutting beat carrying Bhushan's vocals along the chord progressions. Bhushan reprises the title track at the ending of the album where her words sink into the listener's mind, "I only want what I can't see / It's because I believe in make believe."
  
  Shelly Bhushan has a vocal talent that transcends people's musical preferences. Whatever comes out of her vocals sounds top-notch regardless of where the music leads her. She not only can sing, she can move audiences to experience joy and sorrow, and that's a talent which enables her to go from a studio artist to a naturally engaging live performer..
  

• 2008 Songwriter's Hall of Fame Abe Olman Award Award Recipient [+ Show ]
  

  Winner of 2008 Abe Olman Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Shelly shares this distinction wit...Winner of 2008 Abe Olman Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Shelly shares this distinction with past notable winners - John Legend and Susan Cagle.

• XM Satellite Radio Artist of the Week [+ Show ]
  

  Shelly Bhushan is a Texas native who has been wowing audiences since birth. Prepare to be captivate...Shelly Bhushan is a Texas native who has been wowing audiences since birth. Prepare to be captivated by her exceptional vocals. Her new album, Picking Daises is available through CD Baby and iTunes. Pick it up if you like what you hear. Be sure to check out the featured tracks Beautiful Me and The Nest.
  
  -- Billy Zero
  10/16/08

• Love...
  

  Love "Beautiful Me and Shelly's Voice"...

• Hybrid Magazine - September 2007 [+ Show ]
  

  The late Billie Holiday inspired writers to honor her by coining the phrase "The Lady sings the blue...The late Billie Holiday inspired writers to honor her by coining the phrase "The Lady sings the blues," but Shelly Bhushan evokes more of the sentiment "The Lady has groove." Like Holiday, Bhushan has a voice that reaches as far as a rocket's flair glare. Both women are trailblazers when it comes to singing blues, soul, and pop melodies but Bhushan's laments have a unique upbeat tilt to them that magnetically causes her to bounce back from any bout of melancholia transcribed in her lyrics.
  
  Her full length album Picking Daisies, on RedCard Records and produced by guitarist James Cruz, has a wealth of material from soul-jazz to R&B/funk, acoustic rock, and even a twinge of square dancing country, or what Brookes & Dunn refer to as boot-scoot-boogie. The interfacing of intricate orchestral riffs, spruces of piano hooks, reefs of horns and rhythmic dunes creates lush arrangements filled with life. There is so much taken from life in these songs that it doesn't matter if you're a fan of jazz or soul. The album has well crafted songs that transcend musical tastes.
  
  "Perfect Stranger" starts the album off with a funky/R&B groove emanating from the sprinkling piano keys and rhythmic movements which take a back seat to the enchanting bongo solo. Bhushan's vocals plunge, nuzzle, serenade, and smother over the melodic passages like a woman inflamed with emotion. Her sultry vocal curls on "Little Piece" are smoking and become nurturing on the title track and "Beautiful Me." The songs are like nourishment for the soul especially when she breaks into the acoustic session of "Birthday Suit" and recites, "Dressed up in my birthday suit/ It's the first day of my life/ Don't expect you to understand/ Been here a thousand times…Today I walked away from fear that kept chasing me all these year." Her words inspire the depth in the arrangements.
  
  The jazz-pop ballad "Not To Me" begins with a soft, fluid tempo then shifts gears into a full blown symphony bloating the chord progression and jet-skiing the vocal action. The thicket of strings and horn whorls on "Time To Go Home" paraglide through the soul-jazz-cratered peaks and troughs creating a deep caressive motion. The gospel-soul intonations on "Show Me A Sign" have an Oleta James-style phrasing and the blues-soul ballad "It's Over" is primped with melodic strips of hierarchical strings balanced by earthy piano spruces. The final track "The Nest" has a catchy square dancing beat flanked by emotive vocal grooves to match and polished upbeat guitar slants. It's a number you can't get out of your head once it goes in.
  
  Picking Daisies is the follow up to Bhushan's 2005 EP The Shelly Show. Her band includes John Celentano (drums), Ben Hoffstein (organ/piano), and Harry Cordew (bassist/backup vocals) with guest appearances by Rob Moose (violin), Martha Colby (cello), Greg Glassman (trumpet), Ian Young (alto saxophone), Dimitri Moderbacher (tenor/baritone saxophone), and guitarists James Cruz, Mark Turrigiano, and Oscar Bautista. The album puts Shelly Bhushan's best foot forward and leads the listener to wonder why these songs aren't played on their favorite radio stations. Soul-jazz isn't usually a format played on Top 40 radio but after hearing Picking Daisies, I just can't tell you why.
  
  

• Review - Picking Daisies [+ Show ]
  

  If Amy Winehouse is a little too rehab-retro for you, or, like me, you were disappointed by the slic...If Amy Winehouse is a little too rehab-retro for you, or, like me, you were disappointed by the slick sounding mess that was Joss Stone's last record, Shelly Bhushan is right up your alley. Shelly's new record Picking Daisies is a smoldering blend of soulful jazzy funk and southern Memphis soul all anchored by her incredibly powerful voice. The emotion just pours out of the songs from the horn infused groove of Beautiful Me to the slow burning lover's lament of It's Over. Shelly even gets down to her Austin, Texas roots on the hand clapping, foot stomping, country tinged album closer ,The Nest.
  
  So if you're craving for some soul with real emotion to back it up, you need Picking Daisies.

• What does record need to be labeled as a real "soul" album? [+ Show ]
  

  What does record need to be labeled as a real "soul" album? A great voice, real musicians and good s...What does record need to be labeled as a real "soul" album? A great voice, real musicians and good songs. Picking Daisies, the first full length album by New York singer Shelly Bhushan scores 3 out of 3. And like on all good soul records she sings about guys messing with her feelings.
  
  Shelly Bhushan is from Texas and brings a tough of the deep south to the funky Motown heavy musical backing. She uses a real string section, live horns and thus brings back the glory days of late sixties pop. This lady should make it ten times as big as Joss Stone.
  

• The Top Best Female Artist Overlooked in 2006 [+ Show ]
  

  Nominees: Emm Gryner Miwa Gemini Shelly Bhushan Fiona Joy Hawkins Marisa Yeaman Mary Lee ...Nominees:
  Emm Gryner
  Miwa Gemini
  Shelly Bhushan
  Fiona Joy Hawkins
  Marisa Yeaman
  Mary Lee Kortes of Mary Lee's Corvette
  Theresa Miele
  La Petite Jacqueline (Jacqueline Francis)
  Robin Aigner of Royal Pine Music
  Mandy Ventrice
  
  Winner: All
  All of these female singer-songwriters put out brilliant albums in 2006 but little attention was given to them other then the traffic they garnered on their myspace sites. With a team of family and friends, they booked their own tours and sold their CD's out of a suitcase in the back of the clubs they played. They worked their hearts out to make enough money for gas, food, laundry, maps, and phone calls to club owners to book their next show. It is the life of a nomad and yet these women would not trade in that caravan lifestyle. They do it so they can share their songs with audiences and make an impact on peoples lives like the way people have inspired songs in them. – Susan Frances
  

Setlist

Set list can last anywhere from 45 minutes - 90 minutes long: All The Time, You're Mine, Make Believe, Do You Really Wanna Go there Again?, Feather, Heat, Beautiful Me, Picking Daisies, Birthday Suit, Taken, GoodTime, Too Hard to Fall, Run, Time to Go Home, Little Piece, Let Me Go, Not to Me, Perfect Stranger, Impossible Love, It's Over, The Nest, Show Me a Sign, Loud and Clear, Mr. Unicorn, Unrequited Love Song (NY), Something Out of Nothing

Basic Requirements

Calendar