Andrea Wolper
Gig Seeker Pro

Andrea Wolper

New York City, New York, United States | INDIE | AFTRA

New York City, New York, United States | INDIE | AFTRA
Band Jazz Singer/Songwriter

Calendar

This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

Press


""The Small Hours" Review"

Wolper has infused all of the music with her own smoldering understatement, as if the fire within remains under control, though the possibility of its ignition, or even its explosion, creates tension throughout the CD. . . [she] has developed a unique approach for performing all of the songs on "The Small Hours," though the pace of the rhythm and the refinement of her own alto remain constant. It would be tempting to choose several favorites from her song list, but that would be unfair. All of her arrangements are entirely original, not copying from anyone else, but rather making her own personality a vital component of the music. . . With Andrea Wolper's musical essay about the feelings from the night, she has made her return to recording something special. Her smartness at reinterpreting standards or writing her own music, not to mention her sophisticated coolness, has created a recording unlike any other, and it does deserve attention from jazz listeners.
(Read in full at www.AndreaWolper.com) - Jazz Improv, Bill Donaldson


""The Small Hours" Review"

Blending June Christy with Julie London seems the vocal equivalent of adding shaved ice to cocoa. Yet Andrea Wolper, an increasingly popular presence on the New York City club circuit, makes the mixture delightfully palatable. . . Wolper breaks new ground with Dietz and Schwartz' "You and the Night and the Music,” which is reinvented as an impassioned tribal chant, and Bobby Timmons' rambunctious "Moanin'" is slowed to a snail's pace. Wolper has a sense of humor, too, as demonstrated on her own "Gray, Not Blue," a cheeky compendium of just about every imaginable blues cliche, and irony, cunningly hidden in the brave-faced folds of her "Not Sleeping in Your Arms."
(Read in full at www.AndreaWolper.com) - Jazz Times, Christopher Loudon


""The Small Hours" Review"

. . . what a delivery! Wolper sounds as if she’s singing just for you . . . Hushed at times, smoky, emotion-laden, singing just for you. . . she’s come up with one of the strongest and most interesting vocal efforts of the year.
Dan McClenaghan, AllAboutJazz.com
(Read in full at www.AndreaWolper.com) - AllAboutJazz.com, Dan McClenaghan


"Performance: Live at Makor"

. . .a brave, unpredictable and soulful singer whose warm and sensual voice draws the listener into her delectable world. . . Ms. Wolper is an artist of uncompromising sincerity and creativity. When she is on stage, it is obvious how much she likes to connect with her audience. . . Her charm, grace and versatility made this a poignant and meaningful musical event.
(Read in full at www.AndreaWolper.com) - JazzNow.com, Ayana Lowe


""The Small Hours" Review"

. . . a singer with an uncanny emotional touch for the past 50 years of jazz. She fills torch songs with sensual longing, then makes abstract vocal improvisations feel intimate as meaningful conversation. . . highly recommended for anyone who believes in the timeless essence of cool.
(Read in full at www.AndreaWolper.com) - Tuscon Citizen, Chuck Graham


""The Small Hours" Review"

. . . a reminder that the voice is indeed the "first instrument." The way Wolper elicits emotion and passion suggests she actually cares about singing, and is not simply going through the motions. "The Small Hours" is strongly recommended, in large part, because each selection tells a unique story.
(Read in full at www.AndreaWolper.com) - All About Jazz (Los Angeles), Eddie Becton


"Concert Recommendation"

. . . a smart, sophisticated set of smoky classics, bluesy originals, and a handful of offbeat songs all the more welcome for being underexposed. . . Guitarist Ron Affif and bassist Ken Filiano wrap their strings gently around Wolper's rich voice. Victor Lewis and Jamey Haddad take turns on the drum stool, while Frank London's trumpet and Lou Marini's flute add dashes of color. - Time Out New York


"Profile, Concert Recommendation"

To hear the effortless, warm notes that Wolper conjures forth is to hear the sound of a woman truly born to sing. Her voice soars and slides as though perfectly at home, stepping softly down well-worn hallways of smoky jazz, climbing gracefully up stairs of cheery elegance, and descending fearlessly into darkened basement corners of melancholic blues. With a repertoire that comprises uniquely interpreted standards, original compositions, and even the odd poem set to music, Wolper offers up a variety of textures and moods in her music. - Centre Daily Times, Cole Hons


"Concert Recommendation"

Andrea. . . simmers on jazz swingers. . . Her throaty fondling of melodies recalls some of those '50s-era white girls (Chris Connor, June Christy, Julie London), but ultimately seems more indebted to the late Carmen McRae and her ilk; like McRae, Wolper understands the importance of jazz's lyric content—not shying away from starkness, dark beauty or introspection—and knows how to engage her sidemen as sly, interpretive co-conspirators. - Willamette Week, Tim DuRoche


""Andrea Wolper" Debut CD"

. . . her voice is clear and rich and she slides off the beat just enough to really swing while her backing trio is inventive and tight. The set is mostly familiar stuff with leanings towards the blues. Her languid swing on "What’s Your Story, Morning Glory" and "Angel Eyes" is perfect and her a capella introduction to Billie Holiday's "Left Alone" captures the song’s stark power. This is a good low-key session. Wolper seems to really understand the nuances of jazz singing. - Cadence, Jerome Wilson


Discography

As leader:
Parallel Lives (Jazzed Media) 2011
The Small Hours (VarisOne.Jazz) 2005
Andrea Wolper 1998
As co-leader:
TranceFormation Live at The Stone and Korzo (New Artists) 2012
As sideperson:
Mark Weber Xerxpress (poetry and music)
Art Lillard's Heavenly Big Band (forthcoming)

Photos

Bio

*** PLEASE VISIT www.AndreaWolper.com for complete information, including sound samples, national and international booking contacts, reviews, downloadable presskit, calendar, photos, and more. Thank you very much. ***

Quick highlights:

New York: JVC New York Jazz Festival, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (Jazz at Lincoln Center), Blue Note, Iridium, Sweet Rhythm, 55 Bar, Cornelia Street Cafe, Makor.

National: JazzonthePlazz.com (CA), KRML's Jazz and Blues Co. (CA), Fairfax Jazz Festival (CA), Sydney's Blues & Jazz (DE), Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz (CT), and many, many more.

International: Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal, South Africa

"Her command is impressive. She brought vibrant energy, beauty, sophistication to our concert, handling the material with great ease, maturity in jazz, and sheer delight. Her entire presentation, from her musical talents to her dynamic ability to entertain and connect with audiences have us looking forward to a long musical association." (Nick Mathis, concert producer)

".utterly original. . . breathtaking. . . delicious (All About Jazz)

"Refusing, in utterly refreshing ways, to follow each song's furrowed emotional path, she instead opens them up for wider examination, demonstrating that for each yin there is a yang." (JazzTimes)

"A vocal master class for where jazz vocals should be heading today" (Digital Jazz News)

Please see AndreaWolper.com for bio, soundclips, and more.