Dessy Di Lauro

Her style, her voice, her originality makes an incredibly talented singer/artist named Dessy Di Lauro enjoyable to watch and even more pleasant to listen to. Diversity in her background has influenced and helped with creating a sound in what Dessy calls ‘’Fro-Hawk Futuristic Art Deco Centric Harlem Renaissance Hep Music.’’

RnB Mag: First off, I want to say how much I enjoyed your performance at the House of Blues the other night. You were just amazing.

Dessy: Thank you so much. Thank you for coming out.

RnB Mag: My first question is, how would you describe the ‘’Dessy Di Lauro’’ sound? And am I pronouncing your name correctly?

Dessy: It is Dessy Di Lauro (pronounced D’Laro). I describe my sound as ‘’ Frohawk Futuristic Art Deco Centric Harlem Renaissance Hep Music’’. It’s 1930’s influence meets the future. A mix of soul with hip hop.

RnB Mag: A great way to describe it. Who are your musical influences, past and present?

Dessy: Oh there’s so many. I would say Sarah Vaughn, Cab Calloway, Chaka, Luther, Stevie, Whitney. Because of my mixed ethnicity, I grew up around so many different kinds of music. There was jazz, soul, and more eclectic music like Brazilian, Salsa. I was raised in the church so I was also exposed to Gospel at a very young age. I would say Church was my first school of singing. I was a hip hop child so that of course has some influence on my music. I would say my music is jazzy and soulful but still hip hop.

RnB Mag: Your first album, ”A Study of a Woman’s Soul’’ came out in 2004. How did it all come together?

Dessy: Well, my partner Ric’key Pageot writes, produces and plays the keys for me. We worked on it together in Montreal, Canada, which is where I am from. It was an organic take, a lot of ballads, about the hard times I was going through at the time. I expressed all of this in my music. It was a mix of soul with Latin influences. I am part Brazilian and Italian, so all of this went into my sound. I am evolving as an artist, so my sound is changing. But I hold this album close to my heart.

RnB Mag: Your second album,’’Jump N’ Jivin’: Live at The Swing House’’, came out in 2010. How does this album compare in style of music to your first album?

Dessy: I had this vision and concept on the style of music for a while, but had to wait for the right time. It’s a lot more up tempo than the first. They are songs about strength and telling it like it is. Like I said, they were ideas and concepts and it all just came together and we took off with it.

RnB Mag: As an independent artist, do you feel that gaining exposure is easier now thanks to the internet or it still a long and tough road?

Dessy: I have mixed feelings on this. I say this because it’s great that we can reach out to a larger audience, but it’s harder to breakthrough as an Indie artist. The problem is because of the internet, millions of more artists are going for it, so it’s harder to stick out . As an independent artist, I have to do everything on my own. I am on my hustle all the time. But I keep pushing and keep promoting knowing it will be worth it.

RnB Mag: What’s in the pipeline for Dessy Di Lauro?

Dessy: 2012 is looking to be a great year. I finally have great representation and have found people that will get my career to the next level. There are a few singles I will be putting out along with music videos. We are planning a campaign so that we can get out to the massed. It’s been an exciting past couple of weeks. We are working on a full length album and hoping to get on tour.

RnB Mag: Lastly, what’s the message or inspiration that you’d like listeners to take from you music?

Dessy: I am a strong advocate for women and feel that women can now do anything. I am strong on my messages. I am all about integrity and speaking out for what you believe in. I guess the one word I would use is strength. Be strong and do what you do.

RnB Mag: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with RnB Magazine. Is there anything else you would like to add?

Dessy: You’re welcome. I have a music video on Youtube called ‘’Why U Raggin’’ and you can also check me out on my website at dessydilauro.com

Interview by Michelle Facundo
- R'N'B Magazine

Just when you thought summer was ending, the staff at The Piano Rouge are gonna turn up the heat and put a little swing in your step with a night filled with cabaret, jazz and some fine wine. This evening, August 29th, The Piano Rouge is rolling out the red carpet for local montreal natives Dessy Di Lauro and her keyboardist (and husband) Ric’key Pageot.This glamorous evening will hold two unique concerts with the award winning pair. Travel back through time to the era of garters, cabaret and prohibition (but don’t worry, it’s still legal to drink).

The dynamic duo are currently touring with Madonna on her 2012 MDNA tour, but have decided to drop by their home town to entertain and dazzle us with two stunning performances. The first show begins at 8pm, but you’ll want to arrive early for the red carpet at 7pm sharp. The following show will be at 10:45pm, with a red carpet starting at 10.

Dessy is a veteran of Montreal’s R&B scene, and grew up on strong jazz and Cuban musical backgrounds. The “Feathered Frohawk” gal brings a one-of-a-kind flavor to the stage, combining elements from the “Speak Easy Era” with feathered hair pieces and paper boy caps.

Be sure to swing by for a glass of wine and a truly incredible performance, this evening at The Piano Rouge. Tickets are $30 at the door.

I will be Nudabiting throughout the evening, so be sure to follow me on twitter @jessie_cat for updates in case you miss the show.

Piano Rouge is located at 22 Saint Paul est Montreal Qc H2Y 1G3
- Nudabite.com

MTL’s Di Lauro & Pageot headline Piano Rouge during night off from Madonna tour-

I became an instant fan of internationally-renowned Montreal musicians Dessy Di Lauro and Ric’key Pageot between sets at their sold-out hometown concert at Jello Martini Lounge this past New Year’s Eve when they actually came over to my table to say hello to my parents.

This kind of gesture is notable because few pros today take the time to work an audience old-school style like one of my all-time heroes, Mr. B.B. King, whom always has time to shake a hand. Always.

“Come sit next to me, young man!” Mr. King told my 80-year-old father one night on King’s tour bus.

Dessy is a bit of an old-school throwback musically too. She describes her original songs as “Feathered Frohawk Futuristic Art Deco Centric Harlem Renaissance Hep Music,” deeply influenced by the likes of Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. She has also often been compared to another up-and-coming star, Janelle Monai.

“People often compare us but we’re so different in styles,” Di Lauro (pronounced D’Laro) says. “But we kind of have a similar concept. I love that whole [speak-easy] era. Folks like Cab Calloway who wasn’t just an amazing singer but an amazing dancer! And all those guys gave us swing.”

If Monai, Charles Bradley and Frank Ocean are my fave Montreal concerts of 2012 (so far), then Dessy’s Jello gig – featuring such a big band the horn section actually played on the dancefloor – ranks as my fave by local musicians. Shortly afterwards Di Lauro and her bandleader Ric’key Pageot (they are also husband and wife) returned to their home base in L.A. where Pageot embarked on Madonna’s current MDNA 2012 world tour, as the Material Girl’s keyboardist and piano player.

“When I did my first tour [with Madonna in 2009] I didn’t know [then] what I was really getting into, but this time I realize the importance of what I’m doing,” Pageot says. “Working for Madonna is like going to school – that’s the word that comes to mind: School. I’m learning how they put their show together, the technology behind it. This tour is the best musical-profession school you could ever have.”

Madonna invited Pageot back after he impressed her with his playing piano, keyboards and accordion on her 2009 Sticky & Sweet world tour, just a few years after Pageot also became the youngest musical director ever hired by Cirque Du Soleil, on their arena-touring Production of Delirium which also featured Di Lauro sharing lead vocals.

“It’s true many couples can’t handle working together on top of a personal relationship but we have absolutely no problem,” Dessy says. “In fact, the more we’re together the better it is. That’s when the magic happens.”

Ric’key agrees. “For us it’s actually harder to be apart. And professionally and musically, we’re also on the same page.”

With the European leg of Madonna’s MDNA 2012 world tour over last week, Pageot is back in Montreal with Di Lauro. They’ve rounded up their old band for a two-concert, one-night-only red-carpet affair at Le Piano Rouge on August 29, on the eve of Madonna’s August 30 concert at the Bell Centre.

“Madonna’s people will be there watching [our] show and meeting our friends,” Dessy says. “It’ll be a red-carpet event.”

And Dessy can sing anything. She became a go-to session singer after being featured in Dubmatique’s La Force De Comprendre (the first French-Canadian rap album to go platinum) and recently she also recorded back-up vocals for one of my all-time favourite roots-reggae performers, Rocky Dawuni of Ghana. “I’m all over his new album and Rocky is so easy to work with, he’s so laidback,” says Dessy.

Meanwhile, when he’s not touring with the likes of Madonna and Diana Ross, Pageot keeps himself busy too: He co-wrote the song Missing You for Jill Scott’s 2011 Award-winning album The Light of the Sun. “It was an honour that she chose our song to record,” Pageot says. “And you’re the first I tell this to: I’ve also written a song that will be on the new Earth Wind & Fire album!”

Dessy, whose credits include singing in the acid-jazz band Bullfrog alongside DJ Kid Koala and writing songs for Ginette Reno, will release her new Pageot-produced solo album in early 2013. “We want to put it out in time for Black History Month,” says Dessy.

Di Lauro is also excited to headline New York’s legendary nightclub The Blue Note on September 7.

“To play at The Blue Note has been a dream of mine ever since I was a kid,” she says, smiling broadly. “I was nervous when I [first] played there [this past May) but I’m really excited this time! So if you miss us at Piano Rouge, come see us play in New York!”

The Dessy Di Lauro Red Carpet Show at Le Piano Rouge (22 Rue St-Paul East) on August 29 will feature two separate shows recreating the ambiance of 1920s and 1930s clubs in harlem, at 8 pm (red carpet beginning at 7 pm) and 10:45 p.m (red carpet beginning at 10 pm). Tickets: $30. Click here for the official FB event page.

Click here for the official Piano Rouge website and here for Dessy Di Lauro’s official website.
- The Montreal Gazette

When you’re in the entertainment business and constantly on tour, you can go months without ever seeing the inside of your home. If you’re single, it’s no big deal, but for a madly in love married couple, it’s quite a challenge. Just ask Los Angeles-based Canadian musicians Dessy Di Lauro and Ric’Key Pageot. They met while working together on Cirque Du Soleil and have been together for nine years and married for six. Spending the better part of a year apart to pursue their individual career dreams is commonplace in their marriage, but the work they’ve had to put in to keep their bond in tact has only made them stronger.

Right now, Pageot, an internationally-known composer, producer, and musical director, is busy off on an international tour with Madonna, while award-winning singer Di Lauro is living back at home in Los Angeles. Despite their chaotic schedules, together they’re working virtually to put the finishing touches on their new album, due out this February, and providing a shining example of what it truly means to make it work. Read their secrets below!

ESSENCE.COM: What has marriage taught you both about love?
DI LAURO: It’s work! You’ve got to put in the work. You’ve got to be patient.
PAGEOT: You’ve got to communicate. Personally, the way I see marriage is that I married the woman I can’t live without and not just the woman that I can live with. Dessy is my lover. She’s my best friend. She’s my soul mate. She’s my partner in every sense and every form. We have a deeper connection than most.

DI LAURO: Respect is a big thing, too. You have to have a lot of respect for one another. We always communicate with a higher level of respect.

ESSENCE.COM: How do you stay so well in tune with each other when you’re both touring separately?
DI LAURO: For me, it’s really difficult. I’m so used to having him around. Not only are we very connected and strong as a couple, but we’re connected musically as well. So, when he’s not around, I lose out in both aspects. I try to keep my spirits up and keep busy with continuing our music so that when he gets back we can continue where we left off.

PAGEOT: My first tour with Madonna was her Sticky Sweet Tour in 2008. After that tour, that’s when our original work really started to hit another level. We went all in, and everything was going really well. Then, earlier this year, I got a call to go back on tour with Madonna, and I almost didn’t take it because I’m honestly really happy working with my wife and staying at home. A lot of people don’t like to be with their spouses 24/7, but for me it’s the opposite. I’m happier when I’m with my wife and doing the things we do. I can’t wait to get back to what we do as a couple, as writing partners and as partners in crime.

DI LAURO: The distance has been the toughest part in our marriage. I know it’s difficult for him, and it’s very difficult for me. We have to work very hard to keep our connection fresh. Distance pulls a lot of people apart so we do our very best to really stay connected at all times.

ESSENCE.COM: Has marriage surprised you in any way?
PAGEOT: Before we got married, everyone was saying that when you do, there will be less sex, you won’t do things together as much, and things will change. The only change for me has been that I have a ring. We have the same relationship we had before we got married. I married my best friend. There really were no big surprises.
DI LAURO: The stigma people attach to marriage is surprising. People told us that our whole world would change, we wouldn’t be close and we’d start fighting. None of that happened!

ESSENCE.COM: Are there certain ways that music plays a role in your marriage?
DI LAURO: If something inspires me, I’ll pass it on to Ric’Key right away. Our home is our office, so we’re constantly writing our own music and creating music together.
PAGEOT: Music, for us, is a spiritual bond. I’ve always noticed that when Dessy and I finish writing a song or going through an impromptu jam session, we really feel the connection between each other. And, that’s not only the music that’s bringing us together, it’s the spiritual connection we have for each other. Spirituality brings a stronger bond to a marriage. We have a marital, spiritual and musical connection. You put them all together, and that’s a very strong connection.

ESSENCE.COM: How do you keep in touch when you’re away?
PAGEOT: We speak at least twice everyday, whether it’s by phone or Skype, it has to be at least twice a day.
DI LAURO: We use our iPhone Facetime a lot so that every night his is the last face I see.
PAGEOT: Yeah, sometimes we just fall asleep looking at each other. It makes a huge difference. Sometimes we don’t say anything to each other, we just go about our business with the cameras on. But it just makes such a difference.
- Essence.com

The power of pairs can accomplish wonderful things when it comes to musical collaborations. When singer/songwriter Dessy DiLauro first met keyboardist/producer Ric'key Pageot, she was coming off a performance of Cirque de Soleil's La Nouba. They immediately clicked and became working together on numerous occasions. Both grew up with strong jazz and Cuban music backgrounds, which reflected the tone of DiLauro's 2004's debut A Study of a Women's Soul. The CrazyglueMusic release afforded DiLauro & Pageot showcases at various conferences in the U.S. and Canada and an appearance at The Montreal International Jazz Festival. The now married Montreal natives settled in L.A. after coming off another Cirque production Delirium from 2006 thru 2008 in search of opportunities to perform their own material outside the theatre setting. As DiLauro and Pageot were seeking ideas for their L.A. club schedule, they decided that they wanted to put together a project merging swing and syncopated jazz of Cab Calloway and James P. Johnson with funk and R&B.

DiLauro's sophomore disc, Jump n' Jivin' Live @ The Swing House, incorporates many of those concepts; thanks to the seamless musical direction and arrangements by Pageot and DiLauro. DiLauro's electrifying alto lights up the five-song mini concert that includes the first single "Why U Raggin?" (which won the Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best R&B/Soul Song) and an updated arrangement of "Shout Out" from A Study of a Woman's Soul - renamed "Shout Out 2.0." The three-piece Regiment Horns and rhythm section of Brandon K. Brown and Stanley Randolph nail down the swing factor while keeping the modern R&B attitude. Two of the songs are also available in studio versions. With Jump n' Jivin' Live @ The Swing House, DiLauro and Pageot's musical chemistry is stronger than ever. And the audience on that special night was truly jumpin' and jivin' right along with them.

SoulTracks Call: Highly Recommended - Soultracks.com by Peggy Lee

Brand New Rag - by Gerard Dee

If you ask Montreal-born, L.A.-based soul singer Dessy Di Lauro and her husband, producer/musician Ric’key Pageot, what the key to their partnership is, they’ll say it’s all about constructive criti­cism. “We try to keep it as professional as possible when it comes to creating and critiquing,” says Pageot, “but we both push each other to do better. I’m more the music and she’s more the melodies and lyrics, but we constantly give each other feedback and help.”

The strategy seems to be working. Di Lauro recently picked up the 2010 Hollywood Music in Media award for best R&B/soul song for her single, “Why U Raggin’?”

“You know, I truly believe in that song, and I had a great feeling about it,” says Di Lauro. “But you never really think they’re going to call your name. So it was absolutely shocking, but wonder­ful. It validated all the hard work we’ve been putting in for the past couple of years.”

That hard work is evident on Di Lauro’s latest album, Jumpin’ N’ Jivin,’ Live at the Swing House. Consisting mainly of live recordings, along with a couple of studio tracks including “Why U Raggin’?,” the set showcases Di Lauro’s unique musical style.

“The sound is a mix of soul, hip hop and ragtime,” explains Di Lauro. “That actually came from us being influenced by Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, all the music we grew up with, and also the whole New Orleans sound, the Harlem Renaissance and the music of the ’30s.”

Not only does the singer and her band talk the talk, but they actually walk the walk. “When you see us perform, we’re all dressed in zoot suits, we’ve all got the pocket-watch chains, and Dessy’s on stage with her feather fans. That’s what we’ve been doing in L.A. and people have been coming out dressed like us,” says Pageot. “So it’s really a whole concept that we’re building, not only for the stu­dio, but also for the live show, so that people can actually experience something instead of just coming to listen to another band.”

CD LAUNCH AT JELLO MARTINI LOUNGE ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, DEC. 17-18, 10 P.M.
- The Montrral Mirror, Dec, 16th, 2010

MONTREAL - Dessy Di Lauro and Ric’key Pageot are a musical power couple. The Montrealers have travelled the world with Cirque du Soleil and Pageot has toured with Madonna and Diana Ross. Now settled in L.A., they are forgoing the opportunities provided by their growing list of connections and getting back to their own music.

“It’s easy to keep going, to jump from one tour to another,” Pageot said, when I sat down with the couple this week at revived downtown hot spot Jello Martini Lounge where, home for the holidays, they will perform next weekend.

A graduate of McGill’s jazz program, Pageot met Di Lauro shortly after she returned from Florida in 2002. There, she had been a featured vocalist in the Cirque’s La Nouba show. Di Lauro, a veteran of Montreal’s funk and R&B scene, had a CV included singing in acid-jazz band Bullfrog alongside DJ Kid Koala, cooing hooks for Quebec hip-hop stars Dubmatique and penning songs for Ginette Reno.

She and Pageot hit it off immediately, recording her 2004 EP A Study of a Woman’s Soul. Her connections got the Cirque scouts out to their album launch, and before they knew it (or could even properly promote the disc), both were hired for the company’s first touring show, Delirium – Di Lauro as a vocalist and Pageot as keyboardist and musical director.

They got engaged, married and took their honeymoon on consecutive vacation breaks from the never-ending tour. While tons of fun and great exposure, the Cirque is also demanding work. The latter would prove critical for Pageot’s next gig.

Finishing the Delirium tour in 2008, he and Di Lauro were restless. They headed west – southwest, actually.

“We wanted to go up, as far as our career,” Di Lauro said. “There’s a lot more opportunity (in L.A.). It’s a music and entertainment hub. When we moved there, Ric’key got Madonna soon after.”

She makes it sounds easy, and it kinda was. Pageot had met Madonna’s musical director, Kevin Antunes, while on tour with Delirium.

“At the time, he was the musical director for Justin Timberlake,” Pageot said.

Upon arrival, he dropped Antunes a line.

“I said, ‘Hey, I just moved to L.A. I’m available if ever you need me.’ Four months later, I got a call for Madonna.”

Pageot auditioned, impressed and made it to the final two, where it reportedly came down to him and one other keyboardist. He made the cut because he played – of all things – accordion. Madonna wanted to incorporate a Gypsy jam into her show; she wanted someone who played accordion, which, luckily, he had learned for Delirium.

“It was also work ethic,” Di Lauro said.

“For Kevin, it was work ethic,” Pageot agreed. “Before hiring me, he did a lot of research about me – into my personality, my work ethic, my specialties. He’s been in the business 15 or 20 years, with New Kids On the Block, Britney.”

“People are aware that the Cirque work ethic is crazy,” Di Lauro said. They’re very strict, you work long hours and they go for perfection. That’s what (Madonna) does.”

So what was it like touring with the Queen of Pop?

“Phenomenal,” Pageot said. “She wants us to live her life, meet cool people and hang out in really cool places. Dessy got to come out a couple of times.”

“It was surreal,” Di Lauro said. “It’s a huge production. It was crazy, being in Brazil and seeing 120,000 people packed into a stadium.”

“You get used to it,” Pageot said, with a smile.

Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet Tour stopped at the Bell Centre for two sold out nights in October 2008, during which Madonna gave a special shout-out to Pageot in his hometown.

Things took off from there when he returned to L.A., thanks to more fortuitous connections. He toured with Diana Ross earlier this year, a gig he got through pal Morris Hayes, keyboardist for Prince.

“He’s my mentor,” Pageot said. “I met him when I first moved down there, at (a convention). I went to the hotel bar after, and Morris Hayes was sitting there.”

Hayes has given the pair guidance as they work their way around L.A.’s club circuit, pushing their funky new sound – a funky update of early, swinging jazz.

“We’re listening to Cab Calloway, and original stride piano stuff,” Pageot said, “James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, studying the language of back then (and updating it) for now.”

They are, of course, backed by a stellar band: drummer Stanley Randolph (who plays with Wonder); bassist Brandon K Brown (Chrisette Michelle, Jessica Simpson); and the three-piece Regiment Horns (featured on Michael Jackson’s new album).

They recently finished Di Lauro’s seven-song EP, Jumpin’ N’ Jivin’ – Live at the Swing House, which they launch here next weekend. That will buy them time as they put the final touches on her new studio album, for which Pageot would like to call in one more favour:

“I just found out that Christina Aguilera’s guitar player – who I’ve known for two or three years now – plays banjo,” he said. “When we get back to L.A., I’m going to get him on the album.”

For the launch, Pageot and Di Lauro will reunite with their Old Montreal bandmates, as well as one connection that goes way back: Pageot’s younger brother Anthony on drums.

Dessy Di Lauro performs (with Ric’key Pageot) Friday and Saturday, Dec. 17 and 18, at Jello Martini Lounge, 151 Ontario St. E., at 10 p.m. Call 514-285-2009.
- The Montreal Gazette By T’Cha Dunlevy

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Sensational Los Angeles-based soul singer Dessy Di Lauro will be performing at the televised opening ceremonies of the World Basketball Championships in Istanbul, Turkey on August 27th, 2010.

You may have seen her perform with the Cirque du Soleil arena touring show, Delirium, in 2006 at The Staples Center, hung up 50 feet in the air in a 120 foot gown as she sang in 5 different languages.

Her producer, musical director, keyboardist and husband Ric'key Pageot, founder of CrazyglueMusic, is also an accomplished musician having recently toured with Madonna (Sticky and Sweet Tour), Diana Ross (More Today Than Yesterday Tour) and Cirque du Soleil's Delirium as musical director. He will also be performing on piano and accordion alongside his wife at the FIBA ceremonies.

Upon their return to Los Angeles, they are scheduled to perform a VIP showcase of their own original material from their upcoming album at the Key Club's Plush Lounge on Oct 9th, 2010.

Dessy and Ric'key have been working hard in the studio and on stage for the past year honing their own new style of music, self-described as soul melodies over ear-catching stride piano riffs driven by modern hip hop grooves. The result is a classic contemporary sound that is sure to fill the radio airwaves in the near future.

Dessy Di Lauro and Ric'key Pageot are both available for interviews in the Los Angeles area until August 20th. Availability will resume upon their return on August 31st.

SOURCE CrazyglueMusic - PRNEWSWIRE

Extremely nice work from soul singer Dessy Di Lauro -- a warm and wonderful 6 track ep that's overflowing with sweet jazzy influences! Dessy recorded the set with keyboardist Ric'key Pageot, who really brings a special sound to the record -- taking Dessy's already deeply soulful vocals, and inflecting them with a sound that's richer and fuller than the usual Neo Soul groove! The beats are definitely on the back burner for this one, and Ric'key's keyboards set the scene with a mellow stepping style that glides along gently -- while Dessy soars over the top, in a vocal range that's as strong and powerful as Carleen Anderson on her classic work! Titles include "Shout Out", "When You Need Me", "My Inspiration", "Where Is The Light", and "City High". - DustyGrooveAmerica.com

Believe it or not, Montreal's own Dessy Di Lauro is just getting started. Although she's been singing in and out of the city for years, this disc is the first official studio recording to spotlight her honey voice. Teaming her with the soulful ear of her keyboardist Ric'key Pageot, A Study of a Woman's Soul is a sign of things to come from this duo. My picks include the undeniable soul of "Where Is the Light," the heartfelt melancholy of "Dear Mama" and the blistering bonus track "City High," showcasing the talents of Ric'key and band Jazzma. 8/10 - www.montrealmirror.com

Looking for a new name to get excited about? Try Montreal-born Brazilian-Italo-Cuban singer/songwriter Dessy Di Lauro, who has a six-track CD-EP available at www.crazygluemusic.com. Her interesting heritage shines through both the rhythms and arrangements, putting Dessy over on soul's jazzier side - just where I like it. Some very lively grooves here, especially the opening cut, Shout Out, but after repeated in-car plays, the mesmeric, mid-speed ballad My Inspiration has grown into a real personal favourite. Wish it were longer. A lot longer.
- Echoes Magazine (UK) by Chris Wells

A welcome introduction to the new talented team of Di Lauro and Pageot, A Study of a Woman's Soul is a real treat. The compositions are strong, and Pageot and the band provide a restrained but very effective backing behind Di Lauro's strong voice, which is sometimes jazzy and sometimes almost classical in its tone. The first single, "When You Need Me," is a great slice of midtempo Brazilian jazz with nice guitar work by Paolo Ramos. Perhaps even better is the second half of the disc, which has an intimate nightclub kind of feel on the fine ballads "My Inspiration" and "Dear Mama," before finishing with the Pageot instrumental, "City High."
About the only bad thing I can say about A Study is that, as an EP, it simply ends too quickly. But Di Lauro and Pageot clearly make a great first impression on this intelligent, appealing disc and make me look forward to Di Lauro's full CD, scheduled for 2006. Highly recommended.
- www.soultracks.com

Montreal songbird Dessy Di Lauro has got soul for days. She used to wow crowds with her old band Bullfrog (in which she would go toe to toe with DJ Kid Koala). She has sung with Dubmatique and did a stint with Cirque du Soleil in Florida. Last year she played the Montreal International Jazz Festival. This six-song EP finds her delivering her trademark cooled out, earthy R&B stylings, on the Jill Scott/Erykah Badu tip. It's really all about her dazzling voice, which is given room to work thanks to spacious arrangements and tasteful musicianship. The players (many of whom date back to those Bullfrog days) get a chance to vibe out on the last track, the instrumental jazz-funk groove City High. 3.5/ 5
- The Montreal Gazette June 2nd, 2005

This mini-LP serves as a perfect introduction to the raw talent of Canadian soul/jazz vocalist Dessy Di Lauro. ‘A Study of a Woman’s Soul’ harks back to the early works of Alison Crokett and India Arie. No bad thing! The part Brazilian, Italian, Cuban vocalist’s subconscious exposure to these corners of the planet is much in evidence, especially in the Latin-tinged ‘When You Need Me’; and the gospel background of her youth also comes into play on the uplifting ‘Shout Out’. Having worked anyone from Kid Koala to Steve Skinner, Dessy seems to have finally found the outlet for her voice with keyboard wiz Ric’key Pageot. The latter provides magical Fender Rhodes and backing vocals on most tracks and produced the whole LP too! So it’s only fitting that the final cut on the album, ‘City High’, should be a low-fi keyboard workout, which allows Ric’key to show off his skills. A tricky LP to get a hold of at the moment, but expect this pair to be rising to the top real soon. - Straight No Chaser (Fall 2005 issue)

Dessy Di Lauro and partner Ric'key Pageot use the same musical formula: each has something to bring to their music that the other needs, and it's likely that without it, neither artist would be where they are now.

That is, they wouldn't be an acclaimed duo making a distinctive mark on the Montreal music scene, and in the greater world of soul.

An experienced soul singer, Di Lauro can't read music. But Pageot, with his extensive musical training, says it's easy, almost natural, to take what she sings to him and create around it.

"Music doesn't start out on paper, it starts with melodies and chords ... it's in the air, so to me it doesn't make any difference whether she can read music or not," he told me in a recent interview with the two of them.

And they may not be making lots of money (yet) but their unusual collaboration has already produced some beautiful music, like on the duo's 2004 debut EP, A Study of a Woman's Soul. It's such a lush and diverse five-track disc that a lot of listeners complain it ends too quickly.

"At the time we were doing the (Montreal) Jazz Festival (2004) and wanted to get something out there so people would have a taste," Di Lauro said.

Without a lot of time to record, the pair chose five songs for the EP that had received the best reaction and which were a testament to the pair's diverse ethnic roots-she's Brazilian-Italo-Cuban, he's Haitian-and their ability to push beyond the limits of the new soul, something Pageot says lacks diversity.

Which is why the pair's taste will result in a "riskier," Latin-influenced, full-length album due sometime in 2006, Di Lauro said. Until then, check out their smooth, soulful sound live at Mercury Lounge, Friday August 19 at 8 p.m., $12.
- Ottawa Xpress Aug, 18th, 2005

Dessy Di Lauro, a lead vocalist for the Cirque Du Soleil “Delirium” tour, and Ric’key Pageot, the group’s keyboardist and musical director, step out of the spotlight of Zen and human high-wire for a two-night rendezvous with jazz.
On Friday and Saturday night, Di Lauro and Pageot will team with trumpeter Sean Jones and other local musicians for what promises to be an evening of musical pyrotechnics at Gullifty’s in Squirrel Hill. The performances will be recorded live by George Heid, jazz drummer and recording-studio owner and engineer.
Speaking from a Downtown hotel earlier this week, Di Lauro said she is looking forward to this weekend’s performance after getting to know the city during a recent Cirque tour stop. During that time, she took the opportunity to explore Pittsburgh and to participate in jam sessions at Dowe’s, CJ’s and Gullifty’s.
She said her vocal style, which combines jazz and soul, was well-received everywhere she performed. Dave Papale, manager for Gullifty’s, was sitting in the audience and invited her back to Pittsburgh for a performance.
“I jumped at the opportunity,” said Di Lauro. “I just think it’s great. Ric’key and I have been working on our music, trying to get to know people.”
In between gigs with Cirque, Di Lauro said she and Pageot have been writing music and making contacts.
Cirque Du Soleil has supported the pair’s other musical ventures. “When we have time off, they let us do our own thing and that’s working out real well,” Di Lauro said. “We did a gig in Detroit and New York and we have something scheduled for Los Angeles.”
Di Lauro, who like Pageot is from Montreal, grew up listening to all kinds of music. Her father is part Italian and Cuban and her mother is Brazilian.
After performing in an R&B group called “Co-Soul,” she joined the Orlando troupe of Cirque Du Soleil. All along, she has been slowly developing her solo career.
Di Lauro said the Gullifty’s performances will focus on new material as well as music from “A Study of A Woman’s Soul,” an extended play recording she and Pageot released last year that is about experiences in her personal life.
“When I wrote those songs, I was going through a very difficult period in my life,” said Di Lauro. “It was really a study of my soul.”
Di Lauro said one of the songs, titled “Dear Mama,” was about wanting to tell her mother something and never doing it because she was afraid her mother was going to be hurt. She said she resolved her personal conflicts and eventually had a conversation with her mother.
“I couldn’t tell her at the moment, but I eventually did,” she said.
Now, Di Lauro is ready to pour a woman’s soul out to a Pittsburgh audience.

Dessy Di Lauro and Ric’key Pageot
Where: Gullifty’s, Squirrel Hill.
When: 9 and 11 P.M. Friday; 9:30 P.M. Saturday
Tickets: $5 cover; 412-521-8222
- Nate Guidry from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette