Gina Sobel
Charlottesville, Virginia, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
Want to spend your Saturday night being serenaded by a sultry, arresting siren? You’d be crazy to say “nah, some other time,” because this siren won’t actually kill you. But her songs will real you in and are sure to hypnotize. Thus, without further ado, join local flutist and singer-songwriter Gina Sobel on Saturday, February 19th, for the anticipated release of her solo album, Seeds of the Street.
This stripped-down recording features Sobel’s warm, nuanced vocals and perceptive, artful songwriting, as well as generous snippets of her well-known flute playing. Her unique sound is nothing but a textured blend of soulful blues, earthy folk, and rhythmic jazz. From a young age, Sobel has taken her own path, focusing on flute and saxophone, despite what pop culture was telling her. Sobel plays regularly around Charlottesville, from solo acts at Bonefish to her Americana-fusion band, The Rock River Gypsies.
There will be an early dinner show at Siips from 7-8:30p featuring a variety of musical friends, and a more rollicking late-night performance at Maya beginning at 10p. Sobel will be joined by a full band at Maya featuring Dhara Goradia {upright bass}, and Brett Jones {guitar} and Jack Kilby {drums}, both of local band Sevenatenine.
- Cville Niche
Discography
Seeds of the Street - Released February 2011
At Long Last (with the Rock River Gypsies) - Released March 2011
Photos
Bio
Gina Sobel's arresting sound is a textured blend of soulful blues, earthy folk, and cerebral, rhythmic jazz. Her songwriting is difficult to pigeonhole, drawing from influences as diverse as middle sixties Americana, West African roots music and twentieth-century bop. This amalgam is no accident; Gina's childhood was suffused with music of every kind, and she flourished as a young woman playing alongside her father, jazz guitarist Mike Sobel. It was in these early days that Gina developed her keen improvisational ear aGina Sobel grew up in a jazz household, and that improvisational spirit is found throughout her music. She is a remarkably versatile musician; her first love was the flute and she cut her teeth playing with her father’s jazz band by the time she was 12. She soon picked up the saxophone and also began to refine her voice, which can be characterized by its smoky lows and powerful highs, a testament to the impact of her love for the likes of Nina Simone and Joni Mitchell. In college, Gina was drawn to the guitar and began songwriting, heavily influenced by middle 60s Americana and later Western African Roots music and fusion groups such as Dispatch and the Derek Trucks Band, all while keeping her feet firmly rooted in the world of jazz. Gina currently makes her home in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she is known for her bombastic flute playing, powerful voice and her insightful and richly textured writing.
Gina's diverse musical palette can be experienced in many formats including:
Solo acoustic
Duo w/ bass or electric guitar
Full rock band format
Jazz/funk combo (instrumental)
Jazz combo (with vocals)
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