Julia Joseph

HIGHLIGHTS:

• 2008 "Hush" WINS the popular vote for best Folk/Singer-Songwriter Album of the Year in the Independent Music Awards.

• "Hush" is currently spinning on AAA and College radio stations nationwide.

• Julia Joseph was voted Best Female Jazz Solo Artist in the New York International Independent Music Festival.

ABOUT JULIA JOSEPH:

Singer-songwriters do double-duty—not merely because they perform what they write—but because they must make the music, and then make us listen. Some get our attention by cranking up the volume, brandishing their music like a bullhorn. For her debut recording, Julia Joseph tries a subtler approach.

With an emphasis on acoustic instruments and ensemble playing, New York-area musician Julia Joseph has fashioned a collection of refined and quietly bewitching songs that blossom beyond the confines of traditional folk to embrace the dynamics one expects from jazz and blues. Her mellow alto drives the album throughout its length, inhabiting each song with an assured, sometimes delicate, warmth. The record's name is the first clue to the artist's goals: simplicity, directness and focus are announced lucidly in the title, "Hush."

Ten of the eleven songs are Julia's compositions. Her lyrics explore the challenges and uncertainties of people in transition. Whether they are trying on new locations, new lovers or new lives, Julia's songs shed light on the desire to break free even as one longs for the safe haven of home. Her stories are not tethered to any particular time or place, making them both enigmatic and universal. Her fondness for titling songs with single words like, "Dreams," "Soldier," "Trouble," "Sleep," and the title track, "Hush," adds to the mystery. Within each song, there lives a tribute to an influence that has inspired her music. "Dreams" has the breezy, unpredictable jazziness of a later-era Joni Mitchell song, while "Home" is more firmly grounded in the bluesy roots of Maria Maldaur. For the gospel showstopper "Trouble," Julia belts with the assertiveness of Phoebe Snow, but saves her Rickie Lee Jones whimsy for the album's cornerstone, "Hush."

In crafting this sound, Julia built her record from the bottom up, laying down her vocals, six-string guitar, harmonies and instrumentation on a foundation anchored by the acoustic bass. "Nothing else sounds like an upright bass," she says. "It has a delicious, story telling texture, warm and full." With acoustic bass jazz veterans Jeff Eyrich and Zev Katz securing the bedrock, the instrumental personnel of Jon Rosen (piano, organ), George Mel (drums) and electric guitarists Michael Ross, Steve Cardenas, Mike Crehore and Jimmy Mulhollan (who assists on arrangements and contributes his own one-word-title composition, "Blue," to the collection), have a performance platform that is both stately yet primal. "Hush" actually glows with the soulful ensemble playing that rises from this team.

There is a purpose to this approach. Julia is happiest when singing for others, something she knew during her years as a member of NYU's All University Gospel Choir. Performance offers Julia the chance to draw the music, musicians and audience into a common place. "The kick I get out of performing is the challenge of converting space," she says. "My goal is to bring everyone into the same experience." Her ability onstage earned Julia the prize as best female jazz solo artist in the 2004 New York International Independent Music festival. However, the challenge during 2006 was to create an album that could dwell in a space as sublime as the one Julia calls home while onstage. Great care was taken in selecting the instrumental textures and integrating them with the often-ambitious vocal harmonies that Julia assembled with support singers Janie Barnett, Emma Rivera, Katie Travis and Delilah. Wisely, Julia allowed the developing sound to find its own voice. "I have been told, for example, that my music would sound great with a cello in there," she explains, "but as work continued, I realized there was no need for a cello, so I didn't add one. I didn't have to add anything for its own sake."

With the creation of "Hush," Julia Joseph has achieved her goal of capturing the essence of her performances and putting it in a bottle. The musicians play with skill and taste, framing Julia's knack for vocal intimacy without grandstanding. Foremost is Julia herself, who styles her singing with a dedication to strike each song's sweet spot and make it radiate. "Hush" is a worthy freshman effort that sounds fully-realized on its premiere. Current fans can thank Julia Joseph for releasing a debut and getting it right, while new fans have a chance to discover an artist who is committed to artistic excellence and integrity. And twenty years from now, these people will listen to "Hush" and think, "this sounds great."

Mark Keating