Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Hardworking pianist-composer has a nice way of bending musical genres... a four-piece rock band featuring members of Groove Collective and Chuck D's Fine Arts Militia. Eclectic? You bet ya. - Andrew Aber
As a young piano crooner, Velard has piqued the interest from A&R people who see another John Maher on the horizon. - Al Hunter Jr.
Velard's carefully crafted music falls squarely into the pop category. His repertoire includes an unnerving interpretation of "The Way You Make Me Feel" that hints at what the song might have been if Michael Jackson were an unsung barroom musician in New Orleans. - John Donohue
Velard has a deep rich voice that seems to seeking to bring classic pop genres back to the masses... - Andrew Aber
…merges the jazzy delivery of Mark Murphy with the raspy colloquies of Tom Waits. He gets into a song, selling it like a bohemian Tom Jones... something here worth catching. - Karl Stark
Velard professes the swagger, and exuberance of let's say, a Harry Connick Jr. or Peter Cincotti... certainly one to watch. - Glenn Astarita
There's a new genius on the block, and his name is Julian Velard. The only explanation for Julian's incredible gifts would be that Norah Jones and Ben Folds are his parents, but that's just my completely impossible little fantasy. With his gorgeous voice and brilliant songwriting, Julian has hypnotized and made a huge fan out of me, and a bunch of other New Yorkers. - Marci Perillo
I am certain that Julian Velard one day will be a superstar. His songs are perfect and passionate with intelligent lyrics that paint vivid pictures of human nature and behavior... His talents lie in his booming vocals that captivate you from the start, his ability to change styles and forms and his musical ear, which grows and grows - Greg Joseph
...megatalent...guaranteed to generate feminine moisture...not so much concocting life dramas as revealing them. Undislikable. - Greg Burk
His compositions indicate clearly that he is a composer of eminent individuality. He is also an extraordinary vocalist and pianist. In fact I have no doubt that Velard is the substance that geniuses are made of... - Grammy Winning Composer
Discography
The Movies Without You EP (2006)
Make Me Feel 3.27.03 (2003)
Nitetime (2003)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Me: A curly haired, native New Yorker living in Brooklyn, former video store delivery boy to the Stars, son of a French immigrant and 4-Time Jeopardy Champion from Alabama. Ive done a slew of bizarre jobs to support myself, anything from teaching pre-k gym, to sweeping streets in Paris, to lying to focus groups for money. Wrote my first song at 16 about Pee-Wee Herman but never got the nerve to send it to him. I get most of my inspiration while walking, listening to music through a busted ipod, reading the New York Post, doing all three at once gets me a lot of bruises. Been touring incessantly the past few years in search of higher life forms like myself, and to my amazement, the list keeps growing.
The Music: Its a weird brand of classic, psych as in psychiatric, Piano pop, (no guitars allowed folks), 2006 cum 1979 style Rock and Roll. I made it over the summer with someone even crazier than me, ukulele and banjo expert/record producer Roger Greenawalt. All my music nerd friends play on it, but surprisingly still rocks. Its about the movies, my favorite things in the world. Its about going to them by yourself, the feeling you get from watching them over and over till everything you see, hear, and think plays out like one. Think of a Guys and Dolls era Musical starring Steve McQueen and Bill Murray, scored by Harry Nilsson with Michael Jackson circa The Wiz and Taj Mahal singing all the songs. Pretty cool huh?
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