Julie Foldesi

Julie Foldesi: Live at Joe’s Pub
November 18th, 2008 · No Comments · Columns
Singer-songwriter Julie Foldesi is just what she claims to be: “a country girl livin’ in the city.”  Cliché as this may be, Foldesi has an essence about her that is comfortable yet stylish, simple but complicated, and she wears her heart on her sleeve, but is very wise to the world.  Her persona has duality; and I think country meets city makes for some pretty amazing music.

Julie’s friends, family and fans gathered at Joe’s Pub in the East Village Monday night to hear her and her eight piece band play in celebration of the release of her first full length album, “This Part of Town.”  It was the meeting of a very eclectic crowd…fans of country and bluegrass, members of the Broadway community (Julie’s day job is performing as a swing in Lincoln Center Theater’s South Pacific—beats temping, doesn’t it?), and quite a few fresh faces to the downtown music scene came together.  We at The 8th Avenue Observer were already admirers of Julie’s music—we had the opportunity to speak with her earlier this year about the upcoming release of her album.  By the end of the night, these strangers were brought together by music, creating a “family” type connection.
Julie’s music can do that to people; it can bring them together because of her willingness to bear her soul through song and take people on her journey.  She doesn’t say much in concert as far as song introduction goes, but its better that way.  The music truly speaks for itself.  She writes a lot about love in all its different capacities: finding it, losing it, fearing it, waiting for it…the list goes on.  The trouble with most love songs is that they tend to seem false and don’t allow for an instant connection between the listener and the singer.  This is not a problem for Foldesi, who writes with so much honesty, sincerity, and truth that you feel like you’re looking into a window to her heart.
Julie also kept things current, singing about her feelings on politics, war, and society, among other things.  The best display of this is a song Foldesi wrote titled, “Worried ‘Bout This”, which is a stream of consciousness that explores global warming, the economic climate, the war, and the government (to name a few).  In fact, there is a line in the song that reads: “I’m worried ’bout cancer and changing beliefs, I’m worried about our commander-in-chief.”  Julie even prefaced this song by asking everyone to shout “Barack Obama” after the “commander-in-chief” phrase.  She is certainly not afraid to take risks musically, lyrically, or in everyday life.
Credit also must be paid to her fantastic band, which literally creates “country in the city” sounds.  They are the perfect accompaniment to Julie’s pure, clear-toned voice.  The layered sounds of mandolin, violin, fiddle, bass, and cello paired with a banjo, guitar and varied percussion creates a vibe that is diverse and truly special.  These perfect combinations were especially effective during “For The Road” and “Feel the Earth” which have very distinct percussion/string arrangements and also utilize well blended backup vocals (provided by Lori Eure and Cary Scope) that together create a spectacular backdrop for Julie’s vocals.  There were also some arrangements that were different than on the album.  There were many instances where lush string arrangements (brilliantly created by Jordan Jancz) were added that really gave songs like “I’d Delay” and “Should I Leave” something special and unexpected.  One of the highlights of the concert was Julie’s performance of one of her newer songs, “My Plans”, which is not on the album (and I think should be included on the next one!).  It was a treat for the crowd to hear something new and it was very warmly received.  The evening also allowed Foldesi to display all of her musical talents—spending most of the concert with her guitar, but also playing piano on the sentimental and moving “Right Here With You” and even the ukulele on the charming and clever “I’m Amazing” where Julie jokingly sings about how amazing, divine, and “the shit” she is (luckily, she is adorable enough to pull this off!).
The night concluded with what I think is Julie’s anthem, “Country Girl.”  She sings about “making music and challenging beliefs” and I think that this epitomizes what Julie’s music stands for—it speaks volumes about her personality.  Julie has the demeanor and talent to be the next big star of her own genre.  She is certainly a star on the rise, and we at The 8th Avenue Observer will be proud to say “we knew her when…”
The band:
Julie Foldesi–lead vocals, guitar, piano, and ukelele.?Michael Croiter–percussion, mandolin and guitar.?Jordan Jancz–bass and cello.?Lori Eure–backup vocals, percussion and trumpet.?Cary Scope–backup vocals, guitar, and percussion.?Dick Neal–producer/arranger, banjo, dobro, and guitar.?Doug Derryberry–guitar, electric bass, and mandolin.?Brooke McRoberts–backup vocals.?Claudia Chopek–fiddle.
By Jaimie Geddes



- The 8th Avenue Observer

Deborah Blumenthal of The 8th Avenue Observer said about THIS PART OF TOWN,
"It's country without being too country, pop without erring too mainstream, and just folksy enough to feel current. Her lyrics span from romantic to fearlessly political, creating a collection of songs that is cohesive but diverse. Paired with Foldesi's beautifully crystal-clear vocals, This Part of Town strikes the right balance, embodying, as the song 'Country Girl' expresses, 'a country girl livin' in the city.'" - Broadway World

This North Carolina native's songs range from lovelorn to political, soul-searching to self critical. "I hear some qualities of Jewel, Dixie Chicks, and maybe a touch of KD Lang. Hopefully we'll get to hear more from her in the future." - WRAL.com (NC) - WRAL.com