Ken & Julie & The Eclectic Folk Project
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Ken & Julie & The Eclectic Folk Project

Middletown, New York, United States

Middletown, New York, United States
Duo Folk Singer/Songwriter

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

Press


""Songwriters of the Pine Bush Coffeehouse""

"One of the many musicians who knocked me out with talent at the Pine Bush Coffeehouse was Ken DeAngelis. His touching story song about a childhood friend, "Billy and Me", hushed the packed room as listeners hung on his every word...

Together they make wonderfully detailed music that features evocative lyrics, lovely harmonies and melodies that stay with you long after you hear them."

-Steve Israel - The Times Herald Record


""Ziavras masters the most difficult instrument""

"Soprano Julie Ziavras wowed her Montgomery listeners with her versatile voice and the variety of her repertoire from opera to folk songs…

It was Ziavras, however, who highlighted the afternoon with her warm and compelling voice, appealing presence and wide range of repertoire… Opera, art songs, lieder, contemporary music written especially for her, poetry and folk songs offered ample evidence of her dramatic sense of style and personable interpretations…She sang more than 20 songs in six languages and poured her full energy into each number with virtuosity and verve…

After intermission, Ziavras began with "Great Neck Farewell," a nostalgic ballad by her husband, DeAngelis. She accompanied herself on guitar, and was then joined by DeAngelis on guitar and Bernstein on mandolin in a set of songs written by DeAngelis. Singing together, the couple followed the rhythmic voyage of a ship in "The Dream," the glowing tones of a child's loss in "Timber Wolf," a love story through letters in "The Journal," and a playful dialogue of lovers in "Take Me for What I Am." The songs were effectively expressive of human emotions and experiences set to fresh music...

Ziavras has enjoyed great success as a singer of Greek folk songs. The next set of five songs explored the melancholy strains of "A Bright Day for Us, Too," the patriotic plea of "Where Is God?," the traditional hospitality of "Bread Is on the Table," and the tender affection of "Road of Dreams" and "Your Name." High notes of pathos, lilting phrases and poetic imagery, marked by mandolin trills, captured the spirit of Greece in these works by Stavros Xarchakos, Manos Hajzidakis and Mikis Theodorakis...

Ziavras responded to the standing ovation with another DeAngelis ballad, ‘Falling Star’, which he joined in singing with her."

-Dr. James F. Cotter - The Times Herald Record


""An enticing evening of music and poetry""

"In his introduction to the first performers, Julie Ziavras and Ken DeAngelis, a pair of delightful composer/folksingers, Chris Farlekas invited the audience to “Listen, hear and explore something in their hearts. Their eclectic selections of original songs featured gentle harmony and beautiful resonance. Their lilting songs filled the café and captivated the audience. Each song had a story or connection to it that made their short set vivid and riveting. One of these included an original by Ken called “The Dream,” a great rendition of “The Kid” and a song that was written to commemorate Ken’s long-overdue cruise to the Bahamas. That tune, entitled “Splash” was named after a Canadian band he met while on board. They concluded with a beautiful duet called “Kate and the Ghost of Lost Love.” -Richard Ross - The River Reporter


"Julie Ziavras"

"…an estimable vocalist is adding new tone and color in the heart of Greenwich Village…a pretty vocalist with a silvery voice. She held the spotlight alone, by way of introduction. Cradling her guitar, Miss Ziavras sang a variety of Greek numbers , plaintive to rhythmic, then rounded out the set with a group of English folk ballads." -Howard Thompson - The New York Times


"Review of debut CD "The Dream""

"Husband and wife duo Ken DeAngelis and Julie Ziavras present the first public offering of their musical marriage in their self-produced album The Dream, sixteen songs composed by DeAngelis, the songwriter half of the partnership. A collection of wholly original works is an awesome undertaking, and DeAngelis demonstrates remarkable breadth and technical skill, avoiding the rote sameness that many singer-songwriters fall into when stacking one composition after another. The keys and chord progressions vary widely, with themes and pace running from the silly (like 'Civil Defense Drill,' a tongue-in-cheek fond remembrance of those childhood under-the-desk exercises those of us over 40 all recall) to the sublime. Ziavras' classically trained soprano rings particularly true on DeAngelis' aching ballads like 'Great Neck Farewell,' yet blends well with DeAngelis' folky alto in vocally complex weaves on 'Timber Wolf.' The duo is joined by a handful of musician friends; Steve Bernstein's mandolin work and Elana Myers' cello strains in particular add depth and diversity to the disc.

The pure talent of DeAngelis and Ziavras combine to generate some real gems, sparkling with energy and life. 'Splash,' 'Hanging on to Every Word,' and 'Friday Next to the Sea' are all heartfelt additions to the folk genre that are likely to find themselves worked into other performer's repertoires around the folk festival circuit.

…all the elements are here for a highly successful folk music future for Ken and Julie: love, energy, songwriting talent, two great and diverse voices, and a community of talented musical friends ready to jump in and fill out the sound. Singer-songwriters would be well advised to listen carefully to this disc and learn how to keep their sound fresh and interesting over the course of a full-length set of original pieces; dj's for folk and college stations looking for fresh material will find plenty of play-worthy pieces amidst the sixteen tracks. And the folk world should keep a weather eye open for DeAngelis' future compositions; he may well become the rudder for the next generation of contemporary American folk songwriters.”
- Cindy Hill, CDReviews.com


Discography

Ken and Julie's recently released debut album entitled "The Dream" features 16 of Ken's original songs. Their music is played regularly on radio stations in the Hudson Valley, NY area that feature folk music, such as WJFF, WTBQ and WELV and has been heard on webcasts with The Art Music Coffeehouse, RelaxRadio, Perth, Australia and on Ellopia TV in Greece. Their CD "The Dream" is a part of the distinguished Peace Autograph Project at the International Museum of Peace and Solidarity in the Republic of Uzbekistan. Clips can be heard at: http://www.kenandjulie.com/hear%20our%20music.htm.

Julie Ziavras has released two solo albums of songs sung in Greek. "Simply Mavourdis" is a collection of 12 songs written and orchestrated exclusively for Julie Ziavras' voice by the renowned Greek composer Notis Mavroudis, featuring beautiful melodic vocals accompanied by acoustic Greek traditional and classical instruments, such as bouzouki, tzoura, with Greek traditional rhythms and modes. "Greek Live", is a series of live recorded performances with the music of renowned Greek composers such as Hadjidakis, Xarcakos, Tsitsanis and rembetika music, which is considered the blues music of Greece.

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

“Ken and Julie: love, energy, songwriting talent, two great and diverse voices... the pure talent of DeAngelis and Ziavras combine to generate some real gems, sparkling with energy and life.” (Cindy Hill, CDReviews.com)

Singer/songwriter Ken DeAngelis and soprano Julie Ziavras present acoustic, original, contemporary folk music with story telling, thought provoking lyrics, rich harmonies, and a strong repertoire of contemporary, international and traditional folk covers. They appear either as a duo or as Ken and Julie & the Eclectic Folk Project with up to six additional players including; bass, cello, mandolin, flute, piano and hand percussion, adding depth and diversity to their sound.

Ken and Julie's recently released debut album entitled "The Dream" features 16 of Ken's original songs. The music and lyrics tell stories, often describing personal experiences, and reviewers have described them as "personal, yet universal in scope, poignant and heartfelt.” The songs focus on critical events in people's lives; events that will end in tragedy or growth, taking listeners through an emotional journey. Ken and Julie perform these songs as a beautiful and lyrical story of life.

"Together they make wonderfully detailed music that features evocative lyrics, lovely harmonies and melodies that stay with you long after you hear them." (Steve Israel, Times Herald Record)

Singer/songwriter Ken DeAngelis, studied music, accordion and songwriting at an early age, teaching himself guitar and harmonica. His original songs incorporate his unique guitar flat and fingerpicking styles. “DeAngelis demonstrates remarkable breadth and technical skill, avoiding the rote sameness that many singer-songwriters fall into…the keys and chord progressions vary widely, with themes and pace running from the silly to the sublime,” (Cindy Hill, CDReviews.com) making his music expressive, "vivid and riveting." (Richard Ross, The River Reporter) "And the folk world should keep a weather eye open for DeAngelis' future compositions; he may well become the rudder for the next generation of contemporary American folk songwriters.” (Cindy Hill, CDReviews.com) Ken has been featured on radio, television, at numerous song festivals and has won awards at song competitions. He has performed with the " Fast Folk" organization of NYC and has shared the stage with prominent artists in the folk scene such as Pete Seeger, Cliff Eberhardt, Artie and Happy Traum, Richard Schindell, John Gorka, blues artist Savoy Brown, among others.

Soprano Julie Ziavras, is known for her diversity of repertory and styles and her ability to infuse a classical technique with the popular and folk genres. She has been featured as both a folk and classical singer in concert, radio and television in the U.S. and abroad in a repertory ranging from opera and traditional folk, to Greek and international ballads. She holds both bachelor and master's degrees from the Manhattan School of Music. A New York Times reviewer described her as "an estimable vocalist with a silvery voice…cradling her guitar…she held the spotlight alone." Dr. James Cotter of the Times Herald Record said that "Soprano Julie Ziavras masters the most difficult instrument, wowing her Montgomery listeners with her warm and compelling voice, appealing presence and wide range of repertoire… pour(ing) her full energy into each number with virtuosity and verve."

Ken and Julie have appeared in concert and at folk venues throughout the Hudson Valley, NY and the New York metropolitan area including; The Puffin Cultural Forum, Bodles Opera House, Howland Center, Paramount Theater, Arden House, The Riverfest, Grand Montgomery Chamber Music Series, Lycian Theater, Mohonk Mountain House, Storm King Arts Center, The Seelig Theater (Sullivan County Community College), Warwick Valley Winery, Donnell Library, NYC, New Rochelle Public Library, Merkin Hall, American Cancer Society fund-raiser, Washington, DC, the Year of the Rabbit, MD and for the Friends of Music Mansion Series. Their music has been heard on webcasts with The Art Music Coffeehouse, RelaxRadio, Perth, Australia and on Ellopia TV in Greece. Their music was recently chosen to be part of a compilation album entitled "Protest Songs For A Better World, Vol II." They have been recipients of the New York State Council of the Arts Grants. In September, 2005, Ken & Julie completed a concert tour with Broadway Concerts Direct, for which they performed their music in theaters in six cities in Nova Scotia.

Band Members