Julie Kelly | "Freedom Jazz Dance"

JULIE KELLY is one of the most acclaimed vocalists on the West Coast jazz scene. The veteran singer is now releasing her ninth album, FREEDOM JAZZ DANCE, an eclectic collection of 11 lesser done tunes including jazz, pop, and Brazilian standards, as well as one original. FREEDOM JAZZ DANCE follows her 2014 release Happy to Be. All About Jazz says, “Her supple and well-trained pipes can match wits with horns, effortlessly traveling the curves and contours of this music, but she never fails to also pay great attention to the meaning of lyrics and the emotional direction of a song.”

Kelly is known for being one of the hippest song stylists on the scene. She does not need vocal gymnastics to draw you in. With her naturally laid-back feel and great phrasing, she can swing like a horn or plumb the emotive depths of a ballad. She also has a special affinity for Brazilian music.

Kelly grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she and her twin sister Kate learned to love music when they sang in choirs in Catholic school. The two of them formed a folk singing act in the 1960s and spent several years playing in coffee shops and hootenannies, which were popular at the time. They performed as the opening act for Peter, Paul and Mary and eventually caught the attention of young Bill Graham, the legendary rock impresario who was at the very beginning of his career. Graham liked their act and invited them to sing at the Fillmore Auditorium

The late 1960s and early 70s were heady times, when young people were exploring new avenues of expression and often took to the road, seeking new experiences and alternative lifestyles. In 1971, with just a few dollars in her pocket, Kelly packed a backpack and took her guitar to pursue new adventures in South America. Her adventures began when she and a friend flew down to Mexico City. From there she took buses and boats down the Amazon, visiting several countries before landing in Rio de Janeiro.

Kelly spent a remarkable year in Brazil. She landed a regular gig at a café, where they wanted an American singer to sing American songs. Carlos Lyra, the great singer and composer, heard her sing and befriended her. Lyra brought her home to meet his family and introduced her to legendary musicians like Milton Nascimento and Luis Eca. When she returned from Brazil, she had not yet shaken her wanderlust and wound up in New York City, where she immersed herself in the city’s vibrant music scene, where she heard great artists like Jim Hall, Ron Carter, and Kenny Burrell.

She returned to the San Francisco Bay area in 1980 and decided to dedicate herself fulltime to a music career. She became a member of John Handy's World Music Ensemble, one of the earliest world music groups. The ensemble featured acts like an African dancer and a koto player. Kelly played guitar and sang Brazilian music.

Kelly moved to Los Angeles in 1980 and soon began her recording career, releasing her debut record, We're on Our Way, on Pausa Records. She has been a favorite with many of the top Los Angeles musicians and has worked with luminaries such as Benny Green, Nat Adderley, Ray Brown, John Clayton, Ross Tompkins, Bobby Ojeda, Gary Foster, Alan Broadbent, among many others. Leonard Feather included her in his “Encyclopedia of Jazz.”

For FREEDOM JAZZ DANCE, Kelly brought on board some of the leading lights of the younger generation of Southern California jazz artists, including pianist JOSH NELSON, who arranged all but one of the songs, guitarist LARRY KOONSE, bassist LUCA ALEMANNO, drummer DAN SCHNELLE, percussionist AARON SERFATY, saxophonist and flutist DANNY JANKLOW, and guitarist ANDREW SYNOWIEC, who plays on one number. The album was co-produced by Nelson and Kelly’s old friend, BARBARA BRIGHTON, who also produced Kelly’s previous album, Happy to Be.

Kelly opens the album with “Sunday in New York,” her homage to the time she spent in the city. It was a significant time of her life, which she honors with her painting of Central Park that graces the back cover. Kelly loves the feel and message of Gregory Porter’s “Take Me to the Alley.” It makes her think of Pope Francis, who, in his early days as head of the church used to go down to the subway in Rome to mingle with the common people.

Kelly learned some Brazilian Portuguese during her stay in Rio and often sings Brazilian songs in their original language. She sings two numbers in Portuguese, “A Ra” (The Frog), a spritely tune that is quite is popular in Brazil, and Edu Lobo’s “Ponteio.” She also sings “Al Otro Lado del Rio” (The Other Side of the River) in Spanish. The song is from the soundtrack of the 2004 film “The Motorcycle Diaries,” and received the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Kelly wrote two arrangements for FREEDOM JAZZ DANCE, including the title track, “Freedom Jazz Dance,” on which she recites the poetry of Jon Hendricks, and a sweetly gentle version of Gordon Lightfoot’s “In the Early Morning Rain,” accompanied by Larry Koonse and Andrew Synowiec on guitar. Kelly was attracted to the vulnerability and tenderness of Sting’s ballad, “A Practical Arrangement,” and co-wrote “River People” with Brazilian-American singer Catina DeLuna to honor her experiences on the Amazon River.

Kelly can really swing, as evidenced on the Bob Dorough and Fran Landesman tune, “Nothing Like You.” “Funny How Time Slips Away/Hello Like Before” is a mashup of songs by Bill Withers and Willie Nelson. She introduces the song with a few bars from the Withers’ song because she felt that it enhanced the story of the song.

Julie Kelly is known for her refined musical sensibilities and impeccable taste in choosing songs that cross musical genres. With its hip arrangements, top-notch musicians, and, of course, Kelly’s velvety tones, FREEDOM JAZZ DANCE is another beguiling project from the seasoned and esteemed vocalist.