Vocal
Production || Jazz
Vocalist || Inter-Arts Works
Jazz
Vocalist
Bio
| CD's & Soundclips
|
Photo Gallery
| Press | Calendar
| Links
"...sharp
and a little edgy, bold, brave, and inquiring, but joyful and happy
as well." |
|||
|
 |
||
"Vagabond"
meets Musician at the Dinner Happening |
The Story, So Far is a multi-media project including a CD/DVD release. The CD premieres new and uniquely personal compositions by Katie Bull, and fresh takes on classic jazz standards. The DVD, shot & edited by Peter Richards (second camera, Sara James), is a short surreal video translation of a live "dinner event" at Papatzul for the band. The images include a wild "walking dance" by the Bull Family Orchestra inter-arts theater ensemble of movement based improvisational performers on the streets of Soho, in Manhattan. The performers "characters" are drawn from the lyrics in the songs, where the earthly meets the fantastical. Album art by Robert Lemon. Click here for The Story, So Far Actor Portraits Click
here for BONUS TRACKS:
|
||
REVIEWS
_____________________________ JAZZ IMPROV MAGAZINE (Featured Interview in April '08 Jazz Improv Magazine is on national stands now, look for the Frank Sinatra cover). Vocalist Katie Bull defies easy labeling. She has certain similarities to Sheila Jordan, a mentor of sorts and major influence on Bull, in that her voice can take on a variety of tonal traits and stylistic characteristics without every sounding contrived or prone to imitation. “Which?,” the album opener on The Story, So Far, features some biting questions and snazzy delivery from Bull as she shoots vocal daggers this way and that atop an easy, though powerful, swing feel. Gritty saxophones and rhythmic punctuation follow her every statement and the barroom atmosphere is intensified with the yells and shouts behind the saxophone solo. As aggressive as this track is, Bull instantly changes gears and retains this characteristic, with a slight hint of Rickie Lee Jones-esque wavering added, through the lovely “A Song For Hudson’s Heart.” A few spoken word lines come in during “For All We Know” and Bull playfully scats and contributes some aural oddities as she plays around with bassist Joe Fonda toward the top of the track. Pianists Michael Jefry Stevens and Frank Kimbrough, alternating piano duties throughout the album, do an excellent job supporting Bull and integrating the piano within the framework of her songs. Bull’s voice is saxophone-like during the first notes of “Twisted” and she engages in some harmonizing and back and forth vocal discussion with herself. She twists and turns around the saxophone solo on this song and then quickly removes herself for a short time. “Half Full” begins with a stormy mish-mash of sounds that quickly takes shape with swinging cymbals and deep throaty saxophone sounds leading the way. While Bull’s vocals and the jazz content herein are the foundations of this recording, it’s important to note that her other artistic endeavors and associations with theatre and dance related projects inform and strongly influence this music. A dramatic flair is present in every song on this CD. “Next Generation Doodlin’” moves from an explanation of making a peanut butter sandwich, to a confused musical moment with a bizarre disco-vibe accompanying the “It’s Your Birthday” chant. David Phelps’ guitar underscores Bull’s breathy sounds and busier strains on “Paleontology.” Darting saxophone lines, percussive accents and some musical direction changes occur in “I Should’ve Noticed.” A bass vocal duet between Bull and Fonda, on “Go Ahead,” makes for a nice change of pace and sound. “Topanga Canyon” moves between a (mock?) new-age-ish landscape, with vocal “ohhmmmm” sounds, and a more vibrant, though occasionally bizarre, musical realm. Swooping saxophone lines move over drums and bass at the start of “There Will Never Be Another You” and Bull, delivering the lyrics and demonstrating some scatting, really gets into this song. The easy swing feel, Bull’s largely straightforward delivery and the great instrumental soloing on “Jack” makes this track a joy. “Wake Up Time” transmits a political message via a carousel and circus-like musical theme toward the end of the song. “Dream Cycle 1,” the first of four bonus tracks, is a subdued and soft track with any signs of anger completely absent from the music. The ostinato beneath Bull’s singing and spoken word-like statements on “Dream Cycle 2” has more of a performance artist vibe than a jazz sound. Bull’s voice seems to bend pitch more than usual on “Dream Cycle 3,” the penultimate track on the CD, and I began to notice some similarities between the timbre of Bull’s voice to that of Fiona Apple when I hit this point on the CD. Piano and dissonant strings come up beneath Bull’s voice on “Dream Cycle 4” and this song brings the CD to a close. The Story, So Far doesn’t end when the CD does. A DVD, featuring some bizarre footage of Bull and her friends in medieval costumes costumes, comes as part of the package. While the footage on this disc relates to the story that Bull lays out in the liner notes, the music deserves the focus. Bull’s performances of “Lover” and “Some Enchanted Evening” act as the soundtrack and Bull puts her own unique stamp on both pieces. The Story, So Far is an album with varied and eclectic sounds and styles that come together under Bull’s vocal direction. (December 2007) _____________________________
English
Translation by Magnus Ericksson: Katie
Bull’s musical expressivity is sharp and a little edgy, bold,
brave, and inquiring, but joyful and happy as well. It vibrates everything
with a silent joy. It expresses a kind of wild happiness, which is totally
irresistible. _____________________________ GERMAN
REVIEW: JAZZ DIMENSIONS; Michael Arens http://www.jazzdimensions.de/reviews/jazz/2008/katie_bull_story.html Katie Bull - "The Story, So Far" We begin with the conversation of "The Story, So Far" with the knowledge that Katie Bull is a singer. A Jazz singer in the widest sense of the word. And now we are, straight away in the dilemma. Katie Bull and her album are all in its own universe that in itself defies any description. I hear dissonance in her singing, real jazz, but also playful homage to the nineteen twenties, a remembrance to the middle ages, an arrangement that could be born out of a musical. The album itself seems to tell stories, with pictures and illustrations that are designed luxuriously within a double CD and DVD compellation. (the body of work includes a CD as well as a DVD....) Because Katie Bull is at once or most likely foremost a performer. The New Yorker shows in her DVD, where her story begins and ends, in the street. Dream like sequences of her performance with costumes from the middle ages underline the mystique, as well as the fragmented impression of the piece as a whole. A few sentences do not do justice to describe "The Story, So Far". Who ever would like simplicity would be better of picking an album of a different artist. Katie Bulls album is very unusual,and for sure fascinating to hear and digest.
_____________________________
CD
Review: KATIE
BULL. The Story So Far. Opening with "Which," asking the age-old question whether you are a good witch or a bad witch. The answer is a healthy mix of both...Bull toys with being naughty, which is a treat... She demonstrates a charming scat-ability in the standard "For All We Know." Risking "Twisted," her musicians work for her, egging her on, and maybe she is nuts... The duo with Joe Fonda, "Go Ahead," is the track to audition: excellent phrase manipulation by both; a solid joy. "Next
Generation Doodlin'" is a nod not to Horace Silver's classic "Doodlin'"
but to her young daughter drawing and writing, about peanut butter sandwiches,
and eventually to a senator about Martin Luther King. "Jack"
finds her using a full deck in a clever love song based on playing cards.
Naughtier is "Half Full": "I don't just swallow it/ I
taste it too/ I'm going for the whole ride." The album proper is followed by a quartet of so-called bonus tracks, labeled "The Dream Cycle," another reference to Dr. King" and continues the fairy tale-meets-politics-and-cabaret concept. Darker in tone than most of the album, it is backed by a piano quintet, where the piano takes the lead, the strings mostly slashing. The packaging is visually striking, a threefold digipak with a booklet and bonus DVD with the musicians caricatured as medieval creatures. Performing on the DVD (and under the disc trays), hippie-colored actors from Atlantic Studio, as if the Incredible String Band joined the Radical Faeries, a vaguely mime-ish romp through the streets of Soho, as Bull sings a pair of standards, Rodgers and Hart's "It's a Waltz," plus "Some Enchanted Evening." Katie Bull has certainly intrigued me. From The Story, So Far, I look forward to hearing what tales will she will next conjure. _____________________________
Vox from the April 2008 issue KATIE
BULL
Opening with “Which?,” a thunderously asymmetrical dissection of a partner’s cunning changeability, she segues into the butter-soft, Sondheim-worthy lullaby “A Song for Hudson’s Heart,” then proceeds to insert sharp thorns among the velvety rose petals of “For All We Know” before multi-tracking herself into a wonderful, Dali-esque frenzy on “Twisted.” Her “Half Full” seems a lover’s pursuit interpreted as a looming barroom brawl, her “Next Generation Doodlin’” is a peanut butter-lined head trip and her “Go Ahead” suggests a bemused cynic’s spin on the old Mamas & the Papas anthem “Go Where You Wanna Go.” There’s more, including a kaleidoscopic, four-part “Dream Cycle” and an accompanying DVD of a quasi-medieval, costumed romp-cum-clownfest (billed as a “walking dance” through the streets of New York) shaped around Rodgers and Hart’s “Lover” and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Some Enchanted Evening,” but I think you get the brilliantly cacophonous picture. -Christopher
Loudon _____________________________ January
7, 2008 CD Review by Jim Santella View
the article here: Her voice remains strong and accurate as she relates memorable stories in the pure jazz idiom. She and bassist Joe Fonda describe her aims perfectly on their duo piece “Go Ahead,” with an ironic message about blind ambition and how it takes people out of focus. This session proves that carving a piece of mainstream vocal jazz works quite well for Katie Bull and company. As she interprets “There Will Never Be Another You” tenderly along with Fonda, soprano saxophonist Jeff Lederer, pianist Frank Kimbrough and drummer Matt Wilson, the singer reveals incredible chops to go along with her true spirit. Except for a change to alto sax and multi-tracked vocal harmony on “Twisted,” the same unit surges forward with courage to give this classic Annie Ross-Wardell Gray tune a facelift. A New York native, Bull took to the arts as a multi-faceted discipline early on, her father teaching modern dance at NYU. A graduate of SUNY Purchase, she’s been thoroughly immersed in music, dance, writing and directing. The influence that singing teachers Jay Clayton and Sheila Jordan have left upon her soul remain quite apparent. As pianist Michael Jefry Stevens, Fonda, drummer Harvey Sorgen and baritone saxophonist David CasT assist Bull with a dramatic original on “Half Full,” you can feel the fierce forces of her creative spirit turning corners. Later, she and guitarist David Phelps deliver “Paleontology,” another original with a tale about life’s cares that is siphoned through the blues. Underlying
Bull’s focus on jazz as a partner in multiple disciplines, the
accompanying twenty-minute DVD features dreamlike sequences with medieval
costumes as a cast of players work with the singer on city sidewalks
to extend her musical session. The DVD includes vocal versions of “Lover”
and “Some Enchanted Evening,” which conclusively complement
this recommended audio CD. Personnel: Katie Bull: vocals; Frank Kimbrough, Michael Jefry Stevens: piano; Joe Fonda: double-bass; Harvey Sorgen: drums; Matt Wilson: drums; David Phelps: guitar; David Cast: baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone; Jeff Lederer: soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone; Nick Brough: synth (1); Theo Hill: piano (14); Michelle Stewart: violin (14); Anastasia Solberg: violin (14); Siobhan Solberg: viola (14); Aaron Minsky: cello (14). All material copyright © 2007 All About Jazz and contributing writers. All rights reserved. _____________________________ THE
STORY, SO FAR just made the All About Jazz - New York Best of 2007 LIST
in the HONORABLE MENTION category!!!! _____________________________ THE STORY, SO FAR - CHOSEN for JAZZ IMPROV TOP CDs 2007 (December 2007 Issue, Jazz Improv NY Magazine) _____________________________ JAZZ IMPROV MAGAZINE December Vocalist Katie Bull defies easy labeling. She has certain similarities to Sheila Jordan, a mentor of sorts and major influence on Bull, in that her voice can take on a variety of tonal traits and stylistic characteristics without every sounding contrived or prone to imitation. “Which?,” the album opener on The Story, So Far, features some biting questions and snazzy delivery from Bull as she shoots vocal daggers this way and that atop an easy, though powerful, swing feel. Gritty saxophones and rhythmic punctuation follow her every statement and the barroom atmosphere is intensified with the yells and shouts behind the saxophone solo. As aggressive as this track is, Bull instantly changes gears and retains this characteristic, with a slight hint of Rickie Lee Jones-esque wavering added, through the lovely “A Song For Hudson’s Heart.” A few spoken word lines come in during “For All We Know” and Bull playfully scats and contributes some aural oddities as she plays around with bassist Joe Fonda toward the top of the track. Pianists Michael Jefry Stevens and Frank Kimbrough, alternating piano duties throughout the album, do an excellent job supporting Bull and integrating the piano within the framework of her songs. Bull’s voice is saxophone-like during the first notes of “Twisted” and she engages in some harmonizing and back and forth vocal discussion with herself. She twists and turns around the saxophone solo on this song and then quickly removes herself for a short time. “Half Full” begins with a stormy mish-mash of sounds that quickly takes shape with swinging cymbals and deep throaty saxophone sounds leading the way. While Bull’s vocals and the jazz content herein are the foundations of this recording, it’s important to note that her other artistic endeavors and associations with theatre and dance related projects inform and strongly influence this music. A dramatic flair is present in every song on this CD. “Next Generation Doodlin’” moves from an explanation of making a peanut butter sandwich, to a confused musical moment with a bizarre disco-vibe accompanying the “It’s Your Birthday” chant. David Phelps’ guitar underscores Bull’s breathy sounds and busier strains on “Paleontology.” Darting saxophone lines, percussive accents and some musical direction changes occur in “I Should’ve Noticed.” A bass vocal duet between Bull and Fonda, on “Go Ahead,” makes for a nice change of pace and sound. “Topanga Canyon” moves between a (mock?) new-age-ish landscape, with vocal “ohhmmmm” sounds, and a more vibrant, though occasionally bizarre, musical realm. Swooping saxophone lines move over drums and bass at the start of “There Will Never Be Another You” and Bull, delivering the lyrics and demonstrating some scatting, really gets into this song. The easy swing feel, Bull’s largely straightforward delivery and the great instrumental soloing on “Jack” makes this track a joy. “Wake Up Time” transmits a political message via a carousel and circus-like musical theme toward the end of the song. “Dream Cycle 1,” the first of four bonus tracks, is a subdued and soft track with any signs of anger completely absent from the music. The ostinato beneath Bull’s singing and spoken word-like statements on “Dream Cycle 2” has more of a performance artist vibe than a jazz sound. Bull’s voice seems to bend pitch more than usual on “Dream Cycle 3,” the penultimate track on the CD, and I began to notice some similarities between the timbre of Bull’s voice to that of Fiona Apple when I hit this point on the CD. Piano and dissonant strings come up beneath Bull’s voice on “Dream Cycle 4” and this song brings the CD to a close. The Story, So Far doesn’t end when the CD does. A DVD, featuring some bizarre footage of Bull and her friends in medieval costumes costumes, comes as part of the package. While the footage on this disc relates to the story that Bull lays out in the liner notes, the music deserves the focus. Bull’s performances of “Lover” and “Some Enchanted Evening” act as the soundtrack and Bull puts her own unique stamp on both pieces. The Story, So Far is an album with varied and eclectic sounds and styles that come together under Bull’s vocal direction. _____________________________ KATIE BULL "THE STORY, SO FAR" - CITIZEN JAZZ, France Un
objet multimédia à la pochette gothique aguicheuse. Si
le DVD laisse un peu perplexe, le jazz vocal de Katie Bull sort des
autoroutes rebattues du genre. Son chant certes assez classique se mélange
à merveille avec des saxophones que les notes suraiguës
n'effraient pas. Il n'est donc pas choquant que ce disque flatte d'abord
les yeux avant de séduire l'oreille. http://www.citizenjazz.com/article3457543 Google/language
translation tools: If the DVD leaves a bit puzzled, jazz voice Katie Bull highways reshuffled fate of the genre. His certainly quite classic song mixes wonderfully with saxophones that notes peracute N'effraient not. It is therefore not shocking that this Disk flatters first before our eyes deceive The
ear." http://www.google.com/language_tools "A multi-media object with the Gothic small pocket teaser. If the DVD leaves a little perplexed, the vocal jazz of Katie Bull leaves the motorways rebattues of the kind. Its rather traditional song certainly mixes with wonder with saxophones which the overshrill notes do not frighten. It is thus not shocking that this disc flatters initially the eyes before alluring the ear." Katie's favorite quote so far: "A gothic pocket teaser.." - Citizen Jazz (Jazz that's not only "in" the pocket, it "teases" the pocket!!) _____________________________ Google News Alert for: katie bull, the story so far Katie
Bull _____________________________ October 26, 2007 Jazz
Listings "On
her recent self-release “The Story, So Far,” the singer
Katie Bull engages confidently with musicians like the saxophonist Jeff
Lederer and the bassist Joe Fonda..." All About Jazz - October 2007 "It is reasonable to think that there’s nothing new under the sun with jazz vocalists, and that everyone is simply rehashing the American songbook to death. But might I propose my best counter for such opinions: vocalist / composer Katie Bull, who has put together a recording that mixes the idiosyncratic with the straight-ahead in white knuckle fashion. In perfect pitch and tone, Bull mixes the freedom of Betty Carter with the soul of a bohemian street singer. Add to the mix a collection of open-minded and like-minded musicians like drummer Matt Wilson (who nearly steals the show) and pianist Frank Kimbrough and Bull is practically reinventing the vocal wheel. Most of the selections on The Story, So Far (CD with DVD companion) clock in at under six minutes, so Bull wastes no time in setting the tone and stage for each creative original. Tunes range from the raucous “Which?” to the spacious “Jack,” which features some emotional tenor work by David CasT. Standards like “Twisted” and “There Will Never Be Another You” are given extra dashes of Cayenne pepper, with multiple vocal personalities present on the former, and eerie and provocative soprano accompaniment on the latter. All throughout The Story, So Far, Wilson’s stick work is fascinating, combining the irreverence of Spike Jones with the sublime swing of Jo Jones. The Story, So Far is a wild roller coaster of a vocal ride. The accompanying DVD is a form of street theater, reminiscent of the local Renaissance Faire meeting Haight-Ashbury. Open-minded and open-ended ears will find plenty to love about Katie Bull and her story so far." By
George Harris "The
Story So Far" offers improvisational jazz from a unique vocalist Katie Bull can be best described as an improvisational artist and actress. This is what my perception was on compiling the information on this unique vocalist. The big surprise on this CD was the great jazz music. The singing is wonderful, too. This is one thing that you keep in mind as a CD reviewer: You can receive some really good music and some that is new and innovative. This is jazz that is more in the style of Ella, Mingus, Coltrane, Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. The song called "Which" has a lot of great jazz playing. The saxophone, upright bass, piano, drums and vocals really stand out in this track. The reverse, slowed-down vocal effects add a unique touch. This tune sounds like it was a live recording. The people there are really digging the saxophone playing. That makes this is very different stuff for the listener - more like easy listening, laid-back jazz. It has sort of a maverick quality to it, but still steeps itself in the traditional jazz melodies of yesteryear. The song called "Paleontology"
has what could be an electric piano at the beginning. It has a very
ethereal, atmospheric sound. Also, there is an electric guitar on this
track. It is one of the more unusual songs on the CD. The tone of this
guitar is quite unusual. The overall sound on the CD is very good. It shows that jazz is truly improvisational. If you're a fan of great jazz with some contemporary twists, then listen to Katie Bulls' "The Story So Far" CD, available at www.katiebull.com. _____________________________ Andrea
Canter, jazzpolice.com _____________________________ Suzanne
Vorge - All About Jazz (NY) Vox News Sept. 07 Ron Sweetman Picks KATIE BULL "THE STORY, SO FAR" Playlist – December 5, 2007 Program Topic: SHOPPING LIST: Some gift suggestions – 8 new CDs, two books, two magazines and a calendar. We will also take a few minutes to honour the memory of the 14 victims of the Montreal massacre of December 6, 1989. Artist:
Katie Bull Artist:
Katie Bull John
Book, www.musicforamerica.org Experience
this or else. CD Review posted on the JPL list (Radio DJs): Did anyone mention Katie Bull? This young vocalist from Soho sent her CD my way for review, and my-o-my has she got it goin’ on. Entitled "The Story So Far" Ms. Bull stretches out in both her vocalese and her subjective estimation of life on this planet...so far. Ten of the 13 cuts are (refreshingly) originals…two are perfect for those of you who have a Halloween show planned (listen to "Which?" or is it "Witch?"). And then there is "Wake Up Time" that will fit the programming for the war (or anti-war) show that one of you is putting together. In my subjective estimation, her rendition of "Twisted" is the best in this era in jazz. Being
from the Left Coast, I don’t know her musicians, but they are
stellar, and they too stretch out quite vividly. This is outré
jazz that is still quite You
could almost call this jazz for people that don’t like jazz. A
vocalist writer inspired by kitties like Annie Ross and Anita O’Day,
Bull is a real swinger and has some free flowing cats like Matt Wilson
on board to insure such swingatude. Steeped in downtown attitude, this
is a real ear opener for the forward thinking listener that likes their
tradition cut with a heaping helping of cutting edge. This is certainly
not a date that will leave you high and dry. 1004 (Corn Hill Indie) Marc
Nolis, Mazz Musika Kenny
Inaoka JazzTokyo Skoot
Larson, skootsjazz.com Fabio
Viola, Musica Black Tom
Hull, TomHull.com |
|||
For more information please direct inquiries to kjbull@mindspring.com
© Copyright 2005 All rights reserved