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Julie Hardy

Jazz Times critic Christopher Loudon states that "Hardy lives, like [Kurt] Elling and [Bobby] McFerrin, in a musical world of her own, and it is a marvelously dynamic place."

With one step into the world of Julie Hardy, it is clear that she is not a typical jazz singer. The Wish, her new release on World Culture Music (September 2007), shows us a highly trained composer, improviser and re-inventor of jazz standards, backed by a spectacular collection of some of New York's best young jazz talent.

Through a diverse program of wordless originals and re-workings of timeless standards, Hardy has developed a sound that is truly unique and honest. She aims to tell a story with or without lyrics and she carefully chooses repertoire based on a strong, personal connection. "Arranging is a way of making standards my own and connecting to the song." Hardy's unique and modern approach puts a fresh spin on the standards she sings, helping to bring them into the here and now instead of looking back towards the past. "I chose the songs on this record because they move me and not because it is expected of me as a jazz singer."

Julie is backed by a spectacular collection of some of New York's best jazz talents including Jaleel Shaw (alto saxophone), Ben Monder (guitar) Sam Sadigursky (soprano and tenor saxophones), Randy Ingram (piano), Matt Clohesy (bass), and Kendrick Scott (drums).

Look for Julie's next CD The Wish this Fall on artist collective label World Culture Music. Julie has performed at the Jazz Standard, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Sweet Rhythm, Birdland, Smoke, Cornelia Street Café, and 55 Bar among others. In 2006 she received the ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award.

Julie Hardy: The Wish

by Budd Kopman
November 10, 2007

With The Wish, composer and vocalist Julie Hardy has immediately established herself as an identifiable force of the next generation. By combining a very attractive voice with deep interpretations with a high degree of compositional and arranging skills, Hardy has created an album of grace and depth. She is a member of drummer Kendrick Scott's musical collective and record label World Culture Music, which gives the artist total control over the creative process. Mike Moreno, whose release ...

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Live Review

Julie Hardy at The Jazz Standard

by Budd Kopman
October 30, 2007

Julie Hardy at The Jazz StandardThe Jazz StandardNew York City, New YorkOctober 16, 2007 This gig was partly a CD release party for vocalist/composer Julie Hardy's new release The Wish and partly a label party for drummer Kendrick Scott's artist collective label World Culture Music, on which it was released. Scott himself played drums (as he did on Hardy's record) as did guitarist Mike Moreno (instead of Ben Monder from the record), whose latest ...

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Album Review

Julie Hardy: The Wish

Read "The Wish" reviewed by Mark F. Turner

by Mark F. Turner
October 16, 2007

Julie Hardy proves that she is more than just your average jazz singer on The Wish. Hailing from New Hampshire with extensive studies in jazz and classical music, she continues to grow and hone her craft since her auspicious debut recording A Moment's Glance (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2005). The recording is significant for a number of reasons. First, she is now teamed with the fledgling label World Culture Music, which has released two very notable recordings ...

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Album Review

Julie Hardy: A Moment's Glance

Read "A Moment's Glance" reviewed by Michael P. Gladstone

by Michael P. Gladstone
August 15, 2005

Julie Hardy's first album, A Moment's Glance, is a good representation of the hard-working jazz vocalist as she pursues frequent appearances in lower Manhattan's jazz clubs with her working band.

Hardy is New Hampshire-educated and received a Masters in Jazz Performance from the New England Conservatory in 2001. A year leter, she was one of two nationwide vocalists selected for the Jazz Academy Snowmass in Aspen, Colorado. In 2003, Hardy placed in the Top Ten, from a field ...

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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Julie Hardy

Source: Michael Ricci
February 4, 2009

All About Jazz is celebrating Julie Hardy's birthday today!

JAZZ MUSICIAN OF THE DAY Julie Hardy

Jazz Times critic Christopher Loudon states that “Hardy lives, like [Kurt] Elling and [Bobby] McFerrin, in a musical world of her own, and it is a marvelously dynamic place." With one step into the world of Julie Hardy... more

Website | Videos | Articles

Follow Julie Hardy @ AAJ

Put AAJ's Musician of the ...
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Performance / Tour

World Culture Music Presents: Julie Hardy and Mike Moreno at the Jazz Gallery

Source: All About Jazz
June 24, 2008

Friday, June 27th: 9 & 10:30 p.m. ($15) at the Jazz Gallery Mike Moreno & Julie Hardy Group featuring Mike Moreno - guitar, Julie Hardy - vocals, Aaron Goldberg - piano, Doug Weiss - bass, Jochen Rueckert - drums Guitarist Mike Moreno and vocalist Julie Hardy are two of World Culture Music's signature artists, each with an album to their credit on the World Music imprint. Tonight they'll be pooling their considerable talents and making music together in the company ...
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Performance / Tour

World Culture Music Recording Artist Jazz Vocalist and Composer Julie Hardy to Perform at the Kitano

Source: Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity
February 28, 2008

World Culture Music Recording Artist Jazz Vocalist and Composer JULIE HARDY to perform at the Kitano Thursday, February 28th, sets at 8 & 10PM “On her new album, The Wish, Ms. Hardy burnishes her growing reputation as a musically astute and thoughtfully modern jazz singer." - Nate Chinen, New York Times “Hardy never throws off a frivolous phrase or relies on a hackneyed standards approach. Hers is a serious art, based in songs of longing and reflection with arrangements that ...
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Performance / Tour

Julie Hardy Quartet at the Kitano - Thursday, February 28

Source: All About Jazz
February 24, 2008

New York City-based vocalist and composer, Julie Hardy will perform at The Kitano on Thursday, February 28th sets at 8PM & 10PM.

One of the most distinctive voices among the growing ranks of female jazz singers in New York City belongs to Julie Hardy, whose appearance at The Kitano coincides with a new CD entitled The Wish. This is Julie's most fully realized recording to date and her first release through World Culture Music, an artist collective label and multi-faceted ...
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Performance / Tour

Julie Hardy Performs at an Die Musik Live! In Baltimore

Source: All About Jazz
January 25, 2008

World Culture Music Recording Artist Jazz Vocalist and Composer JULIE HARDY To perform in Baltimore at An Die Musik Live! “On her new album, The Wish, Ms. Hardy burnishes her growing reputation as a musically astute and thoughtfully modern jazz singer." - Nate Chinen, New York Times “[Hardy's] is a serious art, based in songs of longing and reflection with arrangements that challenge anyone's notions of what constitutes forward-thinking music." - Ken Micallef, Downbeat ...
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Performance / Tour

Vocalist/Composer Julie Hardy on Tour - Including December 11 at Ryles in Cambridge

Source: Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity
December 10, 2007

Vocalist/Composer JULIE HARDY ON TOUR

In Support of THE WISH - Now available on Kendrick Scott's World Culture Music Label

“On her new album, “The Wish" (World Culture Music), Ms. Hardy burnishes her growing reputation as a musically astute and thoughtfully modern jazz singer." - Nate Chinen, New York Times

“Julie Hardy's new CD, The Wish, builds on the reputation of a singer well equipped to handle everything modern jazz vocalism demands: candlelit standards ("I Wish ...
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Performance / Tour

Julie Hardy Boston CD Celebration at Ryles Jazz Club

Source: All About Jazz
December 1, 2007

New York City-based vocalist and composer and New Hampshire native, Julie Hardy will perform at Ryles Jazz Club on Tuesday, December 11th at 9PM.

One of the most distinctive voices among the growing ranks of female jazz singers in New York City belongs to Julie Hardy, whose Ryles appearance coincides with a new CD entitled “The Wish". This is Julie's most fully realized recording to date and her first release through World Culture Music, an artist collective label and multi-faceted ...
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Event

Julie Hardy at Louis 649 - Sunday, October 28

Source: All About Jazz
October 24, 2007

Performance / Tour

World Culture Music Presents Julie Hardy at the Jazz Standard on October 16

Source: Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity
October 15, 2007

"On her new album, “The Wish" (World Culture Music), Ms. Hardy burnishes her growing reputation as a musically astute and thoughtfully modern jazz singer." --Nate Chinen, The New York Times “Hardy lives, like [Kurt] Elling and [Bobby] McFerrin, in a musical world of her own, and it is a marvelously dynamic place." --Christopher Loudon, JazzTimes Kendrick Scott's World Culture Music Proudly Presents Vocalist/Composer JULIE HARDY Live at The Jazz Standard CD RELEASE Celebration for “The Wish" ...
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Performance / Tour

World Culture Music Presents: Julie Hardy, Live at the Jazz Standard, October 16

Source: Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity
September 18, 2007

World Culture Music presents: Julie Hardy, LIVE AT THE JAZZ STANDARD, OCTOBER 16, celebrating the release THE WISH, featuring WCM artists guitarist Mike Moreno and label founder, drummer, Kendrick Scott Boston CD release party/performance: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11 at RYLES! “Hardy lives, like [Kurt] Elling and [Bobby] McFerrin, in a musical world of her own, and it is a marvelously dynamic place." - Christopher Loudon, JazzTimes On September 12, 2007 World Culture Music will proudly release The Wish from ...
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“...Inspirationally, [Julie Hardy is] at home with Kurt Elling or Bobby McFerrin, painting eloquent tone poems and vibrant scat-framed landscapes as she wanders wherever imagination and keen intelligence lead. Eight tracks shape Hardy's A Moment's Glance (Fresh Sound New Talent), divided equally between ingenious covers (including a superb- ly introspective "Haunted Heart" and a stridently urgent "It's All Right With Me") and perpsicacious originals (most notably the angulary romantic title track and euphoric "Growing")...Hardy lives, like Elling and McFerrin, in a musical world of her own, and it is a marvelously dynamic place.”

- Christopher Loudon
JazzTimes (June 2005)

Julie Hardy’s debut CD, A Moment’s Glance, introduced a singer well equipped to handle everything modern jazz vocalism demands: candlelit standards (”My Romance”), repurposed pop hits (”And I Love Him”), effortless improvisation and a strong writer’s pen...We’re eager to hear what comes next.
-Steve Smith, TimeOut New York (March 2007)

"...Hardy's voice is acrobatic and pliable but she doesn't rub her formidable skills in your face, delivering the words in a tone that is often soft and impressionistic as Luciana Souza. She's also a musician as much as a singer of lyrics as she dives into rhythms and harmonies...using a musical intellect that is bright and intuitive."
-Tad Hendrickson, Jazz Week (March 2005)

"Julie Hardy is a distinctive and intriguing young vocalist with a beautiful voice and a promising future."
-Fred Hersch, pianist

“Julie Hardy makes her recording debut on A Moment's Glance. From the first selection, a reharmonized version of the Beatles' "And I Love You," it is obvious that Hardy is a musician in addition to being a singer. Influenced by Wayne Shorter, her teacher Dominique Eade, and many of her young contemporaries, Hardy is equally comfortable expressing herself through lyrics and wordless sounds. Her post-bop recording alternates four of her adventurous originals with modernized versions of a quartet of standards. Assisted by tenor saxophonist Rob Stillman (they often harmonize together), pianist Randy Ingram, bassist Ben Street, and drummer Adam Cruz, she reinvents "My Romance" and "It's All Right with Me" and puts a lot of expressiveness into "Haunted Heart." Although she will certainly grow as a singer and an improviser in future years, A Moment's Glance is a very impressive debut for Julie Hardy. "
-Scott Yanow, All Music Guide (October 2005)

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Primary Instrument

Vocals

Willing to teach

Beginner to advanced

Credentials/Background

For students who would like to focus on jazz:

* development of healthy vocal technique
* expand jazz repertoire, build a "book" of tunes
* how to write out your own charts and learn how to tranpose and find keys that work for you
* exploration of style, interpretation and phrasing
* play basic jazz chords at the piano
* ear training & improvisation (scat singing)
* preparation for demo recordings
* development of business skills that enable you to interact effectively with booking agents and the media