Al Green
Alice DiMicele
Alicia Keys
Annie Lennox
Bebel Gilberto
Bonnie Raitt
Bruce Anthony Henry
Carmen McRae
Cassandra Wilson
Christina Aguilara
Debbie Duncan
Dianne Reeves
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Donny Hathaway
Eddie Piccard
Elise Regina
Ella Fitzgerald
Eva Cassidy
Gloria Estefan
Holly Cole
Janis Siegel of Manhattan Transfer
Joe Carter
Judi Donaghy
Marvin Gaye
Manhattan Transfer
Nah Youn Sun
Nina Simone
Nnenna Freelon
Peter Gabriel
Rachelle Ferrell
Ray Charles
Roberta Davis
Robert Robinson
Sade
Sarah Vaughan
Selena
Sheena Easton
Sting
Suzanne Vega
Susan Werner
Tania Maria
Tina Turner
Toshiko Akiyoshi
Vienna Teng
Vinx
Young Ok Shin
Sounds Like
Janis Siegel (Manhattan Transfer), Dianne Reeves, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Eva Cassidy, Nina Simone, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Sophie Millman, Holly Cole
Karen Lyu swings, scats and soulfully savors songs. She always gets asked, "How does that big voice come out of that tiny body?" As far as she knows, Karen is the first Korean-American jazz singer ever in the US.
Karen's singing has been featured on NPR, Democracy Now, documentary film, TV, radio and cable. She's performed as a jazz and world music vocalist for the better part of 17 years, at festivals, restaurants, theaters, events, schools, parks, churches, conferences, benefits, house concerts, clubs, receptions and more. Her first jazz performance was at a farm auction fundraiser for a young boy in the hospital.
Born in Seoul, Korea, happily singing to perfect strangers at age 2, Karen grew up with her immigrant family in CA, TX, and MN — suddenly becoming shy in the US. Limited to her parent's Korean hymns, folk songs and classical music as a kid, Karen was intrigued by the Latin grooves she heard in the barrios of CA and TX, loved the 80's Top 40 songs popular at school, then got into hippie folk and old school R&B/soul. Karen first got hooked on jazz at 16 — singing with a friend along with Manhattan Transfer tapes — and has been a fan ever since!
Still shy, but getting braver, Karen started classical voice training at Cornell College in IA with the idea of minoring in Music Education, and majoring in Politics and Philosophy. In 1991, while attending the National Minority Environmental Careers Conference in CA, she was inspired by Woodstock singer/songwriter Richie Havens and his Northwind Undersea Institute he co-founded. After tasting the freedom and joy of jazz jam sessions with college friends, and surviving a tough time, Karen decided to switch to a Jazz Studies degree her junior year, instead of becoming a lawyer.
For a year, Karen sang in IA with the veteran Eddie Piccard Trio — starting with her senior concert and Friday night gigs at Happel's German Restaurant. Karen also performed with the Kirkwood Community College vocal group, Jazz Transit, across IA.
After an incredible trip to Central America volunteering, singing and visiting friends in 1994, Karen decided to leave IA and move back to Minneapolis to sing with a jazz pianist friend — who switched to filmmaking. Musically lost for a moment, Karen discovered Robert Robinson's Minneapolis Community College Gospel Choir (Roberta Flack) and got into local musical theater.
Karen then started the Karen Lyu Quartet, sang with Morris Wilson (John Coltrane) and his jazz band, Via Brasil, Bomba, international gospel vocalist Joe Carter, with James Allen as a duo, and also solo as a vocalist. In 1998, Karen created Global Jazz, singing jazz and world music in different languages for 10 years, including Korean songs and songs in Hebrew she learned from 2 Jewish roommates. The Karen Lyu & Global Jazz Live! CD was recorded in 2002 — featuring guitarist Soli Hughes (Sounds of Blackness) and percussionist Devon Evans (Bob Marley) on vocals. Devon asked to record with Karen after first seeing her perform with Global Jazz at a music festival 3 weeks before the live recording.
"Karen (Lyu), you are now my favorite singer since Nina Simone! And ooowweee, your band is hot!...I've got to play on your CD!" - Devon Evans (Bob Marley)
Now living in TN — coming back after a hiatus — recovering from a car accident that left her unable to sing without collapsing, Karen has performed with Pacha Mamas, Voices of Unity choir, percussionist Kenny Malone (Bela Fleck), and has a new jazz band. Fresh Jazz includes top Nashville jazz musicians who play with soul, love to explore and know how to swing: Belmont piano professor Anthony Belfiglio (Branford Marsalis), bassist Jerry Navarro (George Clinton) and drummer Ron Krasinski (Sheena Easton).
Since 1992, Karen has also written original music, including songs for several Minneapolis shows — and won Nashville Muse.com's Songwriter of the Week 2/2/10. She's also helped absolute beginners to untrained pros improve their voices since 1997. In 2007, Karen received a MN Arts Board grant with Persian vocalist Maryam Yusefzadeh for a multimedia theater collaboration. Karen's eclectic experience includes storytelling, acting, composing, writing, dancing, voiceovers, producing, one-woman shows, freelance design, and 2 pivotal years as Executive Director of West Bank School of Music. She's always learning and exploring something new.
"The [Karen Lyu & Fresh Jazz] album goes anywhere from making you want to dance to helping you relax... If you like Jazz, this album is for you."
- Krys Spain Midgett, Editor - Strum Magazine
"(Karen Lyu) can be-bop, scat and growl with the best of them; sing wonderful, lyrical jazz favorites...and also throw in an occasional opera number just to keep things interesting." (review for Karen Lyu & Global Jazz)
-Martha Vickery, Editor - Korean Quarterly Newspaper
2002 Karen Lyu & Global Jazz Live! (Live concert @ historic Walker Church)
- with special guests Soli Hughes (Sounds of Blackness) and Devon Evans (Bob Marley) recorded by Blue Moon Productions
COMPILATIONS & OTHER RECORDING PROJECTS
2008 Southside Soul vol. 1 (Southside Minneapolis artists compilation)
- Live Improv w/ Mankwe Ndosi (Atmosphere) & Powderhorn All Stars 2004 Voices of Powderhorn (Live Powderhorn Writers' Festival compilation show @ Mayday Cafe)
- 2 Improv tracks w/ Mankwe Ndosi (Atmosphere) + my "I Am" poem/song with Powderhorn All Stars: John Penny-guitar, Jim Kellerman-sax, Douglas Ewart-misc 2003 New Sounds from This Old House (West Bank School of Music faculty/student compilation)
- El Pueblo del Mundo Unido (original salsa co-written by Puerto Rican/Irish bassist Michael O'Brien, w/Global Jazz incl. WBSM faculty - James Allen, Michael O'Brien & me)
1998 Karen Lyu & Global Jazz demo (Wild Sound Studios)
1997 Morris Wilson jazz band demo (Wild Sound Studios) 1996 Karen Lyu Quartet demo (studio?) 1996 Make Me an Instrument (Live concert @ Southern Theater)
- Mpls Community College Gospel Choir & Robert Robinson (Aretha Franklin) 1994 Jazz Transit vocal group demo (studio?)
1991 Earth Day Tape (Cornell College Environmental Club compilation)
- original solo piano track + vocals on Happy Valentine w/ Kat Bernhardt & Joe Kidwell
Also recorded vocals on 4 songs for R&B cover band demo, 2 songs for folk/rock band, 1 song for original R&B artist, 5 voiceover/radio projects + currently collaborating on original R&B/pop songs with producer Patricio Tower, and poet Addy Willoughby.
