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Welcome to Leela's music
page -- created in honor of her recent relocation from Columbia, Missouri to
Portland, Oregon.
Her second duo CD with her sister Ellie, "Where the Waters Run," was released on December 20, 2007. Check out www.leelaandelliegrace.com for more info!
Leela Grace is a Midwesterner who has been making
music for most of her life. In 2007, she came over the mountains from Missouri with her banjo and guitar in tow to see what she might find in the Northwest.
Leela is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and percussive dancer who
grew up traveling across North America performing with her sister Ellie and her
parents Paul & Win Grace as The Grace Family. Since 1997, Leela and Ellie have
been making a name for themselves around the country as a duo, in addition to
offering solo appearances, and touring with nationally-known bands.
Leela was on stage before she could walk, sang her first protest song at the
tender age of four, discovered the magic of harmony singing in the back seat
with her younger sister by age five, learned her first clogging step as a bouncy
six-year-old, and wrote her first poem at age seven. She has grown and continued
to mature (as one might hope) as a singer, dancer, writer, and musician in the
intervening years.
She went from a little clogger to a full-blown percussive dancer – avidly
inhaling steps and styles from flatfootin’ to rhythm tap, from African to Irish,
and bringing them all together in a unique melting pot of dynamic percussion.
She went from a quiet little girl singing high harmony with her family to a
powerful lead singer who commanded the stage.
At the age of 14, she fell hard for the first time. The object of her teenage
adoration was the banjo -- old-time, frailing, clawhammer banjo to be exact. It
was on that maligned target of innumerable jokes that Leela learned to play the
tunes and songs that she had heard and sung since she was born, and on that same
instrument that she wrote her first original songs, some of which were even
good! Leela’s second musical love affair as a college graduate was to be with
the inviting curves and round sounds of the guitar. “It is just so huggable!”
she is known to say…
In 1997, after over 10 years of performing professionally in the family band,
Leela struck out on her own. Despite her still-young years, her extensive
experience shows in everything she does. She has a sparkling wit and a
down-to-earth spirit that come through whether she is onstage before an audience
of hundreds, leading one of her popular by-ear harmony singing classes, wailing
on the banjo, or singing one of her beautiful original songs. She has gained
notice as a solo performer, joined nationally-known musicians onstage, inspired
countless people young and old as a teacher of music and dance, and toured
extensively with her sister, Ellie Grace.
As a duo, Leela and Ellie have been acclaimed by audiences and fellow musicians
alike for their powerful voices, close sisterly harmonies, warm stage presence,
and driving old-time instrumentals. Leela and Ellie's music has a strong
grounding in traditional American and old-time string band styles, but crosses
over into the contemporary folk realm, including their own compelling original
songs. They recorded three albums with the Grace Family (in addition to doing
studio work with other musicians) and recently released their second CD, "Where the Waters Run". The sisters have performed at prestigious venues across the
United States and Canada, ranging from the Winnipeg Folk Festival to the Lincoln
Center in New York City to the Summer Solstice Festival in Los Angeles.
In 2003, they released their debut duo CD, which was critically acclaimed by
folk critics and fans and received widespread radio play on folk radio stations
across the country. In his review of the CD in Sing Out! Magazine, syndicated
radio DJ Rich Warren said, "Leela and Ellie Grace soar off this disc like a
breath of fresh air in the smoky atmosphere of singer-songwriters . . . If
you’re hesitant to take a chance on new artists, rest assured this CD will leave
you in a state of grace."
After a lifetime spent based in Columbia, Missouri, the sisters have ventured
out in search of new and exciting musical opportunities. 2006 saw Ellie
relocating to the musical mecca of Asheville, North Carolina and touring with
the Dirk Powell Band. 2007 saw a move to the other coast by the older sister and the turn of the year brought the release of their highly anticipated new CD, Where the Waters Run. In a recent review in national folk magazine, Dirty Linen, Tom Nelligan says, "This second CD from sisters Leela and Ellie Grace is a smart and harmonious set, mostly comprising original songs with a bright sound and an uplifting outlook. Their blend of complementary mountain-clear voices recalls the sound of groups like the Wailin’ Jennies and Uncle Earl, and the arrangements featuring mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and guitar also place them firmly in the modern American roots realm."
Many things have been said of Leela and Ellie, including the following:
"Leela's and Ellie's singing is clear, pitch-perfect, and expressive. 'Soaring'
is a word that comes to mind.” -- The Old Time Herald
“Their sterling credentials in old-time music, stunning vocal harmonies,
instrumental expertise on banjo, mandolin, guitar and fiddle, and clogging that
is unmatched make them a hit wherever they play!” -- Fox Valley Folk Music
Festival, Chicago, IL
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Online Now!
