Lili Añel

Bio:

JazzTimes Magazine



Reviewer Magazine-Kent Manthie
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Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes: CDs of Note 9-29-09 ..


"Supposed To Be" makes USA Todays' Playlist



LILI AÑEL Endorses Tanglewood Guitars




Click on the ESC Records logo to check out Lili's new release "Life or Death"..

“A musical Masterpiece” - Hitmeister
“Terrific melodies in the best sense” - Köllerfornia
“This American lady gives a performance where everything’s right” - Hi-Fi Audio
“A real find is songwriter Lili Añel ... on her recent European debut Life or Death" - Ulrich Müller
“Lili Añel delivers a really remarkable debut CD ”Life or Death” - 9th Fret
“It’s been a long time since a singer has been able to so precisely and soulfully touch the senses. ”- Klaus Hübner
“LIFE OR DEATH” is a powerful album by a woman who sings with urgent emotion and technical prowess. Her phrasing, her dynamics, use of flow and staccato, her rhythm....perfect. ..

Click here to read Ticket Entertainment's Feb. 1, 2008 Interview with Lili

Click here to read Philly Intelligencer's Feb. 12, 2008 Interview with Lili

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June 1, 2007
Lili Añel
Dream Again (Wall-I)
Cuban-influenced singer-guitarist Lili Añel is part soul sister, part jazz chanteuse and pure dynamite. With distinct folk and reggae underpinnings, she suggests Nina Simone blended with Joan Armatrading. Indeed, Armatrading’s “Down to Zero” (one of the few exercises in ego deflation that can hold its own against Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone”) is the only cover among the 14 tracks that fill Añel’s third disc, the first to provide her full creative control as co-producer. The album might well have been titled Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing, as Añel embarks on the musical equivalent of a whitewater-rafting expedition, traveling from the calm romantic idealism of “Between Me” to the stormy pain of “Over You” and wavy trepidation of “Try Again” and “I’m Sorry”, two distinctly evocative perspectives on rekindled love.

Añel also includes two newly recorded carryovers—the blackly despondent “If” and idly dismissive “Nothing in Common,” now done, she says the way she’d originally intended—from her previous disc, Hi-Octane Coffee, then sums it all up with the pensive title track that insists, no matter what hardships may arise, a fierce unwillingness to succumb to life’s nightmares. Her songwriting is consistently excellent, ofttimes Joni Mitchell sharp, and her wide-ranging but unswervingly thoughtful performances do her songs full justice.
-Christopher Loudon

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Lili Añel
Dream Again (Wall I) 9/10
A tremendous talent who honed her chops alongside Greenwich Village folk stalwarts Suzanne Vega and Shawn Colvin, Lili Añel returns with her third and best recording after a five-year hiatus. Possessing a singular, smoky-sounding vocal style that falls somewhere between Joan Armatrading (Añel covers Armatrading’s "Down to Zero" here) and Nina Simone (especially on "Life or Death"), Añel’s recent move to Philly yielded a collaboration with fretless-bass player Cooke Harvey, who helped co-helm an extraordinary album that might be just a bit bass-heavy—Añel’s voice and phrasing are too extraordinary to be given anything less than centerstage. Her highly personalized lyricism shows added depth from past recordings, whether it’s in the samba-like "Over You" or the snappy-edged light funk of "Temporary Amnesia." Elsewhere, Añel incorporates songs about her faith (the hypnotic "Life or Death" and gorgeous hit-written-all-over-it "If God Had a Wallet") that never come off preachy, with the latter existing on the same plane as Joan Osborne’s "One of Us." Dream is a fabulous, rock-solid gift of exquisitely penned and sung songs. This deserves to be a commercial hit. —Skitch Mulligan

In addition to my latest release "Every Second In Between", I have 4 CDs available for purchase. Click on covers to purchase.



Background

I was born and raised in New York City, Spanish Harlem, to be exact. Around my 4th birthday, my family moved to the South Bronx. I am lucky to have grown up during a time when radio was a lot more open; you'd hear The Beatles, Bob Dylan, James Brown Tommy James and the Shondells, Judy Collins, Nat King Cole and The Strawberry Alarm Clock all in one sitting.

I studied music at City College of the City University of New York's Leonard Davis Center for the Performing Arts. While I did not graduate, I was lucky enough to have studied voice under the guidance of mezzo-soprano JANET STEELE as well as having studied with legendary jazz vocalist SHEILA JORDAN. I studied guitar and harmony at Guitar Study Center; this was an incredible schooling for me, studying with various New York City session musicians. School won't give you "talent" but it will aid you in growing as a musician on a practical and technical end; the rest of the "schooling" comes from going out there and just doing it.

I have been living in the wonderful city of Philadelphia now since 2004.

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In this picture, I was thrilled to be singing with one of my heroes, Garland Jeffreys. Garland sat in with me at my New York CD Release show which was held at The Cornelia Street Café. It was very exciting singing “New York Skyline”, one of Garland’s most popular songs with him at my show. I’d always dreamt of it, and it happened! For more information on my upcoming gigs and ongoings, please visit my website: www.lilianel.org

Artists Lili has Supported

Alana Davis, Alejandro Escovedo, Arlen Roth, Barenaked Ladies, Ben Arnold, Boz Scaggs, Cheryl Wheeler, Cliff Eberhardt, Corey Harris & Henry Butler, Donovan, Ellis Paul, Essra Mohawk, Etta James, Graham Parker, Jeffrey Gaines, John Hammond, Kate Taylor, Livingston Taylor, Otis Rush, Raul Malo, Rhett Miller, Richie Havens, Stuff (aka The Saturday Night Live Band), Suzanne Vega, Taj Mahal, Teddy Thompson, The Persuasions, The Subdudes, Vance Gilbert , Vinx, to name a few.

Mike Kurman - bass
Rob Schnell - drums, percussion
Keith Giosa - guitar, keyboard


On "..Dream Again.."
Cooke Harvey - bass
Dave Bozenhard - guitar
John DiGiovanni - drums

On "..Hi-Octane Coffee.."
Seth Glassman - bass
Drew Zingg - guitar(s), rhythm, lead, electric, acoustic
Johnny Gale - guitar, lead and rhythm, electric
Frank Vilardi - drums
John Ward - percussion
Andy Burton - hammond b3 and piano
Lili Anel - vocals, acoustic and electric guitar

On "..Laughed Last.."
Jeff Berman - drums, percussion, midi-vibes
Matt Balitsaris - guitar, percussion
Mark Egan - bass
Paul Adamy - bass
Robert Een - cello
Brian Mitchell - accordian
Barbara Anel - background vocals
Cornelius Bumpus - tenor and soprano saxophone
Matthew Kofo Ayanfowora - djembe and talking drum

.."live" tracks on Laughed Last reissue..
Bill Conkin - lead/rhythm acoustic guitar
Lili Anel - vocals, acoustic guitar


"I Don't Need You This Way" NBC 10! Show February 8, 2010


"Can't Fall Out of Love" at The Living Room, NYC, November 2009



"Supposed To Be" Live on the NBC10! Show, September 16, 2009

Add Me to Lili's Mailing List-click here

Book me for a house concert in your home! (click here)

DREAM AGAIN and HI-OCTANE COFFEE
AVAILABLE AT CDBABY AND iTUNES.
BUY CDs HERE

Get digital downloads here:

Influences:

The Beatles, John Lennon, Buddy Holly, James Dean, Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell, Alejandro Escovedo, Joan Armatrading, Janis Ian, Garland Jeffreys, Graham Parker, Richie Havens, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Michael Brecker, John Coltrane, Mike Mainieri, Steps Ahead, The Police, The Band, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Todd Rundgren, Johnny Hartman, Bobby Darrin, Patato y Totico, Orquesta Aragon, Celia Cruz, Sara Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme, Bembe Aragua (album title, can’t remember aritst’s name - Afro-Cuban recording my Mom played endlessly), Fajardo (Cuban Jam Sessions Vol. I and II), Cachao, Sergio Mendez and Brazil ’66, Eddie Palmieri, Dion, Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, Ricky Nelson, Vincentico Valdez, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, The Delfonics, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell; I could go on forever, but I will say most of these artists I either listened to on my own or assimilated them as this was music played at home by my Mom and sister; I couldn’t help but take it all in.

Sounds Like:

I sound like Lili Anel. I have many influences that are/were amazing vocalists; they’re in here somewhere. Recently someone at a show came up to me and said "you sound like the female Jeffrey Gaines"; I accept that compliment GLADLY.

Record Label:

Unsigned