News from KJPR Publicity & Artist Relations
For Release Contact Karen Johnson
August 2008 kjprar@aol.com 818.430.4790
Singer/ Songwriter/ Guitarist LORIJO MANLEY
Keeps “Driving By Midnight” on East Coast Tour
Manley to Appear on NPR’s National
“Women On Air“ Program,
From Boston’s WUMB-FM Radio
Tour Heads Midwest –
Plans Underway for First-Ever California Tour
(Los Angeles) -- Lorijo Manley’s “Driving By Midnight Concert Tour”
winds northeast for the Summer, with stops in FL, VA, MD, NJ, PA, MA.
She returns to her home state of New York, where concerts resume Aug
21, at the New York State Fair (Syracuse, NY), and Aug. 23, at the
Clinton Arts Festival (Clinton, NY). While in Boston, Lorijo will tape
“Women On Air,” the weekly NPR program of host Laney Goodman’s
acclaimed “Women in Music” series, presenting eclectic artists from
around the world, on the internet, and nationwide.
On July 13, Lorijo performed a special concert in Los Angeles,
celebrating Blues-radio DJ Ann the Raven’s birthday. The response was
overwhelming, and Lorijo has been asked to return to Colombo’s/ Eagle
Rock (Los Angeles), for three upcoming gigs.
The singer/ songwriter/ guitarist returns to Chicago this Fall, en
route to her first-ever Califo
rnia statewide tour. “I’m thrilled with
the opportunity to tour the West, particularly California. The
‘majikal mystery van’ (Lorijo’s tour bus) will start things off, by
rolling me into Chicago this November,” Lorijo says.
Her fan base is ready and waiting, led by media enthusiasts: Richard
Lynch, producer at Chicago’s WNUR-FM, states: "Lorijo Manley will blow
you away with her 'humanistic funk rock' style. A premier vocalist and
uniquely gifted guitarist..." WGN-Radio heralds “quite a crowd...
salivating over her playing.” SubNation magazine (outlet for Chicago’s
“happenings”) took note of Lorijo’s performance at a dozen clubs:
“Something about her brings to mind a female Lenny Kravitz... huge
stage presence... She plays the hell out of her guitar... and puts two
tons of heart into her singing.” The Windy City Times said, “Manley is
concerned with broad human values. In the powerful ‘Whatcha Doin'?’
she praises those who have fought for causes, but also urges her
audience to take stock of their personal values: ‘Up you mighty
people/ You can accomplish what you will/ But I say what, whatcha
doin'?’”
The Spring leg of Lorijo’s tour was highlighted by a month of smokin’
performances in-residence at Blue Heaven (Key West FL’s popular home
for live music and exotic
food, in historic Bahama Village, where
Ernest Hemingway once served as a boxing referee). “How remarkable is
she? Well, the nationally known and lauded guitarist/vocalist was once
credited with channeling Jimi Hendrix...” (Key West Citizen).
Lorijo’s AIRPLANE CD (2006, indie release/ Muddy Pause Music) achieved
its title by way of her roots. “I'm always reaching for higher and
higher altitudes,” she proclaims. One of her most popular set-list
numbers is AIRPLANE’S “Driving by Midnight” which has the feeling of
triumph that is a lot like Lorijo. (“Something lives in the dreaming/
Which I will never lose...”) She continues, “I don't believe in defeat.
You do the best you can, always, and you never give up.”
Empathy is another keyword for Lorijo, who writes all lyrics and music
of her songs, in which many of the characters are real. “If you don't
have empathy,” she says, “you can only write about yourself. The
stories of my ‘characters’ move me; I can enter their experiences,
relate them to my own, and feel the overlap.”
Lorijo’s songs are jettisoned by her unequivocal status as a premier
American guitarist. NY’s OutWords magazine started all the chatter:
"She makes magic through her music... channeling Jimi Hendrix through
her fingers... spectacular." When asked about the recurrent Hendrix
=0
Acomparisons, she shrugs and says, “I think it’s the kinetic
relationship we share with the guitar in live performance. I'm a
stronger guitar player than singer. Both are instruments, voice and
guitar, but the guitar responds to the stimulus that I give it --
whereas my vocals are influenced by emotions of the material, the
atmosphere, distractions in the room... a million factors.”
The tradition of artistic integrity flowed through Lorijo’s energetic
family, with strong artistic influence from her Grandparents and her
Mom. “They gave me my creative props, fueling my imagination at every
turn,” Lorijo emphasizes. And, she wasn’t the only artist nurtured in
that household. When Alex Haley transplanted from New York City, and
needed a place to stay in upstate New York, it was Lorijo’s family who
opened their home. As a result, “Roots” was written in a comfortable
setting.
Lorijo wrote several songs for her Grandfather, including “Seven Sea
Ships” (two versions, available on AIRPLANE and her previous NAKED CD).
“It’s one of those songs that felt channeled.” Lorijo reports. “I
wrote it years ago and thought it was corny. When he passed, I put it
on the set list. The response was incredible, so I kept it in
rotation. Playing this song is an experience of transcendence. Some
moments remove themselves fro
m the mundane and approach the divine -- I
call these ‘velvet scenes.’ That’s what this song represents.”
On “Seven Sea Ships,” she plays a Yamaha classical acoustic-electric.
Like Richie Havens, with whom she has shared the stage, an undeniable
“sound of freedom” emanates from Lorijo’s guitar. But, hers is a
younger, alternative style -- folk, funk and blues roots intact.
AIRPLANE opens with “Too Late, Angel” (alternate version on NAKED), a
la Carole King’s cathartic “It’s Too Late.” “I feel snarky when
performing it live!” Lorijo smiles. She employs a Yamaha plug-in,
recalling, “The second guitar I laid down later -- a Gibson Les Paul
electric. The cut is soulful; her vocals reflect controlled emotion.
Lorijo says soul music “is what happens when big voices step outside
the gospel church and go secular. Heartfelt, down to earth.”
Propelled by a truckin’ guitar/harmonica combo (Lorijo/Sal Carolei),
she gets due respect from a swampy rhythm section on “Past Dues”
(AIRPLANE). Her guitar work takes it to the greats. “I’m playing a
Fender strat on this strut. It has a don’t-mess-with-me attitude that
makes men cower and women sport wicked grins,” she laughs. “It’s
funkier in the present day rendition. The genesis of this song comes =0
D
from flipping a car and walking away with just a little blood on my
hands.” With a wink, she adds, “It's also about the music industry.”
Lorijo produced NAKED, and co-produced AIRPLANE with bassist Darrell
Briscoe, founder of New York’s Two Galleries recording studio, with
credits including Ari Hest, Paul McCartney, KRS-One and MTV.
An announcement of cross-country and California tour dates is
forthcoming, as well as the NPR markets and air dates. Stay tuned!
# # #
Background Notes:
Lorijo Manley studied theatre at Northwestern, creating the
University's first women's performance troupe, Astarte Mettle, which
garnered Lorijo a TIME MAGAZINE COLLEGE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. Over the
next decade, she logged 3,000 live music performances, between New York
and Chicago alone. Lorijo was an official performer at the Athlete's
Village, 1996 Olympic Games, Atlanta. In 1998, her vocals were
showcased in the Native American Music Awards theme music, on A&E. She
has numerous television and radio appearance credits, including WBAI,
New York City; WNUR and WGN, Chicago; WAMC/NPR, Albany; WUMB, Boston.
In 2003, she won an arts grant to help produce NAKED. She “owns”
Manhattan’s abundant, alternative club scene. You might catch her
occasional show in the subways... What? Lorijo is devoted to her
“markets,” from busking to touring in her vehicle, doubling as office
HQ.
Contact/ KJPR Publicity & Artist Relations
Karen Johnson kjprar@aol.com 818.430.4790
(career clients... Etta James, U2, Ringo Starr, Taj Mahal, Dennis
Hopper,
Kim Wilson, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Tony Bennett, Andy Summers,
Keith Richards, Private Music, Warner Bros. Records,
Stony Plain Records, Musicians For Life... )
www.lorijomanley.com
www.sonicbids.com/LorijoManley
www.myspace.com/lorijomanley