Press

Conversations Magazine | Cyrus Webb | March/April 2011 Issue

If you are looking for someone who is able to marry quality lyrics with soothing music, then Denver-based folk and Jewish singer/songwriter Julie Geller is someone you should know.

I became aware of her due to her writing the song “If You Believe” for my friend Dafna Michaelson and the Journey Institute, but after I visited her website and listened to more, I was definitely hooked. Since that time she has been a guest of mine on Conversations LIVE and it is an honor to have the opportunity of introducing our readers to her work.

For Julie, she knew at a young age that this was what she was supposed to be doing with her life. It has been a pleasure of hers to now see that dream fulfilled in a large way.

Over the years she has released albums and shared her music with enthusiastic audience, but in 2010 she released You're With Me—her third album—and has found it to be her most moving to date. Of the eleven tracks on the album, nine are in English and two are in Hebrew. She is also simultaneously releasing two other works: the single If You Believe, from which a portion of the proceeds benefit the Journey Institute; and a Jewish Music Sampler, for those who are looking for the best of new Jewish Music. The Jewish Music Sampler features the best Jewish songs from all of Julie's albums as well as the exultant new track Hodu Lo and a spirited live recording of Adon Olam. Julie collaborated with producer John McVey on all three projects and all are being released on Beating Heart Records.

Her website states: “Julie plays extensively around Colorado and has also toured around the United States and Israel. She has played at numerous colleges, music venues, synagogues, churches, and at Limmud Colorado. She is equally at home in the folk and the Jewish scenes, and she seamlessly integrates both English and Hebrew music into her shows. In addition, Julie also teaches workshops around the country about how to access one's creative potential and how to succeed as an independent musician.”

Whether she is sharing her love of song or your knowledge that she has gained by following her dreams, Julie Geller is living proof of what can be accomplished in your life ‘if you believe.’ Discover more about her and her music at www.juliegeller.com.

www.reviewyou.com | Annie Reuter | July 15, 2010

Julie Geller impresses on her latest 11-track release, You’re With Me. Throughout the album, she combines her quirky and personal narratives with Psalms and Jewish prayers for a truly unique musical experience. While songs like album opener, “Insides Out” demonstrate her distinction as an artist, it is on the tracks where she sings in Hebrew that leaves the greatest impact.

Raised in Denver, Colorado, Geller has lived in Boston, San Diego and Israel. Throughout her travels and songwriting, she aims to bring love and healing to the world. As a result, her third album, which combines original folk and Jewish music, is empowering and refreshing. Whether she is singing in English or Hebrew, her passion for music is evident.

You’re With Me begins with the soulful “Insides Out.” An appropriate first track, Geller’s airy vocals and seductive musical accompaniment captivate the listener. A tale about embracing one’s awkwardness and finding courage to be oneself, Geller gets her point across with a slow rap-like singing style. Never overpowering or too preachy, “Insides Out” is refreshing and makes the listener wonder what the rest of the album will entail.

Next track, “Let It Be Love,” sounds reminiscent to a gospel choir with soft organs and piano heard in the background. Quite the transition from the rap-like first track, Geller’s diversity is evident throughout the entirety of You’re With Me. “Let It Be Love” follows suit with Geller singing Psalm 118, titled “Min Hametzar.” Strings and light percussion combined with her delicate vocals in Hebrew are a relaxed and welcomed change. It is on the tracks where she sings in Hebrew that she impresses most.  “Elokai” is another example. From the amidah, the daily silent prayer, Geller’s uplifting vocals strike a chord. The listener need not understand Hebrew to sense the power this prayer holds.

Title track, “You’re With Me” embodies delicate guitar finger picking and soft flute accompaniment. Throughout the ballad, Geller’s voice soars over the track well; never forced or overpowered. She quickly switches gears on the fun, fast-paced “Here We Go Again.” With striking clarinet interludes, and prompt pauses in the music, “Here We Go Again” is a fitting diversion from the more serious “Elokai.”

The relatable, “Driving” tells the tale of a woman who is uncertain of her path in life. A common theme throughout the album, Geller keeps the listener intrigued with vivid imagery and an edgy percussion beat. “Is this the life that I wanted to lead?” she asks in confusion.

While “Driving” ends without a concrete resolution, last track on You’re With Me, “Time to Fly” closes with more confidence. Upbeat with a piano interlude and an electric guitar fadeout, Geller sings with great emotion. “Cause I used to worry and think it all through/And struggle and ponder then one day I knew/That I know inside/I know/Like I know it is best, although it is daunting/To be who I am when it’s not who they’re wanting.”

You’re With Me is no doubt a strong release for Geller. However, if the listener is not aware of the Jewish prayers and psalms the initial reaction may be of surprise. While Geller’s strength lies within alternating between singing in Hebrew and English, it may be more suitable to compile a separate album solely with Jewish prayers as to not disrupt the flow on You’re With Me.

Teruah Jewish Music Blog / Jack Zaientz / August 6, 2010

It's been a while, but here's great 'get in the Shabbat groove' track.  It's courtesy of Julie Geller, a Denver based folk and Jewish signer/songwriter and is off her new album "You're with Me."  I dig the album clips I've heard. A contemporary folk / light rock sound, but with some stylish arrangements and a strong lyrical voice. At times she reminds me of Austin-based country songstress Nanci Griffith and at other times college folk darling Dar Williams. Both high compliments. And when she kicks into her Jewish tracks I swoon. Seriously. Love it.

www.InterfaithFamily.com | Mimi DuPree | January 4, 2010

On a recent drive up to the mountains of North Carolina to visit relatives, I popped in Julie Geller's album "Step into Shabbat." I thought I could test-drive it on my kids, and my ulterior motive was, of course, to keep them quiet. A little peace and quiet in the back seat generally earns adults a few hard-won minutes of conversation, and I was expecting 15 to 20 of my husband's company. I didn't get it--not because holiday marital ennui had set in early, but because Julie Geller's joyous, warm and rich vocals pulled us all in. We were spellbound, and at the end of the CD, my youngest shouted, "Again!" (I wish I could say that was the last thing she shouted on that car trip, but her "Again! Again!" was more like the opening chords of a four-movement symphony.) Geller's CD walks the listener through the sounds and wonders of a Friday night in a Jewish household, from a haunting nigun over candlelighting to the blessing of the children, Kiddush, motzi, birkat ha-mazon and all the way to a raucous "Shabbat Shalom" that had my kids screeching along and kicking the back of my seat in joy.

It's an educational CD combining narration and music, but it manages to escape the pitfalls of the genre; there were no tedious moments of over-explanation that made it impossible for adults to enjoy, and yet the light-hearted sophistication of the music--both that of Geller's composing along with other, traditional songs - drew the little ones into the experience too. In truth, the experience was like being invited to a seat at Geller's Shabbat table, complete with music, stories and gentle explanations. I never felt patronized; instead, I felt like I was watching someone dance with my children around the Shabbat table and the effect was magical. As a writer, it's not surprising that I was drawn most of all to the narrative selections. The retelling of the "Sweetest Sound" folktale and the even more charming story, "The Nigun from Habonim," captivated us the most. The latter, a creation of Peninah Schram, weaves a Carlebach nigun into the story of a poor old man and his wife who sell all their sabbath treasures--wine and challot and candles--to buy a tune. It was one of those stories where I kept expecting the moral to be something dreary like, "Don't spend money foolishly," with the old man being duly punished for his heedless ways, so I was charmed by its ending: bereft of everything with which to make their Shabbat, the old man and his wife have only this dearly bought tune. Holding hands, they dance endlessly around the table, singing at the top of their voices far into the night and into the next morning, in the most beautiful and joyous Shabbat of their lives. It's a moving little tale about the centrality of music not just to the Jewish tradition but to the sensory experience of Shabbat itself--and, of course, it's a neat testament to the point of the album.

Though the album flows seamlessly between music and narration, there are a few moments where the music seizes center stage: Geller's exotic original setting of the "Shir Ha-maalot" seeps into your bones, as does Ben-Zion Shenker's "Eishet Chayil." But in truth, this album is at its best when Geller is singing the tunes everyone knows, in a voice remarkable for its richness and clarity at all points of its considerable range. "Shalom Aleichem" and "Bim Bam" are the stand-outs here, and it was musical moments like those that made me think this album would make a great gift to non-Jewish friends to whom I'd like to introduce some of the wonders of Shabbat. I could also see slipping this CD in on Friday evenings to play in the background, or as prelude to our own Shabbat. That's part of the magic of what Geller has done here. Listening to her album, I was inspired to start thinking about our family's rituals. In re-creating a quiet Friday evening around the Shabbat table, Geller invites her listener into what is essentially private space, so I found myself thinking about ways to incorporate some of Geller's world into our own experience of Shabbat. My oldest daughter has even begun work on our family's "Shabbat Book," inspired by Geller's music. Geller's gentle individualization encourages the listeners to find their own ways into Shabbat. Music as spiritual invitation and as end in itself, as boundary between public act and private space, as educational experience and as heartfelt prayer. Geller's album, like the tradition of Shabbat music she draws on, bridges all these divides and leads the listener into the heart of Shabbat.

JUF News | Paul Wieder | December 2008

This is a step-by-step guide to the order of the Erev Shabbat table service. The traditional melodies are interspersed with brief explanations of the method and meaning of each step. The subtitle - "A joyful Frday Night Experience" - is accurate as well. Denver’s Geller has a folksy voice, and the piano-based arrangements encourage singing along. There is even a touching Shabbat parable about the beauty of quietness. This s a very accessible way to learn - or relearn - the steps into Shabbat.