New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Lorenza Ponce Official Website) - Early acclaim has greeted singer/violinist Lorenza Ponce's sultry rock/Americana collection, 'Soul Shifter.' In his BLOGCRITICS review, which also ran via NO DEPRESSION, respected writer Jack Goodstein praised, 'Ponce's first foray into rock is riddled with successes and filled with promise for the future.' Saturation tour press ran in support of Ponce's recent headlining dates - THE ALBANY TIMES UNION raved, 'Let's just make this perfectly clear: Lorenza Ponce is a big deal.' 'Soul Shifter' is 'glorious.' Remarking on Ponce's unique background as a self-professed 'rock-girl side person' for such superstars as
Sheryl Crow and as violinist for
Bon Jovi and others, THE TIMES HERALD-RECORD noted, 'Not every girl can say that rocker
Sheryl Crow bought her first pair of leather pants!' Ponce will open for
Bon Jovi at the kick-off of the 2011 U.S. leg of the band's tour, February 9th at Penn State. She will also open for them March 4th at Mohegan Sun.
Featuring her ethereal vocals and blues violin, Ponce's album charts a path out of the shadows and into the spotlight for a talented artist with a storied career as a performer and as a string arranger - her credits include such notable tracks as Dixie Chicks 'Landslide', Sheryl Crow's 'Mother Nature's Son' and 'It's Only Love', Bon Jovi's MTV Unplugged 'Living on a Prayer' and more. Her extraordinary list of projects can be seen via ALL MUSIC: https://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:a9fqxqrgldhe~T4.
Here's a sampling of recent coverage. Other write-ups not reflected below include MODERN DRUMMER CD release NEWS item, NJ RECORD Best Bet Photo Pick, South Dutchess News color photo tour preview, and more.
BLOG CRITICS/NO DEPRESSION - CD REVIEW BY JACK GOODSTEIN
https://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/cd-review-lorenza-ponce-soul
https://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-lorenza-ponce-soul-shifter1/
Perhaps like many of you, I was unfamiliar with the music of Lorenza Ponce until her latest CD, Soul Shifter, came through the mail. After listening a few times, it was clear that this was not just another pop rocker, this was a singer/songwriter with talent; this was an instrumentalist worth some attention. This was someone worth learning more about. A few clicks on Google, and it quickly becomes obvious that Lorenza Ponce is no novice. An accomplished violinist, she has played with some of the biggest names on the music scene: names like Sheryl Crow, Jon Bon Jovi, John Tesh, and The Dixie Chicks; not to mention Neil Young, Sarah McLachlan, Stevie Nicks, Dolly Parton and The Zombies. An eclectic group if there ever was one.
What is new in this her latest album, is her emergence as a roots rock soloist. Prior to this the albums she had released were new age compilations. Her first solo album was Imago for which she wrote all the music and lyrics. This was followed by three more new age albums. Soul Shifter, she has said, is 'a style change from the classical training and new age music of my past, while incorporating the 'graduate degree' I have earned at the school of rock star employers and mentors.' Indeed, she credits Sheryl Crow with her makeover: 'Sheryl was Patsy Cline to my Loretta Lynn. She encouraged me to pick up the guitar again. . . and bought me my first really good pair of leather pants.'
Of the album's ten tracks eight are by Ponce, four in collaboration with others and four on her own. The rocking 'Baby Please Don't Go' is by Joseph Lee Williams. It shows the singer off at her sultry best. George Harrison's 'Let It Down' begins with a soft cabaret vibe and rocks out on the chorus. Her own 'Frostbite' has a nice folksy feel that builds on an extensive conceit comparing the effects of unrequited love to frostbite. 'Testify' is a demand that we stand up and acknowledge that we are living for love. It features some nice guitar and banjo accompaniment. 'I Won't Lose Faith' has an otherworldly quality that has some echoes of her new age past, but adds a touch of blues with the first chorus. The problem of maintaining faith in a world where bad things happen to good people is central to the song's affirmation: 'No I won't, I won't lose faith in you/No matter what you do.'
The album opens with 'Casual Girl,' the lament of a love taken for granted, but unable to break away. The chorus exploits some clever internal rhyming that emphasizes the speaker's awareness of her situation and her inability to do anything about it: 'keep me handy like pocket candy' and 'dedicated to a love I've hated.' She's 'not that lucky.' She'll 'keep on sinking deeper.' 'Remedy' is a down home blues sitting on an intense throbbing beat. 'What Happened to You,' another blues, is a diatribe against the artist that has lost his way; once upon a time you could make us feel, she cries. 'What happened to you?' 'Daddy's Baby' is a patriotic anthem with a country feel. It is an assertion that love of country doesn't mean love of guns and war: she shouldn't be 'misunderstood/Like it's some kinda crazy gun totin' sisterhood.'
'Soul Shifter,' the song that gives the album its title is a swinging tribute to old blue eyes, Frank Sinatra. 'A soul shifter,' Ponce has said, 'is someone who will turn your blue mood into joy and laughter, without you even thinking about it.' It is a soft rock tune with some of the most elaborate orchestration on the album, but it doesn't quite have the raw energy of some of the other songs on the album. Unfortunately for me, whenever she got to the chorus: 'He's a soul shifter/He's the mood lifter,' all I could keep hearing was Pat Benatar, but that's my problem.
Lorenza Ponce's first foray into rock is riddled with successes and filled with promise for the future. Her selection of material is varied. She has a seductive voice that is equally at home with the blues and the softer rock ballad. Her own songs are intelligent and thought provoking. She manages to put her own stamp on the songs of others. All in all, you may not be enthralled by every track on the album, but it will be the rare listener who will not find much to like on Soul Shifter.
TIMES HERALD-RECORD - Interview feature https://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101105/ENTERTAIN/11050347/-1/SITEMAP
By Sandy Tomcho , Times Herald-Record, 11/05/10
Not every girl can say that rocker Sheryl Crow bought her first pair of leather pants.
'She did! It was my first really good pair of leather pants,' Lorenza Ponce said. 'The first ones that were made by a really good maker, fit perfectly. She was buying us clothes for the tour and said to me, 'You need a pair of leather pants.' She's really, really sweet. Sheryl Crow is an amazing human being.'
'I'm doing the solo thing right now. I just finished working with Carly Simon and I scheduled some shows for myself,' said Ponce, who plays the Bearsville Theater Friday night. 'I've been trying to put myself and my band first for a little while for the first time in my life.' A rock 'n' roller, Ponce got her start as a new-age artist. Early on, she began studying classical violin and by high school was a soloist in the Maryland Youth Symphony. She studied at the Manhattan School of Music and Syracuse University.
Her first solo album (with vocals), 'Imago,' was released in 1997 and was followed by 'Mystic Fiddler' in 2001, 'Song of Songs' in 2002 and the recently released 'Soul Shifter.' Between the release of her first album and now, Ponce has performed or recorded with Neil Young, Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, Stevie Nicks, Cyndi Lauper, Silverchair and Deborah Harry of Blondie. She was the violinist and violist for the recent Bon Jovi 'Lost Highway' tour, is a member of Jon Bon Jovi's solo acoustic group and also toured with John Tesh, Ben Folds and Japanese superstar Kitaro.
She wanted to make 'Soul Shifter' because she's a fan of rock 'n' roll and, now that she's made it, she's ready to play it. 'I feel so strongly about this new record. I absolutely love it and that's something I've never been able to say before,' Ponce said. 'I think it's music that people can relate to, which is also something I've never been able to say before.'
One of the motivators behind this album was the leather-loving Crow. Ponce met Crow when the artist was recording the theme song for the James Bond film 'Tomorrow Never Dies' and ran into her later on when she was working on 'The Globe Sessions.' It was during that time she broke the cardinal rule. 'I gave her one of my records. Something said to me 'Do it.' She told me she wanted to take violin on the road with her and it was perfect. We really hit it off,' Ponce said. 'She was the one that pulled the rock girl out because that's what was really in my heart.'
ALBANY TIMES UNION
By David Malachowski 11/4/10
https://www.timesunion.com/default/article/In-the-spotlight-796207.php
IN THE SPOTLIGHT - Lorenza Ponce
Let's just make this perfectly clear: Lorenza Ponce is a big deal. In a world of people resting on their laurels, you're really only as good as your last gig.
Ponce's last gig at press time was playing violin in Jon Bon Jovi and Friends for the Clinton Foundation; also on the bill (besides Bill) was this guitar player, Eric Clapton. She's also toured with Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow, the Dixie Chicks, Hall & Oates and John Tesh, and has appeared on countless recordings, but there comes a time when you need to express your own music, and Ponce has done just that, releasing the glorious 'Soul Shifter.' Here Ponce finds herself comfortably out front and center, from a spirited cover of Big Joe Williams' 'Baby Please Don't Go' to her own compelling compositions, the lush 'Casual Girl,' soul-drenched 'Remedy,' faith-reaffirming 'Testify' and moving 'I Won't Lose Faith,' which will surely be featured in her shows. Woodstock is known for it's world-class musicians, plus Ponce knows a few herself, so you never know who might turn up for her Bearsville Theatre show. Be there.
KINGSTON DAILY FREEMAN
'Soul Shifter' shows Lorenza Ponce is a force all on her own
https://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2010/11/05/entertainment/doc4cd31bff6a4f1767963031.txt?viewmode=fullstory
Singer, songwriter, violinist extraordinaire Lorenza Ponce lives here in Woodstock (and New York City), but you'd never know it, because she tours almost non-stop with the likes of Bon Jovi, the Dixie Chicks, Sheryl Crow, Hall & Oates, the Ben Folds Five and many others. That's kind of a big deal. But touring with big pop acts does not define this rocker. Ponce had a former life as a new-ge artist touring with John Tesh and Kitaro - and putting out her own CDs. If that's not enough, she started out playing classical, studying at the Manhattan School of Music. This brand-new release is a bit of a departure for Ponce, but the sound is comfortable and, well, casual. So, fittingly, the muscular mix and meaty guitars of 'Casual Girl' kick off this collection, and, of course, there's lush strings lurking in the background. But it's Ponce's luxurious, sensual voice that draws you in, as well as her haunting violin playing, which comes with the jaw-dropping technique that she has built her reputation on. The sound has elements of soul, rock, country and is produced to perfection by Matt Wells, from the silky 'Remedy,' to the fiery update of Big Joe Williams' 'Baby Please Don't Go,' where clever arrangements, modulations and red-hot playing make it brand new. The forceful ballad 'Frostbite,' the hard-hitting 'What Happened To You?' and the lush 'Let It Down' are highlights. Soon, the back roads feel of 'Testify' falls into the soulful 'Soul Shifter.' It comes to a dramatic close with the moving 'I Won't Lose Faith.' Throughout this release, both the playing and singing are quite impressive, but what is important here (and not a given) is that Ponce remembers that passion and emotion are what really lift up a song, and this record is drenched in both. The bottom line? Soul Shifter, and Lorenza Ponce, are good for the soul.
NIPPERTOWN - Tour Preview
https://www.nippertown.com/2010/11/03/five-firsts-lorenza-ponce
Five Firsts: Lorenza Ponce
NAME: Lorenza Ponce BAND AFFILIATION: David Malachowski & the Woodstock Allstars INSTRUMENT: Violin, vocals
1. THE FIRST ALBUM I EVER BOUGHT WAS '� Aerosmith's 'Draw The Line'
2. THE FIRST CONCERT I EVER SAW WAS '� Classical - The Baltimore Symphony Rock - Aerosmith
3. THE FIRST INSTRUMENT I EVER OWNED OR PLAYED WAS '� Piano
4. THE FIRST SONG I EVER PERFORMED IN PUBLIC WAS '� Movement one from Vivaldi's Concerto No. 1
5. THE FIRST BAND I WAS EVER IN WAS '� Raining Violet
Township Journal preview -
https://strausnews.com/articles/2010/10/20/new_jersey/arts_and_entertainment/2.txt
On 'Soul Shifter,' Ponce eschews the new-age instrumentals of her previous solo efforts and instead has embraced vocals and the roots rock grooves she had always hoped to create. 'Soul Shifter' was produced, recorded and mixed by Matt Wells in New York City, using instruments from his collection of vintage items, including an equalizer from Hitsville USA (the original Motown studio); the Fender Rhodes Mick Jones used on Foreigner's hits, and even a cowbell Matt's brother 'borrowed' from Foghat in the 70's.
The title track is a tribute to one of Lorenza's icons, Frank Sinatra. She comments: 'A 'Soul Shifter' is someone who will turn your blue mood into joy and laughter, without you even thinking about it. They are so cool, or funny, or genuine, that you can't help being drawn into their world. Frank Sinatra was one of these people. Obviously I never met him, but his music, charm, and talent were so significant that to listen to him sing, read his interviews, or watch him performing, is uplifting. He was a Soul Shifter. I also consider Dolly Parton and Keith Richards to be in this group as well.'
Ponce has parlayed her music career into a growing involvement in a number of charitable causes. She has long supported 'Joan's Legacy: Uniting Against Lung Cancer,' and helps by getting artists to sign guitars for auction at their yearly fundraiser - learn more here: https://www.joanslegacy.org/. Ponce will perform at this year's Rocktoberfest fundraiser for A Leg To Stand On, https://www.altso.org/about_us/ - an extraordinary charity that provides limbs for children. Ponce also supports the non-profit Little Kids Rock, https://littlekidsrock.org/.
THE AQUARIAN - INTERVIEW Q&A
Local Noise: Lorenza Ponce
By Hal B. Selzer , May 26, 2010
https://www.theaquarian.com/2010/05/26/local-noise-lorenza-ponce/
More about Lorenza Ponce:
The multi-talented musician Lorenza Ponce has toured the world playing violin alongside such artists as Ben Folds, Jon Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow, John Tesh (!) and Thriving Ivory. As Lorenza explains, her rock debut Soul Shifter represents 'a style change from the classical training and new age music of my past, while incorporating the 'graduate degree' I have earned at the school of rock star employers and mentors.' Growing up on a farm in Maryland, Lorenza had a prescient idea of her career path. 'Even though I chose the violin, I always knew I would be a non-classical musician, and as soon as I found out that there was a NYC, I knew that was where I would live. So as soon as I was legal, that's where I headed.' Keyboardist Joe McGinty recommended Lorenza for her first session and a chance meeting with Jon Anderson of Yes led to a collaboration on his album Deseo (Windham Hill, 1994). Anderson encouraged Lorenza to start writing her own music as well, and her solo debut as a classical crossover artist, Imago, was released in 1997 by EMI/Angel Records. Ever eager to take to the road as well as developing her solo work, Lorenza toured with new agers Kitaro and John Tesh and appears in the An Enchanted Evening and One World videos documenting those shows. Ponce's strength as a performer/instrumentalist was recognized by The St. Petersburg Times: 'Ponce is a violin virtuoso, plucking her strings while singing on the ethereal 'Canta Domine.'' As a first call session player, Lorenza was part of the string quintet that accompanied Sheryl Crow on the theme for the James Bond film 'Tomorrow Never Dies' (1997). Lorenza next worked with her on The Globe Sessions, where she broke a cardinal rule of her session work and gave the artist a copy of her record. 'I was hanging on a break, talking about the Bond session with Sheryl, and a little voice said, 'ask her if you can give her a record.' That moment changed my life.' Sheryl invited Lorenza to play on her VH 1 Storytellers special, which led to the violinist accompanying her on the subsequent world tour. Lorenza credits Sheryl Crow for her transformation from New Age sidewoman to rock chick. 'Sheryl was Patsy Cline to my Loretta Lynn. She encouraged me to pick up the guitar again, and in addition to hiring me to write string arrangements for her recordings, bought me my first really good pair of leather pants. And she encouraged me to keep making solo records' Ponce subsequently recorded another solo new age album, Mystic Fiddler (Melodia, 2000) and returned to write orchestral arrangements for Sheryl Crow's C'mon, C'mon (A&M, 2002). When it was time to hire a conductor, Crow handed Lorenza the baton and insisted she take the podium. This experience was critical in Lorenza being responsible for writing string arrangements (and touring with) The Dixie Chicks, along with her more recent work with rock icons Bon Jovi. 'After the tragedy of 9/11, every person wanted to help. I was thrilled when I got a call to play the Tribute to Heroes Telethon with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. I had never met them, but it turned out to be the start of a good musical collaboration.' Lorenza also played the historic Concert For New York with Bon Jovi, as well as smaller benefits for the families of the servicemen lost from Jon's hometown. It's no wonder Lorenza has such deep regard for the band. 'It was an honor to be part of their contribution to healing.' Lorenza became a permanent member of Jon's solo acoustic group (which mainly plays charity and political events) and was subsequently asked to join the Bon Jovi 'Lost Highway' tour, which featured her prominently. 'After completing a rock tour as big as Lost Highway, I knew I was ready to make my own rock record. My writing had been shifting towards rock for several years. My new record represents that.'
Visit: www.lorenzaponce.com
