Long Island, NY (Top40 Charts/ Lorenza Ponce official website) As
Bon Jovi gears up for another round of North American dates this spring, the band with the #1 tour of 2010 has announced that longtime collaborator, singer/violinist Lorenza Ponce and her band LP and the 45's, will appear as very special guest at their Nassau Coliseum show on Friday, May 6th. As part of the extended
Bon Jovi family since 2001, Ponce was featured prominently on the band's 2007-08 Lost Highway Tour. Now, the multi-talented musician has been invited to perform the opening set with her own band at Bon Jovi's concert in Uniondale, following her previous performances at the tour kick off in
State College, PA, as well Uncasville, CT.
Ponce first performed with Bon Jovi after September 11, 2001, when she was called upon to support the band members at 9/11 events including the Tribute to Heroes Telethon and the historic Concert for New York. Ponce subsequently became a permanent member of Jon Bon Jovi's solo acoustic group, and was then asked to join Bon Jovi's Lost Highway Tour as well as their MTV Unplugged performance. In addition to her work with Bon Jovi, Ponce has toured the world and played alongside such notable acts as The Dixie Chicks, Sheryl Crow, Ray LaMontagne and Dolly Parton.
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!"
Other recent press:
Medleyville.us -
A SHIFT IN STYLE
Lorenza Ponce rocks on her latest solo album
By Chris Junior - 2/2011 https://www.medleyville.us/2011/02/a_shift_in_style.html
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/
ALTOONA MIRROR- TOUR FEATURE
2/1/2011 By Keith Frederick
https://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/546744/Lorenza-Ponce--solo-artist--opens-for-Bon-Jovi-Feb--9-at-Jordan-Center.html?nav=738
Lorenza Ponce, solo artist, opens for Bon Jovi Feb. 9 at Jordan Center
CENTRE DAILY TIMES
-Tour Feature 2/4/11 By Steve McElwee
https://www.centredaily.com/2011/02/04/2497988/violinist-lorenza-ponce-enjoys.html
Violinist Lorenza Ponce enjoys learning from musicians
Check out Lorenza in the studio via Penn State's The Lion: https://thelion.fm/2011/02/lorenza-ponce-in-studio-with-the-lion/
TIMES HERALD-RECORD - Interview https://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101105/ENTERTAIN/11050347/-1/SITEMAP
ALBANY TIMES UNION
By David Malachowski 11/4/10
https://www.timesunion.com/default/article/In-the-spotlight-796207.php
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
NIPPERTOWN - Tour Preview
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
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/
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 performs 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/.
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
