“Listening to the jazz singer Gabrielle Stravelli is like imbibing a potent cocktail whose flavor changes as you drain the glass. In the first couple of sips, the predominant taste is the sparkling wine that has drifted to the top, for Ms. Stravelli’s bright, rippling voice exudes a natural effervescence. Before long, it darkens, and the heady liquor underneath kicks in...As she dipped and swooped, twirling notes and phrases with a confidence and playfulness that recalled Ella Fitzgerald in her prime, Ms. Stravelli began interpreting lyrics with a ferocity that her vocal pyrotechnics accentuated...”
— STEPHEN HOLDEN, NEW YORK TiMES
Read Gabrielle's full 2014 New York Times review HERE.
“Ms. Stravelli’s emotional intelligence coincides with a phenomenal voice that she wielded with an easygoing confidence and impeccable taste. Her clear, rounded timbre, reminiscent at times of Ella Fitzgerald’s, didn’t strain for effect. A formidable scat improviser, she held back enough so that I never felt that she was indulging in empty display. Her twirling of notes and phrases infused her performance with extra energy. She swings playfully, without seeming to try...The high point of Tuesday’s show was a mash-up of Stephen Foster’s “Hard Times Come Again No More”; “Tomorrow” (from “Annie”); and the tough, wised-up “Now You Know” (from “Merrily We Roll Along”). They added up to a statement about living on hope and learning to accept reality. It was one of the most ambitious such juxtapositions I can remember.”
— STEPHEN HOLDEN, NEW YORK TiMES
Read the full 2015 New York Times review HERE.
“This outstanding singer is already a veteran of the New York club scene but still young enough to improve with every appearance—even though she’s already one of the best around. Her current show starts in a manner reminiscent of her director-mentor, the brilliant Marilyn Maye, with a fast, swinging jazz waltz medley (“While We’re Young” fused to “Happy Talk”), which proves that it’s no sin to learn from the best. Over the course of the too-short set, she comes increasingly into her own, particularly with a sequence of contemporary songs and a blues original titled “Runnin’ Back for More.”
— WiLL FRiEDWALD, WALL STREET JOURNAL
“JAZZ VOCALIST GABRIELLE STRAVELLI’S THIRD ALBUM, DREAM AGO, WAS THE CORE SUBJECT OF AN INTIMATE PERFORMANCE AT THE 75 CLUB...WHERE SHE PROVED THAT HAVING FUN NEEDN’T MEAN SKIMPING ON RIGOR. FROM HER DELECTABLE ORIGINAL “CAKE OF MY CHILDHOOD” TO COLE PORTER’S “DREAM DANCING” (SEAMLESSLY ARRANGED BY O’LEARY), THE POSITIVE VIBRATIONS OF STRAVELLI’S MUSICAL MIND ACTIVATED THE ROOM WITH THEIR INSPIRATION. ”
— TYRAN GRiLLO, ALL ABOUT JAZZ
READ THE FULL ALL ABOUT JAZZ REVIEW HERE
“THE JAZZ WORLD ABOUNDS WITH TALENT, BOTH VOCAL AND INSTRUMENTAL, BUT WITHIN THIS UNIVERSE THE ONES WHO HAVE A TRUE, DEEP FEELING FOR JAZZ ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN. GABRIELLE STRAVELLI IS ONE OF THE RARITIES. SHE EMBODIES THE JAZZ ETHIC FROM THE TOP OF HER HEAD TO THE SOLES OF HER FEET. THE FABLED NEW YORK TIMES CRITIC, STEPHEN HOLDEN, ONCE COMPARED HER TO A COCKTAIL, WRITING, “IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF SIPS, THE PREDOMINANT TASTE IS THE SPARKLING WINE THAT HAS DRIFTED TO THE TOP, FOR MS. STRAVELLI’S BRIGHT, RIPPLING VOICE EXUDES A NATURAL EFFERVESCENCE. BEFORE LONG, IT DARKENS, AND THE HEADY LIQUOR UNDERNEATH KICKS IN.” HOLDEN’S POETIC DESCRIPTION CAPTURES THE SINGER PERFECTLY, AND IN THIS TURN AT BIRDLAND THEATER, HER MOODS WERE MANY, DISPLAYING AN AMAZING VERSATILITY AS A PERFORMER. THE CHERRY ON THE SUNDAE WAS THE CAPTIVATING AND VARIED SET LIST RANGING FROM SONGBOOK STANDARDS TO THE WORK OF CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS TO STRAVELLI’S OWN COMPOSITIONS.”
— MARiLYN LESTER, CABARET SCENES
READ THE FULL CABARET SCENES REVIEW HERE
“STRAVELLI...HAS THE UNUSUAL CAPACITY FOR SHOWING US WHO THE CHARACTER SHE VOICES IS UNDERNEATH”
— MARi S. GOLD, WWW.NEWYORKARTS.NET
“IRRESISTIBLY POLISHED AND TRIUMPHANT. LET’S HOPE SHE’S PRIMED FOR NATIONAL APPRECIATION.”
— DAViD FiNKLE, THE HUFFiNGTON POST
“GABRIELLE STRAVELLI HAS A GROOVY ‘70S-CHICK VIBE AND A SUPPLE, VERSATILE VOICE THAT CAN NAVIGATE MULTIPLE GENRES WITH EASE; THINK JOYCE DEWITT WITH BONA FIDE POP-JAZZ CHOPS...SHE MIXES ORIGINAL SONGS INTO A SET OF STANDARDS OLD AND NEW.”
— ADAM FELDMAN, TiME OUT NEW YORK
“GO AHEAD, NAME A MORE EXCITING CHANTEUSE WHO’S HIT THE TOWN WITH ALL ENGINES FIRING IN THE LAST 5 OR 10 YEARS. WHEN THIS ONE BELTS, TRAFFIC STOPS ACROSS TOWN. SHE MAY BE LITTLE BUT THE EFFECT COULDN’T BE BIGGER AS SHE GIVES SONGS FROM MYRIAD GENRES THE ONCE-OVER. YOU THINK HALEY OR LAUREN ON AMERICAN IDOL HAVE WHAT IT TAKES? THIS GAL HAS MORE, AND TAKES IT RIGHT BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES.”
— DAViD FiNKLE, ViLLAGE VOiCE
“STRAVELLI EXPERTLY COMBINES TREMENDOUS MUSICIANSHIP, POISE, A NICE VARIETY OF SONG CHOICES, AND A WELCOMING PRESENCE ON STAGE. NEVER DOES HER POLISH SACRIFICE THE SHEER JOY SHE EXUDES WHILE ON STAGE; NOR DOES HER SKILL IN MUSIC KEEP HER FROM COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY TO HER AUDIENCE, WHICH IS SOMETIMES THE CASE WITH JAZZ SINGERS WHO GET SO ENTRANCED IN THE MUSIC THAT THEY BECOME PART OF THE BAND—AND THE AUDIENCE SUFFERS. NOT SO HERE.”
— KEViN SCOTT HALL, BiSTROAWARDS.COM
“SINGER GABRIELLE STRAVELLI CAPTURED OUR HEARTS FOR GOOD THE OTHER NIGHT AT THE DRAWING ROOM, WITH HER COMBINATION OF ABSOLUTE ACCURACY AND TOTAL ABANDON. SHE DOVE DEEP INTO THE MUSIC, BALANCING TENDERNESS AND TOUGH, EXUBERANT SWING. IF SHE’S NEW TO YOU, PREPARE TO BE UPLIFTED; IF YOU KNOW HER WORK, THIS WAS AN ESPECIALLY GRATIFYING PERFORMANCE.”
— MiCHAEL STEiNMAN, JAZZ LiVES
“FOR MY MONEY, GABRIELLE STRAVELLI IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE JAZZ SINGERS IN TOWN. WITH PERFECT PITCH AND CLARITY, SHE TEARS THROUGH THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK WITH AN UNDERSTANDING FAR BEYOND HER YEARS. A BACKGROUND IN THE THEATER DOESN’T HURT, EITHER. WHILE OTHER JAZZ BIRDS SWING, SCAT AND SNAP, EYES SCRUNCHED IN A SELF-ABSORBED FRENZY, STRAVELLI KNOWS WHEREOF SHE SINGS — CHARMING HER AUDIENCE WITH INTELLIGENCE AND MUSICALITY…”
— JiM CARUSO (HOST OF BiRDLAND'S CAST PARTY), THE ViLLAGER
“IF YOU THINK YOU ARE A JAZZ SINGER, COME TO SEE GABRIELLE STRAVELLI AND SEE WHAT THE REAL DEAL IS AND THEN ASK YOURSELF IF WHAT YOU DO IS JAZZ. WHAT SHE DOES... IS PLAY WITH TIME; SHE BENDS MELODIC LINES; SHE ALLOWS SPACE TO “SPEAK”; SHE HAS A DEAD ON TONE THAT GOES RIGHT TO THE NUCLEUS OF A NOTE AND SHE HAS THE ABILITY TO STILL INTERPRET A LYRIC WHILE USING ALL THESE JAZZ TOOLS AND STYLING EFFECTS. IN A WORD, SHE IS IMPRESSIVE!
SHE IS ALSO AN AMAZING NEW SONGWRITER...ALONG WITH CO-WRITERS, JASON ROBINSON AND PAT O’LEARY, TWO OF MY FAVORITE TUNES WERE THEIR ORIGINALS, “RUNNIN’ BACK FOR MORE” AND “DIDN’T YOU TELL ME”. BOTH HAVE A VOCALESE APPROACH TO THEM WITH VERY CLEVER LYRICS....GABRIELLE STRAVELLI IS A REAL JAZZ SINGER WHO DOES NOT SOUND LIKE ANYONE ELSE YET SHE IS A CREATION OF ALL WHO CAME BEFORE HER AND SHE’S A WONDER.”
— SUE MATSUKi, CABARET HOTLiNE
“IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR THE NEXT BETTE MIDLER OR AMY WINEHOUSE, SHE’S NOT IT. WHAT SHE IS, IS THE FIRST GABRIELLE STRAVELLI AND THAT’S SO, SO MUCH BETTER. RIGHT NOW SHE’S HOTTER THAN THE EQUATOR.”
— DAViD FiNKLE, ViLLAGE VOiCE
