“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.”