Foreign Affair is a highly unique outing, with a Balkan influence, original songs, improvised folk and jazz music.

Foreign Affair is a highly unique outing, with a Balkan influence, original songs, improvised folk and jazz music.

Laurie Antonioli, a vocalist admired by musicians, students and connoisseurs of creative music, has recently moved from her native Bay Area in California to Graz, Austria to take a permanent position as the Professor of Vocal Jazz Studies at KUG University.
A mysterious, authentic, musically sophisticated woman, Laurie has emerged from her underground, cult-like status hi the States to embrace the European music scene. "It's time." explains Laurie, "The years of experience, both personally and musically, the songs, the lyrics and melodies have all come together. It is as if a lovely dinner has been cooking slow in the oven. I'm ready to lay out the table and invite everyone for a special meal." Her father's family is from the Adriatic Coast and she grew up hearing the Yugoslav language and music. Her maternal grandmother was a member of the Louis Armstrong fan club and introduced her to jazz. "My fondness of Balkan music is cellular. I can't help it. It moves me to the core. And, my devotion to jazz is without question.
I took an unusual route as a vocalist being primarily influenced by instrumentalists like Miles, Keith Jarrett and Wayne Shorter. Using my voice instrumentally is a natural. Also, my early influences lie in the folk music of Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. So what you hear on this recording has a bit of all these things. The result is quite original and crosses over several musical genres." Upon moving to Austria, Laurie wanted to put together a band that blended all the various elements of her musical life, "I watched and listened to see who was here.
I was in Graz for over six months before I met my new band members." Then the right combination presented itself in Serbian bassist and band leader, Nenad Vasilic and Albanian guitarist, Armend Xhaferi. New York percussionist, drummer and composer, John Hollenbeck, completes the trio. "John spends a great deal of time in the Graz area and I met him through my collegues at the University." Enja recording artist, Johannes Enders is also in the band. Laurie invited him to join the group after they worked together doing a series of concerts celebrating the 60 year birthday of Laurie's colleague and songwriting partner, piano legend, Fritz Pauer. "Johannes's sound blends with mine. It was a stroke of luck to meet him on these jobs with Fritz." Laurie goes on... "We are all Jazz artists that are influenced by other music. We are all bringing to the band a genuine piece of our heritage mixed with a high level of expertise. This creates the texture, intelligence and soulfulness I have been looking for. We are not afraid of open space or to sit down deep in a groove. We are doing something different that is somehow strangely familiar." Laurie goes on, "Our music is fluid and rhythmical. The relationship between the bass and the voice is at the heart of it all and we create a sound that is very provocative. We've found a common space at this crossroad between countries and cultures."
In December 2003 the band recorded in Slovenia and then mixed in the US with Grammy award winning engineer Jay Newland.