Andrea Koziol To say it does one proud to take the stage with members of the Jeans 'n Classics family is certainly an understatement. It is a joy,an honour and a privelidge. The newest member of the gang is Andrea Koziol. |
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Andrea first appeared with J&C in April of 2007 in a Beach Boys Special show. An amazing singer, with incredible soul, she is able to
tear the roof off the hall with her power and energy, or reduce one to tears with her poignancy and finesse.
She is a beautiful woman, inside and out, with a marvellous
sense of humour who (as I found out the hard way) takes arm wrestling very seriously. She is, in addition, a wife and a mother of two.
Peter
Andrea Koziol really enjoys singing.
She was born in London Ontario where she studied voice and piano at the Western Conservatory, before moving to Toronto to broaden her musical horizons. There she met pianist Bill Brennan and together they founded the original jazz quartet Chesterfield Inlet, who released their debut CD Mario Russell to rave reviews from the Canadian jazz world.
Since that time Andrea Koziol has produced another four acclaimed solo records, Coming of Age, Simple, Mission:Bliss and Songs. She has joyfully and tirelessly toured the Canadian folk and jazz festival circuit, and brought two beautiful children into the world. Her newest recording endeavor, a CD of songs written for ukulele and some of Canada’s finest horn players, is set for release in spring 2009.
Andrea’s work has taken her across the country many times both as bandleader, backup vocalist, and session singer, performing in every imaginable venue from Yellowknife to St. Johns to Vancouver Island to Texas. Performance highlights include her groundbreaking cross Canada and cross-cultural collaborations with the Toronto Tabla Ensemble, as well as her featured appearance on Juno winner Kevin Breit’s critically acclaimed musical Burnt Bulb On Broadway.
Andrea has been greatly supported by CBC radio, where her albums continue to receive national airplay. She fondly remembers her first national radio interview on Morningside with Canadian broadcasting icon Peter Gzowski. She has since appeared numerous times as a guest vocalist in Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Café Orchestra. Andrea is also pleased and honored to have been a recipient of the Ontario Arts Council’s prestigious KM Hunter Award for Music.
But more important than all of this, Andrea Koziol really enjoys singing.
Andrea Koziol – Carrying a New Torch
Self proclaimed ‘Torch Folk Singer Songwriter’ Andrea Koziol, returns to the Canadian stage and international airwaves, with the upcoming release of her 5th solo CD ‘Halfway Sweet’.
A delicious and dramatic collection of music written during stolen late night moments spent with her new obsession – the ukulele. Says Koziol, “I had no idea I would fall in love with the uke. A great old friend put one in my hands and encouraged me to keep it for a week – just to see if I liked it. I drank a lot of wine that week, didn’t get any sleep, and at the end of it I couldn’t part with the damn thing.”
And so, an album was born. An album of songs softly written and now lovingly arranged for uke, horns, strings and accordions, as well as a stellar band of friends and superstars including Ian de Souza (bass), Kevin Breit (guitars), Justin Abedin (guitars) and Jorn Anderson (drums).
Koziol and her eclectic band will appear in Toronto clubs through the summer, and will return to an active concert and festival schedule for 2010. She says “this is a new direction for me as a writer and performer: it’s slightly off kilter, it’s raw and beautiful, and it’s absolutely terrifying.”
Look for ‘Halfway Sweet’ on the shelves of better record stores across the country, and the virtual shelves of itunes, in October 2009.
Some More Back Story…Andrea Koziol has performed live in every type of venue from coast to coast to coast of this great land. Her music can be heard in Canadian films, the “The R Word”, “The Baby Formula” and “Elemental”. Her writing skills have recently been featured on jazz prodigy Michael Kaeshammer’s debut album “Lovelight”, and she is a devoted member of the all girl vocal ensemble Lushus. She has collaborated with the likes of guitar great Kevin Breit, members of the Toronto Tabla Ensemble, and countless birds in her backyard. She continues a very rewarding relationship with Jeans and Classics, singing with symphony orchestras across the continent. She is delighted to have received the OAC administered KM Hunter Award for music…oh, and she’s discovered that she really doesn’t care what anyone (except her Mom and Robert Everett Green) thinks about her. |
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Long,.tall Andrea's voice washes over you like waves on Georgian Bay..
With a voice that is one moment sultry and dark, the next whimsical and sunny, Andrea koziol can be compared to Alison Krause or Shawn Colvin.
John Regan
Experiencing Andrea Koziol singing makes me grateful for the gifts of hearing and sight but also for the capacity for love, joy, and ecstatic agony my heart can bear. Obviously she's one of my favourite people on earth.
Rique Franks
