Julie Corbalis 2008
So this is growing up.
In Julie Corbalis’ first solo effort, “Old Flames and New Names,” followers of the musician’s career will recognize a more mature Jules than the one they first heard sing at Broadway Station in Astoria, Queens, back in September 2001, when the smoke from 9/11 was still stinging our eyes. Those who are new to her music will be left wondering what they missed all those years.
Those of us who have had the pleasure of knowing her since back before we became ourselves will hear the growth that comes from her living life to the fullest for the past 7 years. If you don’t cry at “Aunt Margaret,” the fifth track on the CD, you should check your pulse. “No Good” evokes images of smoky jazz lounges where women in slinky dresses sing atop pianos (think Michelle Pfiefer in “The Fabulous Baker Boys”). “Should've Stayed Away,” arguably the best song on the album, is a beautiful country ballad that puts to music all the thoughts we’ve found ourselves at the bottom of a bottle of Bud, sitting next to some guy we know is just going to break our hearts. Again.
The album is a departure from the old Jules and the Family vibe. Gone are the feel-good, poppy tunes like,“We say Nothing” and “The Greek Song.” Even “Dolores,” a beautiful song on JATF's first album, doesn’t come close to the raw emotion on this album. Jules has poured her heart and heartbreak into this album and what results is a soulful collection of songs you’ll be nursing your next broken heart to.
Jules & the Family 2005
Jules Corbalis started playing music at the age of 15, when she began taking lessons from hometown talent Dennis Voyez, formerly of the Westchester cover band Airmail Jones. Her first gig, at Yorktown High School’s “Battle of the Bands” in the early 90s, had her playing third-rhythm guitar for the Metallica classic “Fade to Black”. But she wouldn’t be in the background for long. Her next gig was a slight setback when she got thrown off the roster for her high school’s talent show for demonstrating her rebel spirit and her fierce loyalty to her friends, but a real talent like Jules can’t be suppressed for long.
After high school, Jules attended Westchester Community College for two years. It was here that she met the local talent that continues to inspire her to this day. At Biancachino’s, a coffeehouse in Mohegan Lake, New York, she met songwriters like Marc Von Em, Jason Gisser and Jaime Shields. These people inspired her to write her own music. Unfortunately, her stage fright kept her from opening up and sharing her musical gift with more than the closest of friends. She spent two years watching in agony at local coffee shop as others did what she herself wanted to do.
Enter Cynthia Sakofsky. When Jules transferred to Manhattan’s New York University, her first roommate, a flutist herself and the child of two working musicians, recognized Jules’ talent and urged her to play. Jules started small, playing for the many friends that would drop by to hang out in their dorm room. These friends also immediately recognized Jules’ immense talent and put her to work, making her star in their film school projects. Jules’ talent and self-confidence grew. She began writing more songs, as well as learning the covers that had inspired her in the first place. Bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Black Crowes were all huge influences, as were solo artists like Sheryl Crow. And she finally did what she had been longing to do as an 18 year old in the coffee shops of Westchester. In May, 2000, she got up in front of a live audience, in a dive bar called Lu Lu’s Parlor on Manhattan’s West side.
Greece is the birthplace of democracy, literature and modern civilization. It’s also the birthplace of Jules the Artist. After teaching for a year at Manhattan East, Jules and Cyn went island-hopping in Greece for three weeks. It was Jules’ first trip outside the United States and eventually became the inspiration for the constant crowd-pleaser “The Greek Song.” It was also where she met Pat Kelly. An Irish musician traveling through Greece, Pat was playing at an outdoor taverna in the old city on the island of Kos. After listening to his set, a mixture of American and British classics, Jules introduced herself. Thanks to his support, combined with some good-natured nudging from the ever-supportive Cyn, Jules broke out her guitar and played for the Europeans on holiday. Jules and Pat spent the rest of the week together, playing gigs all over Kos. Stage-fright was banished and a career was born. Pat and Jules remain close friends and went on tour together in Belgium and the Netherlands in Spring, 2005.
The experience in Greece gave Jules the boost she needed to play stateside. She came home and booked a gig at “The Broadway Station” in Astoria, Queens. One problem: No Band. She returned to her roots, calling up long-time friend, guitar great and musical inspiration Jonathan “JL” Lloyd. “JL” contacted John Madden, a brilliant percussionist, who then got Marc Osborn, multi-talented bassist, keyboardist and producer, on board. The foursome clicked immediately and began work on some of the many songs Jules had written but had yet to share with the public. Jules’ was pleased to find out that these three talented musicians were also incredible song-writers. The band’s first gig was in September, 2001. It was a stunning success and built a fan base of old friends and first-time listeners.
For the past three years, Jules and the Family has continued to work together to create good old-fashioned rock-and-roll. Their songs meld elements of pop, rock, funk and whatever else they feel like playing. The influences are evident. Their songs lead one to think of Janis Joplin, Sheryl Crow , The Rolling Stones. These are songs for real people who have lived real lives.
Recently, Jules has started playing solo acoustic gigs in the Greater New York Metropolitan area. Her style is simple; it’s just a woman and a guitar. The elements of folk and rock combine to remind you of all the crap relationships you’ve survived, the great vacations you took that made you the person you are today—in short, these are the songs not only of her life, but in a small part, yours, too. The relateability of these songs keeps her fan base coming back to her gigs again and again. You get the sense when you listen to these songs that this is a woman who has lived hard, loved hard, fallen hard and has picked herself up to do it again, regretting nothing. If you find yourself humming one of her tunes under your breath, don’t be surprised. We’ve all done it, it’s cool.
Jules and the Family are still rocking out in the New York area. They have just completed their self-titled debut album and hope to release their second in Summer, 2005.
By Lindsay Noonan