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Lili Anel Releases "Every Second in Between" NY CD Release Show

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LILI ANEL CUBAN INFLUENCED SINGER-GUITARIST FROM SPANISH HARLEM READIES EVERY SECOND IN BETWEEN

‘PART SOUL SISTER, PART JAZZ CHANTEUSE, AND PURE DYNAMITE’ CONFIRMS SPECIAL PERFORMANCES IN BOTH HOME TOWNS TO CELEBRATE 5TH RELEASE IN HERALDED CAREER Nov. 10 in New York City


Listen to new tracks from Every Second In Between

PHILADELPHIA - LILI ANEL has been described as “Part soul sister, part jazz chanteuse, and pure dynamite" (Jazz Times), possessing “unusual power, fearless emotional directness, and a wide-open timbre” (New York Times). Additionally, Añel’s presence has certainly been felt on such top Triple A radio stations as WFUV (New York), WXPN (Philadelphia), WUMB (Boston), and WXRT (Chicago). On her latest release, Every Second in Between (Wall-I Records), due Sept. 29, 2009, the Cuban influenced singer-guitarist from Spanish Harlem has hooked up with four-time Grammy winning producer, Glenn Barratt, to deliver her finest work yet.

“I’m extremely happy with the entire record,” Añel explains. “I feel like it reflects me really well.” She will be celebrating the album’s release with a pair of must-see performances, as well.

With a sound that reflects her Black/Cuban heritage with frequent comparisons to such greats as Joan Armatrading, Joni Mitchell, and Steely Dan, Añel certainly delivers on Every Second in Between, especially on her favorite track, the lead-off single, “Supposed to Be.”

“‘Supposed to Be’ was captured exactly as I had hoped - the arrangement, instrumentation, everything,” she says. “The vocal is up front, it’s minimal, and it’s the kind of song that someone else could have gone to town with and thrown in the kitchen sink. But Glenn did a real good job keeping it simple. I just love the way the vocals sound and the feel of the whole song.”

Other standout tracks include “Can’t Fall Out of Love,” which contains tasteful harmonica work (very much in the style of Toots Theilemans and Stevie Wonder), as well as “Voyager,” which teams Añel with a string quartet (which she compares to what David Amram did with the score for the classic 1961 movie Splendor in the Grass), as well as a cover of one of her all-time favorites (and another influence), Nina Simone’s “That’s All I Want From You.”

To mark the album’s release, two special shows have been confirmed – first in her current hometown, - September 26th at the Tin Angel in Philadelphia, then her former, November 10th at the Living Room in NYC.

“I plan on playing the record and maybe slip in a different song or two,” Añel says. “I want to keep my present instrumentation, which is myself on guitar and vocals, bassist, Mike Kurman, who also sings harmonies, and percussionist, Jim Armstrong. I may bring in a couple of more musicians--maybe have a full drummer and keyboard player, just to flesh it out. But the songs stand on their own. It should be a lot of fun doing the new material.”

Born and raised in Spanish Harlem, where she was an audience regular at the legendary Apollo’s Sunday matinees as a child, Añel moved from the Bronx to Philadelphia five years ago, where the seeds for her collaboration with Barratt were inadvertently sown.

“When I started performing around Philadelphia, it didn’t take long for me to hear Glenn’s name,” says Añel. “I had done a live show at WXPN -- their ‘Philly Local’ anniversary concert, where they feature area artists. The host, Helen Leicht, asked if I would lead the house band on their signature song, the Staple Singers’ ‘I’ll Take You There.’ Glenn happened to be performing that night, too. I had heard also he was a producer and had a studio.”

A while later, one specific incident at the end of a night gig convinced Añel to work with Barratt.

“The musicians were packing up, and people were still drinking and being loud at the bar,” she recalls. “There was music playing in the background, but the vocals cut through all the noise. I thought it was incredible that I could make out every word. It turns out it was an artist that Glenn produced, and hearing that, I said, ‘That’s what I want my next record to be like.’ So I contacted Glenn.”

Añel plans on getting the word out about Every Second in Between with further live engagements, pushing forward to secure as many shows as she can to support the album. She’s often asked to open for national and international acts, and just this summer, supported Boz Scaggs and Michael Franks in a sold-out show. Wherever her career has taken her, stellar reviews have always followed. The New York Daily News, upon seeing Añel live, proclaimed “a star is born.” The New York Post called her “outstanding” for singing “earthy and sweet.” The Philadelphia Inquirer dubbed her a “vocal powerhouse whose earthy, jazz-laced tuned stretch the boundaries of traditional singer-songwriter turf.” And there’s no stopping her now

As for the future? “Hopefully to continue performing and writing, stretching out,” she says. “I’m one of those ‘do it yourself people.’ Pushing as hard as I can. I love performing. I do it every chance I get. My hope is that the world will hear my music and take something from it.”

With the release of Every Second in Between, it is now Añel’s time to shine.

Every Second in Between is available from iTunes, Amazon.com, CDBaby and most major digital download destinations.

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