MUSIC | EMILY ELBERT

Elbert grew up in the Dallas area. Her early influences include Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, and Jimi Hendrix. She recorded her first album Bright Side while in high school, paid for by local gigs and crowd-funding, and began touring the U.S. independently. At 18, Elbert was awarded a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music. She tours nationally and internationally,

Named among the “Best of L.A. Music”, by L.A. Weekly, noting that “Elbert would be considered remarkable just for her guitar playing, which segues from hard-edged funk and blues to subtle jazz intricacy. But she’s an equally adept vocalist, weaving her soulful phrasing nimbly within the rhythms of her guitar chords.” In addition to her solo work, Emily has contributed her voice and guitar to projects by Esperanza Spalding, Dweezil Zappa, and Phish’s Mike Gordon, and co-wrote Bruno Major's viral hit “Easily.” On tour, she has opened for artists like G. Love & Special Sauce, Emily King, Leon Russell, and Richie Havens, and played 1200+ independent shows in 30 countries around the world.

Emily provides both a thoughtful meditation on the status quo and heartening call-to-action for our inner activist. In a merging of groove-laden soul and introspective folk styles. She shares her reflections on today’s political climate, and also brings a new light to the work of revolutionary artists like Marvin Gaye and Pete Seeger. In intimate, stripped recordings, Elbert’s voice and guitar work serve as clear channels for messages of peace and justice, as relevant now as ever before.

“I was first introduced to Emily in 2012 at a private solo performance celebrating the end of summer at Scott and Stephane Zender's residence in East Dallas, shortly after their home's completion. The following year we saw Emily at the Kessler and first heard her soulful acoustic rendition of Greg Allman's "Tied to the Whipping Post " seamlessly morphed with Jimi Hendix's "Manic Depression". I was hooked and have followed her career ever since.

Thank you to Scott and Stephanie for the initial introduction and for continuing to promote and support local music and emerging musicians. “ - CLIFF WELCH, FAIA