Artist Profile - Julie Dexter
Julie Dexter - Singer/Songwriter/Composer
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Atlanta based Neo-Soul Jazz artist Julie Dexter is a world-renowned singer / songwriter who has won numerous international awards.
For the past seven years Julie Dexter has spent the millenium sharing the stage with this generation's cutting-edge soul artists, including Jill Scott, Bilal, Amel Larrieux, Donnie, Omar, Jaguar, Rachelle Ferrell, Ledisi, Eric Roberson and Fertile Ground, to name only a few.
Julie Dexter is a classically trained musician who writes, arranges, composes and produces, Julie Dexter is considered by many to be one of the most important female vocalists of the Neo-Soul Jazz generation. Deeply influenced by legends such as Abbey Lincoln, Billie Holiday and Nancy Wilson, as well as popular icons such as the UK's own Omar and Sade, Julie Dexter takes classic soul to the heart of artistry.
Julie Dexter's artistic passion flows through her latest recording, Conscious, which reflects upon what she perceives as the highest principle of life. While consciousness provides us with our perception of the world and our relationship to it, Conscious conveys Julie's insightful musings on love, trust, and the plight of perserverance. Within this disc Julie addresses the superficial limits of "life", trancending its biological definition by acknowledging its spiritual essence. "Its not enough for us to walk the earth day by day without questioning our purpose for being." Julie asserts, furthermore, that as human beings our blood keeps us alive, yet it is through consciousness that we thrive. As such she compels us in the disc's title track to re-evaluate ourselves as she rhetorically asks, "How you're living?.”
Julie Dexter's myriad musical manifestations have astounded fans and critics across the globe. Over the past seven years Julie's career has taken her through the circles of jazz, broken-beat, bossa-nova, and soul. The dynamic voice of Julie Dexter was first heard in 1997 on Dune Records' release of J-Life, a UK group led by Jason Yarde, that sought to invigorate the public concept of Jazz as a dying tradition. While this debut recording showcased original instrumental compositions and stirring renditions of jazz standards, it also contained a swinging cover of Loose Ends' hit song "Gonna Make You Mine," which amply featured the soulful croon of Julie Dexter. Julie gained her “chops” for cutting her vocals on this record by touring several continents with jazz wunderkind Courtney Pine as a lead vocalist of his ensemble. This musical school of tough-love learning would also give her the confidence to begin to perform and record as a solo artist, garnering the seven song EP, Peace of Mind (2000) and then later the full-length recording, Dexterity (2002), both of which were independently released on her own label, Ketch A Vibe. These two recordings gained international acclaim for Julie's talents in addition to her collaborations with broken-beat innovator IG Culture ("The Plan" & "Free As") and bossa nova composer Thomas Naim ("Like Ours").
While Julie Dexter is more than able to hold up against her peers, her music has also been praised by them. In time the world will hold Julie Dexter in the same regards as those stellar artists who regard her well.
DISCOGRAPHY
Conscious
Ketch a Vibe Records (2004)
Let it go w/ Rima
(2002)
Like Ours w/ Tom
Bosso Mundo (2002)
Dexterity
Ketch a Vibe Records (2002)
The Plan w/ IG Culture
Mainsqueeze(2001)
Peace of Mind
Ketch a Vibe Records (2000)
Be
Out Patients
Hospital Records (2000)
Free As
New Sector Movement
Virgin Records (2000)
The Answer
Far From Home
Wade Austin - 2DEEP Productions (2000)
Burnin'
Tates Place
Independent (1999)
J-Life, Ol Frien Blue, Never Will I Marry
Perrier Young Jazz Awards
Jazz FM CD (1998)
Music is the Magic, Sentimental Mood, Baubles, Gonna Make
U Mine, Afro Blue, Dextrous Tone, 2 B Poor, Dream Mile
Tomorrows Warriors present J-Life
Dune Records (1998)
Peace of Mind
Nocturnal Flavours
Funky Xen Records (1998)
Exodus, Namibia, Quandodo
How Far Have We Come
Pops Mohammed feat. SHADES - BW MELT 2000 (1996)
Kon Ko Man, Celebrate, Washa
Kon Ko Man
Madala feat SHADES -BW MENT 2000 (1996)
Moonlight in Vermont
The Jamaican Beat Vol 2
Jazz Jamaica - Toshiba EMI (1994)
You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To
The Jamaican Beat Vol 1
Jazz Jamaica - Toshiba EMI (1994)
