KINGSTON DAILY FREEMAN November, 2006, David Malachowski Usually it takes a few gold records for an artist to go by just her first name, but up and coming Gennarose has taken that step already, maybe a harbinger of things to come? Hailing from High Falls, pop jazz singer Gennarose really comes through with her sparkling new release “Spirit.” She started out in musical theatre, eventually found herself a fixture on the club scene, as well as singer with the Grammy winning Jimmy Sturr Orchestra, which regularly puts her in front of huge crowds, be it the Stardust in Las Vegas or The Jimmy Sturr Show satellite TV program. Her powerful pipes and personality beg for their own audience, and “Spirit” gives her just that forum. Produced at Clubhouse Studios in Rhinebeck by keyboardist Keith Slattery (also a Sturr alumni) this high quality recording provides a place for Gennarose to live and breathe, and here she simmers and soars, starting out with the yearning “Take Me Home,” where her impassioned delivery, and impressive improvising on the outro set the tone. From the Karla Bonhoff lilt of “Moving on,” the haunting title track “Spirit” where she simply inhabits to song, to a breath-taking reading of the hymn “Hallelujah,” Gennarose takes command. Soon she juxtaposes the jazzy, dark and delicious “Now” with the anxious “Won’t Wait,” while “Love Reveals Itself” has rythm [sic] and blues overtones, giving Gennarose more than enough room to fly. The peaceful acoustic guitar driven “Quién Quería Más” (“Who Wanted More” in Spanish) brings this all to an end. As good as the material and production values are, it’s Gennarose’s powerful pipes and emotive delivery that draws the listener in and makes this release a winner. THE CHRONOGRAM Sept. 2006, Mary Kate Burnell Local singer-songwriter Gennarose follows in the footsteps of such artists as Rickie Lee Jones and Laura Nyro on her latest release, Spirit. Stylistically, she recalls the Norah Jones brand of smooth, smoky vocals on comfortable, laid-back songs, creating a sound that is extremely listenable and relaxing. All the tracks save one—a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"—are originals in which she shows great versatility as a songwriter. She tends to favor a slow rock beat, making generous use of a jazzy instrumental vibe that lends a coolness to the music. The disc also displays her talent for lyrics, even including two versions of the same song—one in English ("Who Could Ask for More") and one in Spanish ("Quien Queria Mas"). Her arrangement of "Hallelujah" seems to borrow from Jeff Buckley's version of the song, though her light piano replaces Buckley's guitar. Her relaxed, soulful vocal work fares well on this track, just as it does with all the others. Perhaps uncharacteristically, Gennarose also performs with Warwick's Grammy-winning polka king, Jimmy Sturr. On this pop-jazz gem she never fails to sound sincere, and this attribute alone should contribute to her success. JAZZIZ MAGAZINE June 2006, Bill Meredith New York City-based vocalist Gennarose leads a dual musical life. As part of the orchestra lead by 15-time-Grammy-winning polka band leader Jimmy Sturr, she tours internationally, and even sings the Elvis Prestley hit “Love Me Tender” on Sturr’s latest Rounder CD, Shake, Rattle and Polka. On her own solo debut CD, Spirit (KG Productions), Gennarose features Sturr bandmates such as keyboardist Keith Slattery (also her husband) and accordionist Al Piatkowski along with ace Big Apple bassist Fima Ephron. And her eleven original compositions and a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” are a U-turn away from polkas toward a pop-jazz hybrid akin to Norah Jones. JAY BLOTCHER Freelance writer/author. Gennarose lays bare a multitude of musical personae on her debut DC "Spirit" and all of them are equally captivating. Whether a jazzy chick or folk-rock seer, whether musical mystic or piano lady, Gennarose applies her soulful voice to a variety of musical genres with apparent ease. She focuses on feeling, not cold sonic perfection. It takes guts to tackle Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" which opens the CD. It's already been aced by Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright. But Gennarose brings her own personal ache to the song. The other 11 compositions on "Spirit" are her own songs and they veer in tone from ballads to soft rockers. I'm hearing loving musical nods to Laura Nyro and Rickie Lee Jones, fragile women with hidden backbones of steel. Gennarose's phrasings are warm and effective, the instrumentation pared down and effective, while the production values are crisp and not overdone. A singer-songwriter worth watching. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! If you have read this much then you should definitely buy one of my CDs and check out my websites - www.gennarose.com and www.myspace.com/gennarosemusic.