Andrea Wolper

Although vocalist, composer, and arranger ANDREA WOLPER started her professional career singing jazz standards, her eclectic tastes and multidisciplinary talents have led her to forge her own path. Her newest recording, WANDERLUST, is an apt title for her peregrinations down the byways of improvisatory vocal jazz. 

Working frequently as both leader and side-person, Andrea is "an audacious artist [who] flouts genre limitations, singing songs for the love of it and delivering an inventive, thrilling, appealing musical vision.” One of the singers covered in The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide (Yanow, Backbeat Books), she is “a superb singer” who “brings songs to life, whatever their source,” and “a terrific arranger, taking new paths rather than expected ones.” Cadence Magazine calls her songwriting "easily superior.” 

Wanderlust (Moonflower Music) is Wolper’s fourth album as a leader, following Parallel Lives (Jazzed Media, 2011), The Small Hours (VarisOne.Jazz 2005), and her self-titled debut, Andrea Wolper (1998). A mainstay of the New York jazz scene, she has appeared in top clubs including the Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Birdland, Mezzrow, the 55 Bar, Zinc Bar, and innumerable others. She tours in the U.S. and abroad, has been awarded a number of composing residencies, and records and performs for other artists across jazz genres, from holding a vocal chair with the straight ahead Heavenly Big Band to appearing in several performance and recording projects of free jazz bassist William Parker. She was a founding member of the improvising trio, TranceFormation, with Connie Crothers and Ken Filiano. 

Andrea is a past President of International Women in Jazz, and served on the Advisory Board of the Jazz Vocal Coalition. She created and curated the "Why Not Experiment?" series at Whynot Jazz Room in New York City.

Andrea offers singing lessons in her private studio, conducts clinics in jazz vocal performance, and teaches classes on songwriting and improvisation. 

Fun Facts: Andrea is an accomplished writer whose journalism and poetry have appeared in numerous publications. Among her works are two books, "Women's Rights, Human Rights: International Feminist Perspectives" (with Julie S. Peters; Routledge) and "The Actor's City Sourcebook" (Watson-Guptill). In addition, she's spent time on the stage, and came to New York from her native California to attend the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. She earned a black belt in Shotokan Karate, and has two dust-gathering trophies to tell the tale. She even has an IMDB listing.

Quotes: Jordan Richardson, Blogcritics; Andrew Gilbert, Contra Costa Times; Don Heckman, International Review of Music; Rad Bennett, Goodsound; Bargebuhr, Cadence