Bay Area vocalist and lyricist Laurie Antonioli has traveled the world and performed with some legendary jazz artists, including Cedar Walton, Bobby McFerrin, and Joe Henderson. After a four-year stint as a professor in the vocal jazz department at KUG University in Graz, Austria, Antonioli is back in the Bay Area teaching aspiring vocalists at the Jazzschool in Berkeley.

After musical studies at Mt. Hood Community College in Portland, Oregon, Antonioli joined saxophonist and vocalist Pony Poindexter on a European tour. When she returned stateside with considerable experience under her belt, she performed regularly and released such albums as “Soul Eyes” (Catero Records) and “The Duo Sessions” (Nabel Records).

Antonioli also thrives as a lyricist, penning words to such jazz standards as “Blue In Green” (Davis/Evans), as well as works by contemporary composers like Charlie Haden, Richie Beirach, and John Pattitucci. During her time in Austria, she wrote the lyrics to a body of compositions by pianist Fritz Pauer, which was made into “The Pauer-Antonioli Songbook.” Spark gets a front row seat as she debuts of some of these songs along with a quartet consisting of pianist Peter Horvath, bassist John Shifflett, and drummer Jason Lewis.

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