Hailed as "super-engaging, ... a fire-breathing tightrope walker" (Village Voice, 2003) and as "an enormously prolific and talented composer" (Bumbershoot International Festival 2003), Lurie's musical works are both groundbreaking and addictive. Described as "...a feast for those who favor the crossroads where post-bop blurs boundaries between jam-band textures, avant-jazz colors, and much more."(Seattle Weekly, 2002), the Jessica Lurie Ensemble features Lurie's talents as band leader and composer as well as player. With an original repetoire ranging from groove to funk, haunting eastern european melodies, latin rythms, free jazz and high-energy interaction between members, The Jessica Lurie Ensemble creates a dynamic and fresh direction in music. A Seattle bred composer and woodwinder, JESSICA LURIE performs and records worldwide with her own internationally based band The Jessica Lurie Ensemble, with the Seattle bass, sax, and drums trio Living Daylights, the all-woman sax and percussion quartet The Tiptons (formerly The Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet), and the Balkan band Sheqer. She has collaborated with local and national artists such as Bill Frisell, The Indigo Girls, Danijel Zezelj, Amy Denio, Carlo Actic Dato, Nels Cline, The Pat Grainey Dance Company, Scott Amendola, Eyvind Kang, and Wayne Horvitz. With visual artist Danijel Zezelj she co-created 6 multi-media performances, presented in Italy, Croatia, and the United States. Her musical experience also includes work with Booker T. Jones, Sleater Kinney, the Berkeley Symphony, Steven Berstein, Leo Neocentelli, Maceo Parker, Paul McCandless, Fareed Haque, and Robert Walter. Lurie has received grants to compose for small and large ensembles, dance, film, and international multi-media performances, and has led workshops internationally on improvisation and composition. She has produced 16 CDs altogether to date, solo or in collaboration with others. She is currently finishing a new CD featuring guitarist Nels Cline, bassist Todd Sickafoose and drummer Scott Amendola. SAX APPEAL: Think jazz is mostly smooth and sleepy beats? The Jessica Lurie Ensemble are on a mission to prevent the words "jazz" and "boring" from appearing in the same sentence. With a wild rock edge and a nod to international styles, Lurie's group transcends the traditional. - Tom Huntington SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN, Jan 28, 2004 Luri(e)d truth. With her feet planted in solid jazz technique and her head buoyed by a free-flowing jam-band sensibility, Seattle's Jessica Lurie is a natural draw for open-minded fans of both genres. On both sax and flute Lurie can sustain impressively rich, compelling solos that stretch deep into Eastern European and post-bop melodic influences while remaining fundamentally groove-oriented. Her current project, the Jessica Lurie Ensemble, unites the nuanced,dynamic guitar of Nels Cline with San Francisco local Scott Amendola's mesmerizing drum work and Todd Sickafoose's versatile bass. Lurie will no doubt be in top form with such an accomplished, virtuoso backing band,so expect some serious fireworks when these four hit it full-steam. (Jonathan Zwickel)