No Power Steering by Laurie Geltman

In the very crowded Boston singer-songwriter scene, Geltman won the Levi Strauss-Lilith Fair Emerging Talent Search, earning her a spot on the 1998 Lilith Fair Tour. When she's not headlining area clubs or touring nationally, she is called upon to open for some of the biggest acts coming through Boston, from legends like Joe Cocker to rising stars like Susan Tedeschi.

On the road, Laurie Geltman has been making a name for herself as well, touring both solo and with the band. What new audiences often notice first is her guitar playing. Baltimore-born and Boston-bred, Geltman began playing guitar and writing songs at age seven. A self-proclaimed "guitar junkie," Laurie was hooked early on to the sounds of her favorite players: Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, Jimmy Page and Robbie Robertson. Respected for being "a top-flight guitarist" and a versatile singer/songwriter, it is Geltman's songwriting that showcases her diversity the most, and parallels her exploration of most musical genres. Critics seem to appreciate Geltman's healthy disrespect for boundaries:

"Geltman deploys elements of rock, folk, country and punk with panache...tying them altogether with well-honed hooks..." - (The Boston Herald)

"Nothing is off limits...Folk, funk, alternative, blues, jazz and good-old rock and roll permeate..." - (Northeast Performer Magazine)

"Geltman's songs contain the lyrical meatiness of folk with a musical jolt of rock, a potent blend." - (The Patriot Ledger)

In Geltman's words: "I like knowing I have a large palette to choose from if I want, but what I write and perform is basically rock music. My definition of 'rock' encompasses attitude and energy as much as volume or instrumentation."

After studying film and art history, and following a sojourn into street playing in Paris, Laurie returned to Boston and earned a degree at Berklee College of Music. A film-score major at Berklee, Geltman recently scored director/writer Kaylyn Thornal's short film A Lot of Green starring Kay Hanley (Letters To Cleo, Disney's "10 Things I Hate About You"). Thornal used Laurie's song "Payoff" as the title track of her critically acclaimed music documentary Payoff in which Geltman, Jen Trynin and Juliana Nash of Talking to Animals were the main subjects.

Her early recordings were for the experimental rock group Vasco Da Gama. When VDG disbanded in the early 90's, Geltman and former bandmate Daniel Kellar had already begun playing-out with various rhythm sections under Geltman's own name. Although Kellar no longer performs with Geltman, his innovative violin sound can be heard on almost all of Geltman's recordings.

Her self-released album, Departure (1992), won enthusiastic praise from critics and fans alike. It was named on several critics' Top 10 lists--a rare feat for a cassette release--and thrust Laurie into the local music spotlight. In the same year, her contribution ("Sway") to the Rolling Stones tribute album Boston Gets Stoned was consistently singled-out as a highlight. The songs were selected by the Stone's producer Jimmy Miller.

1995 began a new phase for the band with the addition of former Del Fuegos and Big Dipper drummer Woody Giessmann and former Letters to Cleo bassist Brian Karp. 1995 also saw the release of a two-song 7" single ("Bobby Called From Texas"/"Paris") to college and AAA stations nationwide. "Paris" was used as one of the lead radio tracks on This Is Boston...Not Austin Vol. 2, a CD compilation produced by Eastern Front Records and Black Wolf Records. In 1996, The TAB voted Laurie's band one of The Top 10 Best Unsigned Bands in Boston.

"Once the right people hear No Power Steering by one of Boston's best kept secrets, Laurie Geltman, we're confident that the perilous jump from the fringes of obscurity to the national limelight will be one of the easiest jumps Geltman will ever have to make - she's that good." - (CMJ New Music Report)

Geltman released her CD No Power Steering in 1997 on her own label (RBP) to critical acclaim. Some of the guests on No Power Steering include Jim Gambino (Swinging Steaks) on organ and piano, A&M recording artist Patty Griffin on backing vocals and Rich Gilbert (Zulu's, Uncle Tupelo, Frank Black) on pedal steel.

Eastern Front Records then re-released her CD nationally in 1998. The CD garnered extensive airplay with over 230 adds and close to 40 stations in heavy rotation in markets as diverse as Berkeley, San Antonio, Cleveland and Anchorage. The band set out on two tours that year, playing clubs, making in-store and radio appearances, and steadily building their audience beyond the Northeast.

In 1999, with her confidence as a band leader and electric guitarist intact, Geltman rediscovered her power on the acoustic guitar while touring and working on new songs for the next CD. Geltman embarked on a successful solo tour of the West Coast and Alaska, opening for more folk oriented performers like Catie Curtis, Cliff Eberhardt and Cheryl Wheeler. Her song "Ghost in The House" is included on the compilation Respond (Signature Sounds) benefiting Respond, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting victims of domestic violence. Respond was named the number one album of 1999 by the editor-in-chief of Billboard Magazine.

Laurie Geltman has shared the stage with such acts as Sarah McLachlan, Morphine, Eric Burdon, Aimee Mann, Freedy Johnston, Joe Cocker, Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Marshall Crenshaw, Letters to Cleo, Mary Lou Lord, Leon Russell, Jonatha Brooke, Derek Trucks Band, Amy Rigby, The Push Stars, Chris Whitley, Rick Danko, Old 97's, Dan Zanes, Jen Trynin, Susan Tedeschi, and many more.

Since Geltman's career has always been more about the journey than the destination, it's no wonder her music took her around the world to Nepal in March, 2000. Geltman was invited by promoters of cultural events in Kathmandu to perform a concert benefiting a charity of her choice. Proceeds went to the Snow Lion Foundation, an organization responsible for looking after the education, health and social welfare of Tibetans living in exile in Nepal.

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