ABOUT Lori Malvey
FORMAL BIOGRAPHY: LORI MALVEY has been singing and composing music for most of her life. Early influences include her piano-playing uncle at family gatherings, singing in church, and hit radio. She is an American of Italian-German descent born in an industrial east-central New Jersey town, about 45 minutes outside of NY city. Fourth of six children, her older sister began taking her to classical, rock, and jazz concerts as a young teen.
She took piano lessons, but always struggled with reading music. However, the four year basics in scales and general music were enough to launch her on her songwriting journey. During college (she has a science degree in Nutrition), she began singing in coffeehouses and haunting NYC clubs. “I went to everything and was like a sponge, absorbing it all, so I guess that’s why my style is so eclectic,” says Lori.
Her first band was an avant-garde jazz-rock fusion band called “Axis”, where she sang standards, pop songs, and improvised to her heart’s content. The jazz bands “Jasmine” and “Lines” soon followed, where she met pianist Frank Giasullo, who gave her lessons in jazz piano theory. “Because of the lessons with Frank, I was able to learn about chords, which became the backdrop to the melodies I heard in my head. I could never read music very well. So this was a true turning point—it enabled me to write full songs that I could give to other musicians.”
Next she began writing folk-pop songs, which found their way to guitarist Ken Malvey and his rock band. They formed a pop/rock/Christian crossover group called “Ground Floor”. After dating for a year, Ken and Lori married. The band played extensively throughout the NY/NJ original club scene, including such venues as CBGBs, Kenny’s Castaways, the Bitter End, the Lion’s Club, and others. They created a full length CD called ‘Weep No More’ which was co-produced by Alan Douches. After ten years in a band together, Lori and Ken left the club circuit and started a family.
At this point her writing took a turn back to her roots and she began merging jazz, folk, and pop. “This was a wonderful time, and I wrote a lot of music while the kids were small,” says Lori. “I was able to showcase them once a week at a thriving open mic, which was more like a workshop because the artists showing up were so professional. Because of this, I was able to really hone my skills as a singer/songwriter.”
Her new songs caught the ear of her cousin’s husband, producer/engineer Rich Piszker. Rich was a former engineer at top east coast studios such as Quad and Unique (NY) and Quantum Sound and City Lights (NJ). Together they began co-writing dance music and their song “Everywhere For You” landed an offer from the Brooklyn DJ Disciple’s label Catch 22 Records. They completed a dance CD called LoCaRi (a name combination of Lori, Carmel, and Rich) and released it independently. Lori and Rich have released several EPs and the full length CD "Risk It All," released in the fall of 2012. At present, Lori is back in the studio with an emphasis on voice & piano, composing solid pop and theatrical songs suitable for film, radio, and television. She is delighted to both sing her originals as well as offer her songs to other artists in need of material. Lori resides in NJ with Ken, her husband of 25 years, and their children.
Music is a big part of me, who I am in many ways. And i guess it's an interest to you, that's why you're here. So welcome, and enjoy the sounds. A song i wrote about possibilities:
"Maybe"
maybe we can only try our best, maybe maybe we can take a little rest, maybe maybe there's a love inside we haven't thought about maybe there's a love above the screaming & the shouts maybe maybe we're all in the same big boat maybe we'd all like to see it float maybe I'm supposed to be here, maybe so are you maybe we can toast the day and all that's sweet & true maybe maybe humble crumbs create the peace maybe there's a simpler way to feast maybe all you want and all you need is all around you waiting for your mind to catch the reason it astounds you maybe maybe it'll all make sense one day, maybe there is a theme to the night's play, maybe there's a future big & bold I cannot see maybe there's still hope for dreamers in the night like you & me... maybe...
I consider this go-with-the-flow-of-creativity music. What I hear in my head & heart & spirit & body music. Pop music because it's catchy, melodic, and accessible, and Christian Catholic because that is what I am, and honest because there are tons of things that happen in this life and I like to write & sing about the ones that hit me in a personal way. I love lots of different beats & styles, and utilize them all.