Biography

Known for electrifying performances with her band, singer, songwriter and guitarist Laurie Geltman has been placed in high esteem in both rock and acoustic circles. Geltman's ability to cross over from out-and-out rocker to acoustic songsmith has been a constant thread in her career. In the vast musical landscape, Geltman can be described as a mix of Neil Young combined with Lucinda Williams’ lyrical storytelling. Add to that a strong allegiance to rock and roll and a healthy disrespect for musical boundaries.

Before spreading her music nationally, Laurie Geltman established herself in the vibrant Boston music scene. A Boston Music Award winner for Outstanding Female Vocalist (1998), Geltman has garnered a total of seven nominations in four different BMA categories. In a town crowded with promising singer-songwriters, she won the Levi Strauss-Lilith Fair Emerging Talent Search, earning her a spot on the 1998 Lilith Fair tour. Geltman and band were semi-finalist in the legendary WBCN Rock 'n' Roll Rumble (1997), a rite of passage for rock bands in Boston. While spending most of her time on the road these days, she is still called upon to open for some of the biggest acts coming through Boston, from legends like Joe Cocker to rising stars like Susan Tedeschi.

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 versatility:

"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

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 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.

Geltman released No Power Steering in 1997 on her own label (RBP) to critical acclaim. It was re-released nationally in 1998 by now-defunct label Eastern Front Records. 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. Geltman received positive reviews from around the country including Billboard, Album Network and CMJ. Her song, Ghost in the House, appeared on the Respond CD, a compilation put together by a veritable who’s-who of Boston’s best singer-songwriters to benefit Respond Inc., a Boston domestic violence shelter. The editor of Billboard Magazine named Respond the number one CD of 1999.

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 the Snow Lion Foundation, an organization responsible for looking after the education, health and social welfare of Tibetans living in exile in Nepal.

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

Geltman's most recent CD is Motion Pictures (RBP). Recorded at the legendary Club Passim in Cambridge, MA. and enhanced with a six minute film chronicling the night, this live acoustic musical event really comes to life. The disc features a dozen guest musicians including Jimmy Ryan (Catie Curtis), Jim Fitting (The The, Treat Her Right) and Mike Rivard (The Story).

More history on the Bio page