Lori Bell

Brooklyn native Lori Bell is a flutist and composer of admirable depth and broad musical sympathies. A resident of San Diego, she has contributed to the development of higher standards of performance while earning acclaim from both peers and critics for her artistry on stage and in recordings.

Bell plays with confidence and taste, with a proclivity toward the more subtle means of emotional expression. Her playing inherently has a many-layered depth that reveals a more meaningful art. She renders ballads with exceptional sensitivity while bringing wonderful nuances to swing and be-bop, which she plays with power, agility and a natural élan. Her phrasing, evocative of birds, shows the strong influence of Eric Dolphy, yet is rendered with such purity of tone and range of timbre that it is clearly of a different ornithology.

Lori Bell is a three time Global Music Award recipient recognized for her recordings, compositions, and arrangements.

In 2016 Lori paid heartfelt tribute to her family and birthplace on her critically acclaimed album Brooklyn Dreaming earning four star ratings from Jazz Journal UK, Jazz Times, the Los Angeles Times (four and a half stars) and Downbeat, which chose it as “Best Albums of 2016.” Huffington Post also chose Brooklyn Dreaming for their “Best of Jazz 2016”. Bill Milkowski wrote in the March 2016 issue of Downbeat: “Bell flaunts prodigious chops on both C flute and alto flute, though her pen might be mightier than her sword. Her originals all reveal a wide harmonic palette, a sophisticated rhythmic sensibility and a refined sense of dynamics, along with an urge to swing.” Veteran jazz critic Scott Yanow chose it as one of his Top 25 Best jazz CD’s of 2016. It also won a Global Music Award for Outstanding Achievement for compositions and arrangements.

Lori has toured throughout the United States playing festivals and clubs such as Birdland NYC, The Blue Note NYC, The Jazz Bakery LA, Catalina’s LA, The Gene Harris Jazz Festival, Jazz Summit 2 LA, and Jazz in the Pines festival. In 1994 and again in 2000 Lori toured Asia, including Singapore and Hong Kong.
She has also performed in high profile ensemble settings at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, SOKA Performing Arts Center in Orange County, CA, The Wadsworth Theater at UCLA, and more recently, on a project of jazz arrangements and classical compositions for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Library. Lori will be presenting a program of arrangements Joe Henderson's compositions at SFJAZZ in the Joe Henderson Lab in April 2024.

Lori Bell: Recorda Me - Remembering Joe Henderson

Read "Recorda Me - Remembering Joe Henderson" reviewed by Chris May

by Chris May
May 3, 2024

The exceptional tenor saxophonist and composer Joe Henderson, who passed in 2001, recorded three premium-grade tribute albums: Lush Life: The Music Of Billy Stayhorn (1992), So Near, So Far (Musings For Miles) (1993) and Double Rainbow: The Music Of Antonio Carlos Jobim (1995), all on Verve. But in the decades since Henderson left us, tributes to him have been practically non-existent, not to mention unremarkable. San Diego-based flautist Lori Bell's sizzling Recorda Me: Remembering Joe Henderson is the first substantial ...

Radio & Podcasts

Music From Lori Bell, Margaux Oswald, Tierney Sutton, Allen Dennard & More

by Bob Osborne
April 11, 2024

On this show music from Lori Bell, Margaux Oswald with Oscar Andreas Haug & Axel Filip, Tierney Sutton & San Gabriel 7, Allen Dennard, Daniel Bennett, Gauno Padano featuring Bill Frisell, Joel Futterman, Roberto Magris, Matt Anderson, Pedro Molina, The Crypt, Tomeka Reid, Tragic Assembly & Tatsuya Nakatani, The NJE featuring Mike Garson, and, David Nájera Gonzalez. Playlist Show Intro 00:00 Lori Bell “Isotope" from Recorda Me--Remembering Joe Henderson (Self Released) 01:02 Margaux Oswald , Oscar Andreas Haug ...

Album Review

Judy Whitmore: Isn't It Romantic

Read "Isn't It Romantic" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci

by Richard J Salvucci
November 15, 2022

"Take a page out of Judy Whitmore's playbook for life, and be inspired by a true modern-day Renaissance woman--cabaret and recording artist, best-selling author, and licensed jet pilot--whose passion for adventure has audiences and readers across America abandoning their fears and reawakening to long-forgotten dreams and new desires." Thus Judy Whitmore, her web page. Ms. Whitmore, you may gather, is not a professional jazz singer Of course, it would be hard to know what exactly qualifies someone as ...

Album Review

Judy Whitmore: Isn't It Romantic

Read "Isn't It Romantic" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
October 26, 2022

Sometimes it is a pleasure to listen to an album simply because the quality of the music is so consistently gratifying. And if the music is sung as well as Judy Whitmore sings it on Isn't It Romantic, well, that is icing on the cake, as are the superb performances by her supporting cast, especially pianist Tamir Hendelman and saxophonist Rickey Woodard. The music is taken for the most part from the Great American Songbook, and much ...

Album Review

Judy Whitmore: Isn't It Romantic

Read "Isn't It Romantic" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
September 30, 2022

It seems that for most singers at some point in their career, delving into the Great American Songbook is “de rigueur." And why is that? Perhaps it's because the melodies are captivating, the lyrics are meaningful, and the quality of the compositions has proven to be timeless. In any event singer Judy Whitmore has added her name to that long list of vocalists who have taken the up the challenge with her third release. There are ...

Album Review

Lori Bell: Brooklyn Dreaming

Read "Brooklyn Dreaming" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
December 24, 2015

No matter where we go, our formative experiences travel with us. That's what Lori Bell appears to say with Brooklyn Dreaming. For her ninth album, this California-based flutist decided to glance eastward, recalling time spent soaking in the sounds of New York City with her musical family in her youth. The result? A love letter that proves that Bell has bi-coastal jazz citizenship, having been baptized in Brooklyn's swing and sizzle while currently belonging to the hot Golden State scene. ...

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Album Review

Lori Bell: The Music of Djavan

Read "The Music of Djavan" reviewed by Brian Gall

by Brian Gall
November 26, 2008

A tribute record can be an interesting way to discover an artist--especially one with such a lengthy career, gone previously unnoticed.

Most of the material by phenomenal flautist Lori Bell on The Music of Djavan is originally from the 70s, and here she takes a look at the Brazilian singer-songwriter whose songs have been recorded by Al Jarreau and Carmen McRae. In 2000, Djavan won a Grammy for Best Brazilian Song at the first Latin Grammy Awards.

Leaving enough space ...

Recording

Lori Bell Quartet Pays Homage To Joe Henderson On Spirited Collection, 'recorda Me: Remembering Joe Henderson'

Source: 1888 Media
April 21, 2024

Accomplished arranger, virtuoso musician and esteemed educator, Lori Bell has released her 12th album as a leader, the spirited, Recorda Me: Remembering Joe Henderson, an extraordinary new collection paying homage to one of the all-time greats, hard bop, jazz icon, Joe Henderson. Portuguese for “Remember Me,” the 9-song, Recorda Me: Remembering Joe Henderson showcases Bell at her enchanting best, one that the LA Times has dubbed “briskly inventive…gorgeous playing” while Downbeat describes her as “an improvisational shapeshifter.” “Joe was an ...
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Recording

Virtuoso Lori Bell Pays Homage To Music Titan Joe Henderson On 'Recorda Me: Remembering Joe Henderson'

Source: 1888 Media
March 12, 2024

Accomplished arranger, virtuoso musician and esteemed educator, Lori Bell returns April 19th with Recorda Me: Remembering Joe Henderson, an extraordinary new collection paying homage to one of the all-time greats, hard bop, jazz icon, Joe Henderson. Portuguese for “Remember Me,” the 9-song, Recorda Me: Remembering Joe Henderson showcases Bell at her enchanting best, one that the LA Times has dubbed “briskly inventive…gorgeous playing” while Downbeat describes her as “an improvisational shapeshifter.” “Joe was an exceptional jazz saxophonist and to my ...
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Performance / Tour

Virtuoso Flutist Lori Bell Celebrates 10th Studio Album CD Release Concert On February 25, 2018 at A Frame Jazz

Source: Lori Bell
January 23, 2018

blue(s) includes three originals plus renditions of classics by Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, Oliver Nelson, Joni Mitchell and Miles Davis. Nine-track opus features vocalizations and accompaniment from guitarist Ron Satterfield. Record release show June 25 at Museum of Making Music (MoMM) in Carlsbad, CA. On February 25th 2018 virtuoso flutist, composer/arranger, and educator, Lori Bell will perform a CD release concert of blue(s), a 9-track opus including straight ahead blues and songs with ‘blue’ in the titles highlighting its rich ...
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Recording

Virtuoso Flutist Lori Bell Returns With "Blue(s)," Her 10th Studio Album, On July 14th

Source: 1888 Media
July 13, 2017

On July 14, 2017, virtuoso flutist, composer/arranger, and educator, Lori Bell will release blue(s), a 9-song excursion showcasing straight-ahead blues, and the word “blue” (which appears in each song title), highlighting its rich color, lingering mood and resplendent hue. Now in the third decade of her acclaimed career, blue(s) is Bell's 10th album overall, and the follow-up to her critically-acclaimed release, Brooklyn Dreaming, which won a Global Music Award for “Outstanding Achievement,” while also garnering a “Best Jazz Album” nomination ...
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Recording

Virtuoso Flutist Lori Bell Returns With "Blue(s)," Her 10th Studio Album, On July 14

Source: 1888 Media
May 5, 2017

Record release show set for July 15 at Dizzy’s in San Diego, CA. On July 14, 2017, virtuoso flutist, composer/arranger, and educator, Lori Bell will release blue(s) , a 9-song excursion showcasing straight-ahead blues, and the word “blue” (which appears in each song title), highlighting its rich color, lingering mood and resplendent hue. Now in the third decade of her acclaimed career, blue(s) is Bell's 10th album overall, and the follow-up to her critically-acclaimed release, Brooklyn Dreaming, which won a ...
read more

Festival

Acclaimed Lori Bell Quartet To Showcase At 23rd Annual Jazz In The Pines Festival

Source: 1888 Media
July 6, 2016

Presented by Idyllwild Arts Foundation, 2-Day Festival Takes Place in Idyllwild, CA, Located in the San Jacinto Mountains Lori Bell Quartet Includes Virtuoso Flutist Lori Bell, Pianist Bill Cunliffe, Bassist Katie Thiroux & Drummer Matt Witek Scheduled for 90-minute Main Stage Performance on Sunday August 21 (2:30-4:00pm) Other Fest Performers Include Diane Schuur, Ernie Watts, Graham Dechter, Casey Abrams & Haley Reinhart Recognized at the 2016 Global Music Awards for 'Outstanding Achievement' in arrangement, composition and improvisation, virtuoso flutist Lori ...
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Recording

Virtuoso Flutist Lori Bell Returns With 9th Studio Album On January 15, 2016

Source: 1888 Media
October 23, 2015

Brooklyn Dreaming Is An Homage To Brooklyn/New York City Renditions of Classics By Monk, Mingus and Earle Hagen Quartet Includes Pianist Tamir Hendelman, Bassist Katie Thiroux and Drummer Matt Witek A flutist and composer of admirable depth and broad musical sympathies, Brooklyn native Lori Bell has contributed to the development of higher standards of performance while earning acclaim from both peers and critics for her artistry on stage and in recordings. Now in the third decade of her acclaimed career, ...
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"Bell flaunts prodigious chops on both C flute and alto flute though her pen might be mightier than her sword. Her originals all reveal a wide harmonic palette, a sophisticated rhythmic sensibility and a refined sense of dynamics, along with an urge to swing". Bill Milkowski - Downbeat ****

"Bell’s playing is lithe and energetic, her lines unspooling with ease. But she’s also an improvisational shapeshifter. On “Times Squared,” she transitions seamlessly between rapidly tongued staccato blasts and relaxed legato sighs. On “Streets Of New York,” she skips from hardnosed modal lines to graceful swing motifs with a clean, collected assurance". Brian Zimmerman - Downbeat 'Editors Pick'

Primary Instrument

Flute

Location

San Diego

Willing to teach

Intermediate to advanced

Credentials/Background

Lori Bell is an Instructor of Flute at San Diego State University in Classical Technique and Jazz Improvisation. She is currently accepting students privately and through San Diego State University.

Ms. Bell has over 30 years of worldwide teaching experience and concentrates on classical technique, jazz improvisation, theory & harmony. She specializes in imagery concepts - a technique that can help free the flutist of technical difficulties in tone production, projection and color-to more fully develop expression while overcoming common interpretive constraints and obstacles. Her overall focus is to heighten creativity and artistry in performance. Lori also teaches jazz piano, harmony, theory, arranging and composition.