Laurabella has been sharing her talents as vocalist and piano player regionally for a dozen or more years.  The music celebrated is varied:  originals, standards, blues, Latin, swing, ballads, as well as originals.  After meeting Marcus Pendergrass in 2005, she invited him to back her vocals with his piano playing—from this has grown a special collaboration.  Her introductions were made, for him,  to fellow musicians, bassist Andy Aeschbacher and percussionist Malcolm Dendtler, thus creating the MP3 Trio.  Together Marcus and Laura are teaming up on song-writing.  With Marcus’ stylish music to inspire, Laura pens clever lyrics to create their tuneful, unique and jazzy originals.  Check out "Won't You" and "Chill" at: www.myspace.com/laurabella1

         Recently, Laurabella co-produced two tunes with SHAYAR.  Together, they laid down keyboard tracks and added SHAYAR on guitar and mandolin and Laura on vocals.  Check out "Come Back To Me" and "Feel Your Heart" at:  www.myspace.com/laurabella1

          Laurabella performs solo, too!  With her own ‘sound’ as piano/vocals stylist, she strives to keep alive the blues and jazz favorites that have been so influential and to create new and memorable songs of her own in a unique vein. 

          Laurabella has lived in the Virginia region since 1987, having moved here from Fort Worth, Texas.  She lived in Manhattan and Brooklyn for 8 years previous to that, where she first began developing improv and blues-style piano playing.  She studied music composition at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York and Kirkland College, in upstate New York; and first studied and played piano at age seven in New Hampshire and then Virginia.

      Laurabella’s extensive engagement at Roanoke’s Montano’s International Gourmet Restaurant saw her playing monthly and bi-monthly on the Yamaha Baby Grand in the front window.  She has worked with various local musicians in different sized combos in Roanoke, Nelson County, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Charlottesville, Smith Mountain Lake, Altavista, Moneta,  and Floyd County at the following locations:  Montano’s, The Harrison Museum, Green Dolphin Grill, The Club (at Fiji Islands) and Hunting Hills Country Club in Roanoke; Meredith's Fine Dining, Jazz Street Grill, Givens Books and Meriwether's in Lynchburg;  Wintergreen, Mount Cove Vineyards and Rapunzels in Nelson County;  Reds, Wines & Blues, and King’s Point Pub at Smith Mountain Lake; The Sedalia Center in Bedford County;  Pine Tavern in Floyd, and Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville among others.

          Laurabella makes music with lots of local players:  Bass players Lenny Martin (1940-2003), Bob Bowen, Bob Thomas, Andy Aeschbacher, Jeff Hoffman, Brian Holt, Henry Hancock, Charlie Perkinson, Dennis Ciazza, Jay “Bones”, Tom Xar.   Drummers Jimmy Lax, Malcolm Dendtler, Gary Kelly, Mike Ranelli, Al Broholm, Phil Riddle, Morris Elam (1925-2006), Bob Peckman.   Guitarists Bert Carlson, John Winnicki, Brian Holt, George Turner, Lenval “Shayar” Jarrett.  Trumpet--Chris Magee; and Saxophone--Harris Levy.  Piano-Keyboardists Marcus Pendergrass, Alan Watson, Lenny Marcus.

          Her inspirations from other female singers include:  Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Laura Nyro, Dinah Washington, Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughan, Bessie Smith, Bonnie Rait and many others.

          She has recorded two CD’s:  Laura Owens Jazz Quartet (2000) and Laurabella Jazz:  Original, Modern and Classic (2003).  Recording is in process of new all-original music of various genres.  Check it out and listen at:  www.myspace.com/laurabella1

Laura directed the Ferrum College Jazz Ensemble for two years and is very much a true educator in many areas including service to several public school systems. She founded the Piedmont Music Consortium strings program for Martinsville City and Henry County, Virginia in 1999.  Laura is busy working in Lynchburg teaching violin for the city schools and playing with the Symphony Orchestra, as she continues sharing her love of jazz!  Her first instrument is piano, which she has played for more than four decades.  It has been just in the last six years that Laura has taken up, with sincere conviction and success, the violin.