Carla Ulbrich
Country of origin:
U.S.
Type of music generally:
Contemporary folk, comedic
Status:
Most recent release, Totally Average Woman (2015)
See also:
Carla Ulbrich's website
Comparisons:
Christine Lavin, Cheryl Wheeler, early Patty Larkin
Covers/own material:
Own, with occasional covers
General comments:
In her press kit, Carla Ulbrich (pronounced ol-brick) is described as a "singer-songwriter/fingerstyle guitarist/professional smart aleck". That seems to pretty much sum her up, at least as far as I can tell from just listening to her album and visiting her web site. I would be willing to bet that she gets compared to Christine Lavin a lot because personally, that's exactly who I'm reminded of. Carla has a lot of the same qualities as Christine—she's smart, funny, wry and judging by her album title and the name of her label, has no qualms turning that sense of humour back on herself. And like Christine, I suspect she'd be a riot to see live. A talented artist with a fresh, entertaining voice. (Sherlyn.Koo)
Recommended first album:
her fabulous debut is her CD debut
Recordings:
- Something Real (cassette-only ep)
- Carla Ulbrich (cassette-only ep)
- her fabulous debut (1999)
- Professional Smart Aleck (live, 2003)
- Sick Humor: The Lighter Side of Illness (2004)
- Live From Outer Space (2009)
- Leftovers (compilation, 2009)
- Totally Average Woman (2015)
her fabulous debut
Release info:
1999—A Major Record Label (PO Box 42 Clemson SC 29633)—AMRLCD001
Availability:
See website for availability
Ecto priority:
Recommended for folk and/or comedy fans
Group members:
Carla Ulbrich—guitar, vocals
Guest artists:
Jack Williams—guitars, percussion, vocals
Danny Harlow—mandolin
Cary Taylor—bass
Tony Torre—drums
Chuck Herin—cello
Big Daddy—pizza delivery
Andy Offutt Irwin—jug, whistling, glass xylophone, vocals, redneck comments
Don Porterfield—vocals
Produced by:
Jack Williams
Comments:
A warm and engaging album which does a pretty good job of living up to its name. I enjoyed this album a lot, especially the more humourous numbers (the ratio of funny to serious songs is about 70/30). Ulbrich doesn't take herself too seriously, which is appealing—in "Nothing to Say", she laments the fact that she's "not the first guitar player to play C G and D" and also pokes fun at Nashville. "What If Your Girlfriend Was Gone" (which won several songwriting awards) is a fun romp into the land of speculation. My favourite song on the album is "Boy Wonder", the (apparently true) story of a boy who graduated from college at age 11, only to find himself in the company of freaks in the Guinness Book of Records. According to the liner notes, much of this album was recorded with the band playing live, which I think definitely adds a nice groove to the music—it sounds like they're having fun. All in all, an highly enjoyable album. (Sherlyn.Koo)
Professional Smart Aleck
Release info:
2003—Official Seal Record—OSRLCD003
Availability:
See website for availability
Ecto priority:
Recommended for folk and/or comedy fans
Group members:
Carla Ulbrich—vocals, guitar
Comments:
Lively humorous folk, and highly recommended to anyone interested in humorous folk music. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com)
Sick Humor: The Lighter Side of Illness
Release info:
2004—Official Seal Record—OSRL-004
Availability:
See website for availability
Ecto priority:
Recommended for folk and/or comedy fans
Group members:
Carla Ulbrich—vocals, guitar, fats, hand claps, backing vocals
Guest artists:
Bob Malone—piano, background vocals, farts, hand claps, keyboard, man on toilet
Larry Goldman—sax
Eric Jorgensen—trombone
Steve Stassi—trumpet
Lynn Keller—bass
Robert "Jake" Jacobs—drums, synth drum
Amy "Bob" Engelhardt—background vocals
Kenji Kitahara—hand claps
Randy Crenshaw—character voices
Produced by:
Bob Malone
Comments:
Amusing, appealing, clever. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com)
Further info:
Write: carlau@mindspring.comCarla Ulbrich has also appeared on the compilations Decatur Decorum, Southeast's Heavy Hitters, 14th Annual MidAtlantic Song Contest Winners
