Album Notes

Betsy Spivak is a gypsy of sorts. Currently based in Philadelphia, PA. Though everything she owns is in a storage locker in Los Angeles.

A native of Philadelphia PA., she always has a piano, a guitar and a bold yet entrancing vocal style.

Her poignant yet humorous songwriting reflects the contrasting influences of her years on the East and West coasts.

Raised back and forth between the two, she sings of the lives strung somewhere in the balance, with an unusual insight into the dynamic personalities she's met along the way.

Though classically trained, her style reflects an array of eclectic influences including Nina Simone, Nick Drake, Vincent Persichetti and Tom Waits.

Betsy's debut album, "bellysweet", takes its title from Kerouac's The Subterraneans.

Defined as the ability to excite the libido, "bellysweet" is a fusion of seven songs ranging both in instrumentation and emotion.

Musically, traditional elements like acoustic guitar, piano and stand-up bass are intertwined with clarinet and a variety of hand percussion, creating a melting of styles that lingers somwhere near AAA.

Lyrically, Betsy's confessional style arrests like the best new voices - she has something different to say & a different way of saying it.

Band credits on "bellysweet" include, Betsy on vocals, acoustic guitar and piano; Anthony King (The Jazz Poets, Bryan Kelley and Kim Ferron) on acoustic and electric guitar; Ethan Phillips on stand-up and electric bass; Raymond Pitts on clarinet; George Kourtis on drums; Jack Lees on percussion and Diana Bridges on backing vocals.

Produced by Anthony King, Bruce Witkin (Supremium, Adam Ant and Linus of Hollywood) and Betsy Spivak.