Often in today’s musical world you hear and see pre-packaged acts that cover many genres of music and you have to ask yourself, "Style or substance?" Do these pre-packaged acts have any substance on a musical level, or are they just pretty packages for the masses?

Roxy Perry has both style and substance. She is a charismatic, sassy performer with great stage presence and a vocalist who knows how to really work a song. She has the uncanny ability to bring new life and enthusiasm to standards that we have all heard before. Her shows are full of excitement and humor and her mass appeal is due to an abundance of substance and style. Roxy has often said, "When I perform I want the audience to have a good time." This comes across, and her audiences do have a good time. She sings with that New York attitude that has made her one of the top performers in this city.

Roxy is a singer, songwriter and harp player whose talents are obvious once you have listened to her CD or seen her perform live. She has performed at many of the best clubs in the Tri-State area and in a region that is known for its competitiveness, Roxy has risen to the top. She is a veteran of the New York Blues scene, going back to the days of Dan Lynch’s on Second Avenue, where she used to run the jam sessions. In addition, she was also a regular at the now defunct Manny’s Car Wash, one of the premiere blues clubs in New York City.

Roxy grew up in a house filled with music, hearing the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Big Mama Thornton, and Ray Charles and, as Roxy likes to say, the three "Louies": Louie Prima, Louie Armstrong, Louie Jordon. These were just a few of the performers she grew up listening to as Roxy has been known to say, "As a child I didn’t play with dolls, I played records." I would say that all that listening has reaped rewards and has transformed Roxy into the extraordinary singer/ entertainer she is today.

Roxy has been performing since she was a child and was featured in a local swing orchestra at the age of nine. That was the start of her musical career, which ran the gamut of pop, rock and blues. By the age of 18, she was fronting a 10-piece soul band called Ivory and Ebony that performed regularly at Manhattan’s renowned Peppermint Lounge. She soon landed a job as a back-up singer with Dawn, prior to Tony Orlando’s involvement, which lasted three years. They performed with The Carpenters, Kenny Rogers, Rare Earth, Iron Butterfly and other popular groups of that time. Roxy has also been in a number of rock bands before turning to the blues. People find blues through various ways as some artists are just passing through and some are here to stay. Roxy is one of the latter, however, as she has found her niche.

Roxy shows are full of excitement as she knows how to work the band and the audience to a fever pitch. She makes sure that she surrounds herself with excellent musicians in order to achieve the sound she requires. As with most bandleaders who know what they want, Roxy has been known to be demanding. She hears the music in her head and expects the band to perform their parts accordingly. Her seven-piece kick ass band can blow you away - these guys come to play! Roxy’s CD are equally impressive due to the talented musicians she always surrounds herself with.

In 1996 Roxy signed with Monad Records and High Heel Blues was released to great praise from critics and fans alike. She wrote most of the tunes on that CD as well as producing it, but her relationship with Monad did not last very long.

In 1999 Roxy released Roxy Perry / New York Blues Queen, on her own Blueperry Hill Records label, where she co-wrote and co-produced the CD with guitarist Matt Baxter. The CD contains nine songs that highlight Roxy’s versatility as a vocalist. From uptempo shuffles with an edge to torrid, sweet ballads, Roxy sings them all with great ease and style. She is a truly a gifted singer who writes with intelligence and humor, her lyrics speaking of the life that we all experience but few of us know how to write about in a song.

The rhythm section on the disk consists of Matt Baxter, an accomplished guitarist proficient on either electric or Dobro, Bob Fusco, bass and back up vocals and Stuart Stahr on drums and they lay down a solid foundation for the rest of the band to groove on. Bob Mayo handles keyboard duties and the horn section consists is Paul Branderberg on trumpet, Baron Raymonde on baritone and alto sax and Dave Mullen on tenor sax. This group of musicians are perfect in achieving that drive and energy that propels this CD and live performances.

This summer has been particularly busy with Roxy and band keeping up with their hectic club schedule and performing at a number of festivals, the most recent of which was the Syracuse Blues Festival. As with most artists, Roxy would like to expand out of her immediate area and this November she will be performing for the Sacramento Blues Society and doing a number of club dates as well while in California.

In this business, that can break your heart time and time again, you really have to love what you do to continue and Roxy is in it for the long haul. She does love to perform, as audiences can attest, and it’s a good thing since there are those of you that have not yet seen her in action. The next time she is at a club near you be sure to come and check her out. You won’t be disappointed.

If anyone would like to purchase a copy of New York Blues Queen, they can do so by contacting Roxy at RoxyPerry1@aol.com. CD’s are $15.00, including tax and shipping.