Actor - 1983 S/T w/ Jessie Galante from Buffalo NY Select Sound

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Actor - 1983 S/T w/ Jessie Galante from Buffalo NY Select Sound - Vidiot Records   Cover - VG+/Ex-   Lp - Ex-      Killer female vocals!!

True soul is more than just the sound of the singer. That’s definitely the case with rock spellbinder Jessie Galante. Her urge to electrify audiences with her expressive powerhouse vocals comes from deep within.

 Jessie was born in Buffalo, NY to Sicilian parents who introduced her to the music of her Italian heritage at an early age by playing and singing continuously throughout the house.  That constant exposure planted the original seed of passion for music inside Jessie’s heart and soul.  But as Jessie came of age, she felt the emotional frustration bearing down on her from a traditionally strict Sicilian upbringing.  Jessie felt a revolution brewing inside her against becoming the tame little girl that her parents wanted. She began to feel the power and love of music stirring inside of her.

So, this rebellious teenager desperately began craving to express herself in a way that would communicate that energy and pent up emotion. To find her outlet, Jessie took to the streets of her native Buffalo, a city filled with rock and blues clubs at the time. It was there in the streets, where she found her voice and found herself.

Armed with that voice and her “no fear” approach to performing, Jessie ravaged the stages of Buffalo like one of the storms that frequent the city. With her first band “Actor”, Jessie quickly became the number one female singer in the region. “Checkin’ Out”, her first recording with “Actor”, was released only a few months after Jessie came on the scene and is still played on Buffalo’s 97 Rock radio.

Jessie received numerous awards as voted by her fans and club owners. 

Due to tension created by management, Actor disbanded. Crushed, heartbroken and not fully understanding what went down, Jessie packed her bags and drove to LA.  Within a year’s time, manager Ray Brown was managing Jessie. He Ray formed the band “Fire” around Jessie and the band lit up LA. They performed at all of LA’s landmark rock venues such as The Whisky A Go Go, The Roxy, Gazarris and The Reseda Country Club.  “Fire” was one of the top ten hottest bands in LA.  In the LA Music Connection magazine, Jessie was described as “inarguably one of the hottest frontwomen LA has to offer”.

Jessie and “Fire” recorded a four-song demo with mega-producer Michael Wagener, whose credits include Queen, Alice Cooper, Sass Jordan, Great White and Extreme.  After hearing the demo, an international music critic wrote, “The band was often called to undertake showcase gigs for major labels, and on the strength of their only recorded demo, they should have been a compulsory signing then and there!”

 At the same time, the demo recording in regular rotation by radio stations in Germany, England, France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Italy. Europe had welcomed Jessie’s soulful rock voice with generous airplay and press. That was something Jessie would never forget when working things out in the future.

The band “Fire” eventually broke up. Jessie had it with the politics of LA and the problems within the band. This sparked the desire to write her music and record her first solo CD.  Never looking back, Jessie bussed back to Buffalo where could concentrate on her writing.

 Back in Buffalo, Jessie met Larry Swist who had worked with artists such as Lou Gramm of Foreigner, Ike &Tina Turner, Spyro Gyra and Sly & the Family Stone. Together they produced Jessie’s first solo CD entitled “Gesua”. Music reviewer Dale Anderson described Jessie’s CD as “ A gritty album that confronts a gamut of emotional demons and dares you to flinch”.

 The album was Jessie’s statement of liberation; a kind of emotional release after dealing with all she had gone through in LA. This was the turning point when Jessie felt she could be herself as a performer.  She didn’t have to answer to anyone except the voice inside her head.

 Armed with this newfound freedom and determination, Jessie started to gear up for Europe.  She didn’t forget how readily the audience embraced her voice with the “Fire” recordings.

Once again, she packed her bags and set out for the unknown. After just a few shows, she was convinced that she had made the right decision. 

 A promoter in Holland enthusiastically proclaimed, “Jessie is a major victory for live entertainment in Europe!”  In a live performance at L1 Radio in Maastricht, The Netherlands, DJ Hubert Van Hoof compared Jessie to Chaka Kahn and Joyce Kennedy of Mother’s Finest.

 Her performances in Europe always capture the interest of the media. In 2008 and 2009, she performed live on RTL National Television in Budapest, Hungary. German music reviewer Hans-Jurgen Klitch of Hartbeat magazine put it; “I’ve fallen head over heels in love with Jessie who must rate as the biggest white soul sister around at the moment”.  “A voice as big as Ayer’ rock”.

Today, Jessie divides her time between her home in New York City and performing in Europe. In 2010 she released her CD titled, “Spitfire,” which involved a high-profile team of musicians, producers and engineers that truly understood the potential of Jessie’s voice and the power of her performance chops.

 Double platinum producer Larry Swist was involved again. Co-producing was multi-platinum mixer Mick Guzauski, whose body of work includes artists like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Kiss, Celine Dion and Earth Wind and Fire. Joining the production team was NYC based guitarist, Rob Bailey (Anastacia, Ric Wake, Jive Jones), Sony/ATV, Lee Horrocks, bassist Jack Daley (Joss Stone, Lenny Kravitz) and drummer Frank Ferrer (Guns N’ Roses, Psychedelic Furs).

Jessie was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 2010, and took her place among the region’s most illustrious members such as the Goo Goo Dolls, Ani DiFranco, Rick James, Brian McKnight and Spyro Gyra.

In 2011, Jessie completed two successful club tours of The Netherlands and Belgium that included live radio and television performances.  These countries have sentimental meaning for Jessie since they were the first places she performed in Europe.

In May of 2012, Jessie began work on her newest CD working with such notable producers and as Rob Bailey (Anastacia) and Jack Daley (Lenny Kravitz). Other colaborators on her CD include Dutch guitarist Joop Wolters, Swedish guitarist Tommy Denander (Michael Jackson,Toto) and Italian producer Alessandro Del Vecchio (Glenn Huges, Ian Paice).