Lullaby Baxter

Born Angelina Iapaolo, Lullaby Baxter (the latter part of her stage name was chosen after seeing Billy Wilder's 1960 film The Apartment) was waitressing in Montreal in 1997 when she was called up on-stage to sing a few songs. Though Baxter had been involved in the arts much of her life, she hadn't sung in public since grade school, but upon receiving compliments and advice to start writing her own songs, she began pursuing music more seriously and performing around town. After one of her shows, a local label owner offered to record a demo for her for free, a copy of which eventually made its way into the hands of Atlantic producer Yves Beauvais, who signed Baxter immediately in 1998. In 2000, under the somewhat confusingly named Lullaby Baxter Trio (which included lyricist Lutwidge Sedgwick and the Oranj Symphonette, with cellist/bassist Matt Brubeck, guitarist Joe Gore, drummer Scott Amendola, multi-instrumentalist Ralph Carney, and organist Pete Scaturro among their ranks), her debut, Capable Egg, a collection of childlike yet knowing songs made especially compelling by Baxter's smoky, jazz-tinged alto, was released. After taking time off to have a son, write, and continue to work on her music, Baxter's second album, Garden Cities of To-morrow, the title taken from a 1902 book by Ebenezer Howard, came out on Boompa in 2006. ~ Marisa Brown & Heather Phares, All Music Guide