Welcome
Photos by Kat Hemrich, www.kathemrich.com
Short Bio: The Better Halves are a husband-wife musical duo specializing in making listeners smile. With training at Berklee College of Music and GIT in Hollywood, Jimmy Joe is a skilled guitarist. Country, bluegrass, folk, jazz, Latin and classical styles create a widely appealing repertoire. He has a talent for crafting story songs, and one of his car songs was featured on NPR's “Car Talk” and Kerrville Folk Festival’s Newfolk Contest Regional Performance. Chrissie joins him with sweet vocal harmonies and rhythm guitar. Her whimsical, melodic songwriting earned her the chance to perform on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion". Their first CD, played all over the world, placed on the folk music charts. Together they write funny, touching duets with clever lyrics and real boy-girl banter. They also play rousing Chet Atkins influenced instrumentals, including a piece played 4 hands on 1 guitar, which always bring down showers of applause! Their songs uplift and entertain all ages, and they perform in settings from weddings to schools to festivals. They have been a staple at one of Austin’s largest farmers markets for over a decade, where they touch hearts and get toes tapping with their upbeat, fun and inspiring music!
* * * Accolades * * *
Jimmy Joe Natoli *Finalist at Hallettsville Songwriter Serenade Competition 2011, 2012
*His song "Uncle Joe" featured on NPR's Cartalk 2007
*Kerrville Folk Festival Regional Ballad Tree Performer 2006
Chrissie Natoli *Honorable Mention Woody Guthrie Songwriting Contest 2010
*Honorable Mention in ASG song contest 2010
*A Prairie Home Companion Duet Contest Finalist with Avenue Elle
The Better Halves *Nominated for Best Vocal Duo of 2011 for the Texas Music Awards
* * * * * * *
The Long version of the story....The Better Halves are an Austin-based husband-wife duo who specialize in making listeners smile. With roots in country, bluegrass, folk, jazz, and classical music, their funny, touching duets use clever lyrics and real boy-girl banter to uplift and entertain audiences, who respond with laughter and knowing nods. Their rousing instrumentals, including a piece they play 4 hands on 1 guitar, always bring down a shower of applause!
Jimmy Joe Natoli attended both the Berklee College of Music and Guitar Institute of Technology. He began playing guitar at age 12, when a knee injury left him unable to play soccer, which had been his passion. Luckily his dad had an old Harmony guitar in their Long Island home, and a friend shared the riff from Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.” He was hooked and put a poster of Jimi Hendrix on the ceiling above his bed for waking inspiration. When he was 16, his uncle gave him a record of Los Indios Tabajaras, an amazing Brazilian guitar duo. His world was opened to a whole new realm of music, and he still thrives on exploring all genres and nationalities of music. He has toured and done studio work with bands that range from artsy alternative rock to country. His songwriting has received recognition from the Kerrville Newfolk Contest (Regional Ballad Tree Selected Performer 2006), the Songwriters Serenade (Finalist 2011 and 2012), and NPR’s Car Talk (who played his song, “Uncle Joe” in 2007.)
Chrissie spent her childhood writing poems. She put them to music when she picked up the guitar as a biology undergraduate student at Penn State. Years later, in acupuncture school, she met fellow musician, Alison Lumley. The two formed the duo Avenue Elle and Chrissie was looking for a gig at the farmers market where Jimmy Joe books music. It wasn’t long until Chrissie and Jimmy Joe began jamming together, playing music throughout central Texas, and eventually marrying with a musical wedding that really included their now recorded song, “Wedding Vows.” In the meantime, Chrissie and Alison have continued making music together, which earned them an appearance in the Kerrville Newfolk Competition and on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” both in 2012.
The Better Halves completed their first EP in early 2009 and began touring throughout the country later that year. Their first full-length, mostly upbeat, sometimes humorous debut album, Tête à Tête, received wonderful reviews, including nomination for “Best Vocal Duo” of 2011 for the Texas Music Awards, and placement on both the Folk DJ and FAR charts. And they happily continue teaching songwriting classes to children and Alzheimer groups, performing classical music for wedding ceremonies, playing Better Halves tunes in venues from Texas to Alaska to Maine, and, above all, making their listeners smile!
Tunes handcrafted to make you smile.
Folky, Bluegrassy, Country, Texas Swinging Duo
Besides playing music, Chrissie is a skilled and compassionate
acupuncturist with an office in South Austin. She helps HAAM clients, offering reasonably priced treatments for everyone, but especially fellow musicians.
Jimmy Joe also gives guitar lessons to all ages and levels. He loves cars and fixes lots of them, so he is often inspired to write about them. He drives a school bus in his spare time.
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