New York Times
She sings with a clear, strong style, improvising with the phrasing of Albert Ayler.....And the intensity of John Coltrane.
Cadence Magazine
Christi is one of those singers who has no single style, at times she sports the experienced voice (and the same sort of sound) as Betty Carter, at times she sounds as if she is singing Art Songs, and at times she sounds as if she spends much of her time at home trying to find new sounds she can create. (Vocal Desires)
Forced Exposure
Ellen is at her underwater best, at times sounding like some kinda mermaid daring you (the dauntless maritime explorer) to come visit Davey Jone’s locker. You peeps who are interested in exploring post-linear female vocals should pay Ellen Christi much heed and this release is not a bad place to begin. (Dreamers)
Ear Magazine
I find maturity of great style and grace, as well as a thematic structure that pervades the mix; a kind of musical impressionism that is a tour of Manhattan "tour de force". (Star of Destiny)
Spin Underground
On Star, Christi displays a wide load of stylistic jumbling, often changing voices several times inside a single tune. And the instrumental elements supplied by the trio she’s playing with put this record’s high points on a par with Jeanne Lee and Archie Shepp’s work in the late ‘60’s. (Star of Destiny)
Hartford Advocate
Is it possible to be a Diva in 1996? Christi answers that question by merging traditions of Betty Carter and Sarah Vaughan with the avant-garde. In these Knitting Factory crowd standards, Christi is like a vocal acrobat without a net - the results are both breathtaking and bizarre. (Instant Reality)
Village Voice
Improvisational jazz vocalist... the original compositions reflect the influence of both standard and free-form improvisation, with Christi’s supreme vocals they take full advantage of the acoustic/electronic combination of voice and instruments,... (Instant Reality)
Hallwalls
Christi’s vocals involve an arresting mixture of scat singing and the sound poetry of the avant-garde. Her pieces only occasionally use actual words to make their impact. At times , she sounds ethereal, almost ambient, and at other times she can be reminiscent of Diamanda Galas.
