Joanne Lurgio is a positive person. So positive, in fact, that she couldn’t stand to keep the working title “Tattered and Torn” for her new album. So at the last minute she changed the title of the album to “Rise from the Storm.” It was a good choice. With an Americana sound that ranges from blues to gospel to country, the songs on the album radiate a positivity that is a hallmark of Lurgio’s personality.

The Warwick, Rhode Island based singer songwriter has found other positive outlets for her music. After losing her father, she answered a Craigslist ad for a musical therapist as a way to say thank you for her father’s hospice experience. This has led to full schedule of private shows at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. She also plays funerals and worship services when she is not at the traditional bars and coffee shops.

Lurgio plays six of the tracks off of “Rise from the Storm” during her eight song Live Lunch Break set Thursday at The Telegraph, including “Ursula.” It tells the life story of her late grandmother, who was a tap dancer in the days of vaudeville. Lurgio must have inherited her grandmother’s knack for performing, as she sang in church and the theater before she started writing her own songs. Lurgio tells of one time in the recording studio when the lights started flickering during a performance of “Ursula,” which she interpreted as an indicator of the presence of her grandmother. Maybe if you watch closely, you can sense her spirit at Thursday’s performance.

Twitter: @phuoppi