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Tom Driscoll
When it comes to writing lyrics, Tom Driscoll is a the standard to which I
aspire. He is a true craftsman who writes songs of emotional
depth and beautiful imagery with eloquence and economy. There is a timeless
quality to his work. His songs plumb the depths of the human heart
with lyric imagery that is haunting, beautiful and profound.
Sandi Hammond -- When
describing her beautiful voice, the thing people most often say about
Sandi is that she has the voice of an angel. She writes and sings songs which are achingly
beautiful studies of people and relationships. She is also classically
trained as both a pianist and a singer. But her music very
accessible and her songs are both grounded and soar high. She is one of Boston's best performing
artists.
Hewitt Huntwork -- Hewitt writes the kind of songs that radio should be playing
but rarely does. Finely crafted pop songs with haunting melodies you
can't shake. But his writing has an emotional maturity to them that
is rarely heard on the radio. What makes his songs so compelling is that each one is built on
his deep sense of
justice and compassion. His songs grab you the first time you hear
them, and remain unforgettable long after you've left them.
Club Passim -- Located in the historic location of the original Club
47, this venue has a long history of great performances and artists.
It is a small intimate setting for live acoustic music. The open mic
night on Tuesday nights is a place where local songwriters meet, and where
national acts Kevin So and Mary Gautier occasionally sign up for a slot.
Brian Eno
-- is a composer, music theorist, visual artist, philosopher and
Producer. Eno has been a big influence on my thinking about
music. In the late 1970s his records were collections of short sound
paintings, sometimes only a few seconds long, but which transported you to
a very specific place. He is also the co-creator of Oblique
Strategies, a box of oracle cards which are used as a tool to shake up the
creative process when it becomes to conscious or deliberate. He has
produced such artists as U2, Talking Heads, Devo, Harold Budd and Jon
Hassel. His Ambient music environment recordings of the 1980's were
groundbreaking explorations of psycho-acoustic almost-music. Fishken & Groves -- Having
grown up on 1960's rock and roll, and the progressive rock of the '70s, a
part of me had always thought that folk music was something little less
than cool. Thankfully, David Fisken and Ellen Groves changed my
thinking on that. Not only is their selection and interpretation of
country and folk songs definitive (to my ears, at least), their harmonies
and arrangements are irresistible. If you think singing songs out loud in a folk club is silly, you need to go and see these guys.
Oh... and if you thought the Smothers Brothers were funny... these guys
are the genuine article.
Patty Griffin
-- For me, Patti is simply the finest songwriter in the country today.
Her
songs often have unconventional formats and she is consistently pushing
the songwriting form past it's limits. She writes songs which explore the inner world of her subjects, and the
mysterious beauty that lies at the heart of human suffering. She also has a
unique and magnificent voice that is
nothing less than stunning. John Gerard -- John is an extraordinary
performer, combining electric intensity with lyric sensitivity and a very
soulful voice. On stage he is riveting. Musically he is very
distinctive and his writing is full of perceptive compassion. Oen
Kennedy -- More than any other
artist I know, Oen's music is his vocation in truest
sense of the word. With his miraculous spirit and joyously beautiful
music, he gives voice to the subjects of his song, whether it is a young injured bird, a wolf in the
wilderness, a friend in need, or the earth itself. And when he opens
his mouth to sing it is as if there was something beyond him that is
singing through him. He is the most
efficient instrument for transmitting joy that I have ever witnessed. Susan Levine --
Her songs sneak up on you. At first they capture you with their
simplicity and their beauty. But Susan works
on a very large canvas, writing songs that often cover broad expanses of
time or geography or emotional intensity without wasting a single
word. And still they they resound with simplicity and truth.
Add to that her uniquely beautiful voice and it's easy to see why her CD Scatter
Me has been a favorite of folk radio stations in
Boston. Rose
Polanzani -- Your sitting on a cross-town bus, trying to concentrate on
the book in your lap. But then there is that couple behind you.
What are they talking about? They are talking about someone. Something has happened,
but you just can't make out
exactly what it is from what they are saying. Still, you can sense in it something
unsettling, and yet fascinating. Something strange... or terrible... or
wonderful. But all you've got are those beautiful, brightly colored
shards of a conversation to put together the truth of what is happening in
their lives. Only now it is happening in your own life too. You
have become secretly involved. And so, in some
strange way you have become a part of that ongoing story, along with the
couple on the bus... and everything you do today will be surrounded by the
fantastic nature of that mysterious conversation.
Rose's songs are like that. They are like listening in on a private
conversation. But you don't so much listen to them as they creep into
your cracks and crevices with there beauty and their truth. Listen to Omen,
or Sacramento Avenue or anything from her self titled
album, or her work with
Voices on the Verge. Or better still, visit her website at
rosepolanzani.com where you will
find a beautiful new song/conversation to download and eaves drop on every
month or so.
...or you could just go back to reading that book of yours. Nick Post
-- If Jimi Hendrix were to come back as a young folk singer-songwriter, he
might play and write like Nick Post. That is because music flows
through Nick when he plays and sings. Like a shaman, he conjures
up spirits and images with poetic beauty and youthful wisdom, setting them to the most unique and remarkably beautiful music you could
imagine. I have watched him stand up alone on a stage with a simple
acoustic guitar, transfixed, and heard the musical notes bouncing off all the
corners of the room. There are precious few songwriters who have
successfully married true poetry with songwriting. Nick Post
is one of those few. Cheryl
Perreault -- Cheryl writes
what I call "Eyes Wide Open" poetry that makes visible the
world that so often disappears behind the veil of cares and
concerns. Her writing has many of the qualities of Mary Oliver's
best work, but she has thoroughly original and distinctive
voice. Her work is empathetic and deceptively complex. And her
shows will have you laughing one minute, and crying the next. She
has written some of the most poignant pieces that I have heard. Steve Rapson
-- A virtuoso performer, songwriter and composer for
the guitar, Steve's composition and playing technique are world
class. In
addition to his composition and recording, he has a commanding stage
presence and a sensitive expressive style that will captivate you. He has released several
thematic CDs of guitar
music and songs, each exploring a particular genera of music. If you
love guitar you really must see what this guy does. Debra
Rocha -- Debra was born to play Samba. When she plays she
makes you understand why no reasonable person could help but fall in
love with Brazilian music and songwriters. As a matter of fact, her
voice is so perfectly suited to singing Samba with it's smooth and silky
quality, that you might expect that she could sing nothing else. And
then she'll pull out a killer version of Route 66, or one of her own
amazing compositions. She is a highly gifted song writer, a
wonderful stage presence, and her song "It's a Miracle" is one
of my favorite songs. Steve
Sanford -- Steve writes songs that are surreal Brazilian flavored
hallucinations.
His music is challenging but totally compelling, and his songs come at you
like bullets... full of wisdom and a fearless unblinking look at
truth.
John
Schindler -- You will recognize yourself or someone you know in many of
Johns songs. They are populated with a community of characters who
are stumble through life, sometimes bewildered, sometimes mystified, but
always sensing that there is something more just below the surface.
And above it all is John, looking down on them all with compassion and
insight as they try strive to make sense of things. But his songs
are studies in simplicity and beauty, and are polished with his own
unique, inimitable sense of humor. First you'll find yourself
laughing at one of his subjects, and before you know it you're laughing
at yourself.
Ellen Schmidt
-- She is a wonderful singer songwriter with a silky voice that reminds
me at times of Peggy Lee. Her songs sound as if they've been
part of the American songbook for generations. You
won't be able to keep from singing along. Jane
Siberry -- If James Joyce wrote pop music, it would probably sound a
lot like Jane Sibbery's best work. Jane's best songs use the
ambiguity of words to communicate far beyond the limits of language.
Her subjects span time, space and logic, but at their center are full of
compassion and wisdom. And her lyrics are set to music that is often
beautiful and surprising. Check out WHEN I WAS A BOY, or BOUND BY
THE BEAUTY. RETURN
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