I met Cassi Gray on a Thursday evening several months ago; she performed in an open mic slot at the Maine Songwriters Association Showcase at the North Star Music Cafe.
I was immediately impressed with her performance skills, her songwriting,
Jazz performer and singer/songwriter Cassi Gray
and her voice. I’ve seen her at the MSA event a couple of times since that night. Most recently, in July, she performed in one of the 30-minute sets that are the main attraction at the MSA Showcase nights on Thursday evenings at the North Star.
Cassi is making her name in the local music scene as a jazz singer and performer, and appears with a jazz trio that she fronts. Her songwriting is more ecclectic; while constructed primarily of jazz harmonies and styles, it is tinged with a folk flavor.
Cassi is a recent graduate of the USM Music Program, with a double degree in jazz performance an music education. Her voice is beautiful; clear, pitch-perfect, supple, and emotive. It cuts through the mix and asserts itself as the main character in her performances.
The young Ms. Gray is doing a great job of promoting herself locally. She is active in The Maine Songwriters Association, and has been networking at recent Portland Music Association events, meeting people and learning about what they do in town. She was featured in Portland Magazine this past winter, and continues to gig in the area with both solo performances, and appearances with her jazz trio.
You can hear her very nice vocals and her original music on her MySpace page, and you can learn more about her, and find out about her gigs, at her website http://www.cassigray.com
If you get a chance to catch her performance, I highly recommend that you don’t let that chance slip by!
OK, I’m back! Craig Hensley has started his showcase set – Nice Conley guitar (local luthier!), with vocals that remind me of Chuck Pyle. ”Dark Eyes” is the opener, a lush strummer with thick romantic themes. Craig has obviously spent some time on stage; he’s very confident, and an accomplished performer. (above, Craig Hensley!) ”Thunder and Lightning” comes a little later in the set – give a listen below!
very talented!
and beautiful. She and Kevin are very tight musically; they’ve had lot’s of time to get inside each other’s heads. She has a clear tone to her voice, dead on pitch, with just a slight hint of that southern drawl from her home land. Their set is a nice mix of each other’s songs, that blend well together. Kevin’s lead work is very, very nice.
last post!) The song she had us critique that night was “Here Lies Vera”, which is about a woman who died in New Orleans after Katrina; the authorities didn’t want to bother with burying her, so her lover had to do it himself – poignant story, great song! She is singing it right now, here at the North Star Music Cafe – give a listen below!
Folk Virtuosity
May 25th, 2009I’m listening to Martin Sexton sing and play at the 42nd Kent State Folk Festival, on Folk Alley’s “Alleycast” webcast. His vocals are amazing, of course, as he sings an accappella scat version of the Star Spangled Banner. This is making me think about virtuosity in folk music and whether instrumental and / or vocal virtuosity is a requirement for success in this genre.
Martin Sexton
In jazz, rock, and pop, the songwriting is focused more consistently on the music. The song is a vehicle for vocal or instrumental fireworks.
There are certainly performing songwriters in the folk genre who are among the best at what they do, instrumentally and vocally. Mr. Sexton is a great example. Brooks Williams, Caroline Aiken, and Pete Kennedy are all famous in folk circles and beyond for their guitar work. Chris Thile on mandolin, and Amanda Shires on fiddle.
Caroline Aiken
Thinking of Caroline Aiken makes me think of Jack Williams, Teri Hendrix, Jeff Black, Eliza Gilkyson, and Guy Clark. Is there a stronger tradition for mastery at the guitar in folk music from the southland? (Brooks Williams is originally from Georgia, if I’m not mistaken.)
Folk music success does not always require virtuosity in your instrument, however. Many of the biggest draws in folk music have found their audience not through their musicianship, but instead, through their songwriting and their ability to engage a live audience in an intimately shared experience.
Ellis Paul; Cheryl Wheeler; John Gorka; Don White; Vance Gilbert, Lori McKenna; Peter Mulvey. These people play the guitar far better than I’ll ever
Lori McKenna
hope to, and have developed into very competent instrumentalists who accompany themselves extremely well. But their guitar work is not the focus of their talent. We love these performers because they write terrific songs that reach us in ways that their guitars never will. We love them for the way they make us feel as if we are their best friends when we are in their audience.
Who are the local folkies whose instrumental prowess is their major asset? Don Campbell, Jason Spooner, and Dave Rowe on guitar? Anybody ever hear Lindsey Montana play his guitar? Ed Howe on fiddle? Joe Walsh on mandolin?
Dave Rowe
On the other hand, which local folkies rely more on their songwriting and performance skills? Vanessa Torres? Putnam Smith? Sara Cox? Christian Cuff? Jud Caswell?
Your thoughts?
Yours in folk, Bob McKillop
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