Thursday July 9 th
She started out singing in Chicago bars. Then, barely out of high school, Lucy Kaplansky took off for New York City. There she found a fertile community of songwriters and performers — Suzanne Vega, John Gorka, Bill Morrissey, Cliff Eberhardt, and others — where she fit right in. With a beautiful flair for harmony, Lucy was everyone’s favorite singing partner, but most often she found herself singing as a duo with Shawn Colvin. People envisioned big things for them; in fact, The New York Times said it was “easy to predict stardom for her.” Lucy temporarily left the musical fast track to pursue a doctorate in Psychology and open her own private practice, although she continued to sing. Lucy was often pulled back into the studio by her friends (who now had contracts with record labels), wanting her to sing on their albums
It has always seemed as if there were two Cheryl Wheelers, with fans of the New England songwriter relishing watching the two tussle for control of the mic. There is poet-Cheryl, writer of some of the prettiest, most alluring and intelligent ballads on the modern folk scene. And there is her evil twin, comic-Cheryl, a militant trend defier and savagely funny social critic. The result is a delightful contrast between poet and comic.
Rooted in the Blues music that took hold of her during college, Kirsten
Thien expresses the time-tested themes with a modern twist. Her love of Soul Music and Rhythm and Blues from the 60¹s and 70¹s, combine with the old Blues and new Rock Œn Roll for a sound that is both original and immediately appealing. The Portsmouth Herald calls Thien¹s CD You've Got Me a ³classy collection of timeless tunes,² while The Virginia Pilot says ³Bluesy, soulful and rocking is what the Kirsten Thien Band is all about.² Kirsten is currently working on her third studio album. She lives in New York City and has been touring the East Coast since 2004.
Thien expresses the time-tested themes with a modern twist. Her love of Soul Music and Rhythm and Blues from the 60¹s and 70¹s, combine with the old Blues and new Rock Œn Roll for a sound that is both original and immediately appealing. The Portsmouth Herald calls Thien¹s CD You've Got Me a ³classy collection of timeless tunes,² while The Virginia Pilot says ³Bluesy, soulful and rocking is what the Kirsten Thien Band is all about.² Kirsten is currently working on her third studio album. She lives in New York City and has been touring the East Coast since 2004.
In the beginning, The Partners were a Beatles & blues inspired pop quintet. Through 4 CDs, The Partners featured the unique harmonies and power vocals of the fem-fabuloso. They shared the stage with Buster Poindexter, Maria Muldaur, Aztec Two-Step and many others. The band members went their separate ways but what survived is an acoustic duo, uniting Mef’s bluesy power and Angela’s passionate twang with magical result; anyone who has seen them knows it. Their performances are witty, touching and very personal. Their sound, as written by one critic, "…harkens a meeting of Bonnie Raitt and Natalie Merchant." Their song list ranges from upbeat power pop/folk to soul-searching ballads to female angst …growl.
THE ARTIST For many recording artists, the process of cranking up the writing machine to begin a new record can be a daunting task. But not for rising singer/songwriter Stacie Rose. After her 2005 release SHADOW & SPLENDOR earned unanimous raves, (Songs were featured in FX s THE RICHES, MTV S THE HILLS and an ESCADA Sunset Heat Episode) The Jersey born rose was read to rock when her muse came calling again.
