Juli Morgan
Chick Singer Night is gearing up for another of their concerts to showcase some of the best women singers in the greater-Boston area. For their upcoming Friday night, June 3rd concert at the Chevalier Theatre in Medford, Massachusetts, there will be plenty of variety. This is also the first time CSN will hold their event at the Medford theater.
“This year we are doing it in a new venue,” said Jennifer Truesdale, a co-director at CSN. “What we decided to do is since the venue is in Medford, we decided to find an organization in Medford that we could support. So, we’re supporting this organization at the high school called Medford Calling, which is a free after school music program for Medford High School kids run by local musicians as well as one of the teachers at the high school. We thought that would be very fitting since it will be in that town.”
One of the missions of the non-profit Chick Singer Night organization is to raise funds for area music education programs.
“We always like to support music programs whenever possible,” Truesdale said, “somehow in someway to support some sort of music opportunity in the community, whether it’s at schools or through a private organization, something that gives back musically to the community.”
Selecting the artists for this year’s Chick Singer’s Night is a long process. CSN receive a number of submissions and there are some who have not yet been showcased. From a folder of those artists who have not yet been fitted into a CSN concert, the organization could eventually find a showcase that is right for them.
Giovanna De Marco Ward
“For this show we tried to pick as we always do a balance of more established artists as well as more up and comers and always having a few younger singers on the bill,” Truesdale said. The show will feature Juli Morgan, Sonia Mehta, Giovanna De Marco Ward, Georgia Bowder-Newton, Kayla Mercuri, and Mackenzie Clement.
Chick Singer Night will utilize the On Stage format at the Chevalier, which means the audience will be seated cabaret style on stage with the artists. The table seating allows the audience to feel more intimately connected with the artists. “This allows us to be in a really beautiful theater, but in a more intimate setting so the songwriters can get their songs across,” Truesdale.
One of the features is Juli Morgan, a woman who can shred on guitar. “She’s a great singer, a great songwriter, but a killer guitar player,” Truesdale said. “We thought that was a nice added bonus. She’ll do some of her own songs. She’ll do some cover songs where she can showcase her guitar work. We’ll really get to see her very versatile talent.”
Next on the bill is Sonia Mehta, a cool pop singer-performer. Mehta is part Indian and she mixes some of her Indian music influences. “She is of Indian decent so her music really blends pop with Indian, which is very cool and very interesting,” Truesdale said. “It’s not Indian music but she brings in elements of Indian music into her writing.”
Also in the show will be Giovana De Marco Ward, a blues and blues-rock singer from Winchester, Massachusetts.
“She has been a friend of Chick Singer Night for a long time,” Truesdale said. “We’ve been trying to get her on one of our shows for a while.” De Marco Ward has been performing in New England for many years, starting her path to recognition with an appearance on Community Auditions at age 11, leading to her fronting many bands and singing with orchestras, to joining her trio Pokey Little Room. De Marco Ward has also released a CD called Art that brings her much attention.
Jennifer Truesdale
“When picking artists for the shows, obviously, quality of music, caliber of the singer, that’s very high,” Truesdale said. “But, I definitely try to create a show where there’s a variety of styles being represented. So they all blend together seamlessly. It’s not like I was looking for a blues singer so I put her on the show. The quality of her music and the quality of the singer are a factor.”
Kala Mercuri, a youthful singer-songwriter, came to Chick Singer Night through an organization called Paboh, an organization that supports young singer-songwriters. They submitted her materials to the Chick Singer Night officials. “We were thrilled to be able to bring in another organization and help their artists as well,” Truesdale said.
Another young singer, Mackenzie Clement, had performed one song at Chick Singer Night when she was a child. Truesdale and the other CSN officials have been watching her growth. “She’s quite a fine young singer,” Truesdale said. “We were really happy to be able to bring her back and giver her her set and show has she’s grown and evolved.”
Last but not least is Medford High School student Georgia Bowder-Newton. CSN officials thought it was important to select a young performer from the Medford community. “However,” Truesdale said, “in selecting people, clearly, her live performance videos and her songwriting ability, all of that was very much in keeping with the bar we set.”
Truesdale also said that the concerts will be broken up into two sessions, will offer a cash bar, plenty of parking, and that there are several fine restaurants in the Medford area for anyone who would like to start their evening out early.
Friday, June 3rd @ Chevalier Theatre, 30 Forest Street, Medford, MA
8:00p-10:30p, Tickets $15 Advance / $20 Cash at Door
http://csnboston.brownpapertickets.com/
