Holiday gift suggestions for fans of the New England music scene; buy these CDs right away
It’s that time of year where you’re scrambling to find gifts for the ones you love. If your loved ones are fans of the local New England music scene, you may wish to purchase CDs by their or your favorite local artists to stuff inside their Christmas stockings. Being one of New England’s more prolific music journalists, I happen to know of many bands whose CDs might make great gift ideas. Here are a few:
Chick Singer Night teams with Burren for unplugged show; Robin Lane headlines
Marcia Macres and her Chick Singer Night co-director Jennifer Truesdale offer a whole different ballgame for this Fall’s Chick Singer Night/Boston presentation. Last spring, CSN presented their selection of notable female singers in a concert format at a local theatre. Their Fall presentation finds Chick Singer Night presenting as the lineup for the Sunday Night Acoustic Series at The Burren in Somerville, this Sunday night coming up, November 16, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Sean Fullerton brings his solo acoustic blues to the people
Sean Fullerton is an old school solo acoustic blues musician, and, after playing out professionally for 20 years, that solo approach works just fine with him. Fullerton is, aside from a musician, a recording engineer, a singer-songwriter who plays blues and rock and roll and his own original music, and a finger style guitarist. He enjoys his multiple jobs in music and the multi-dimensional aspect of it.
Bobby Livingston comes into his own with release of original music
Bobby Livingston is an intense man with a lot of things he’d like to get off his chest. Never having come to grips with the death of his parents and his divorce drove this music scene dabbler to become a respected singer-songwriter in his own right. “My parents died when I was young,” he said. “To this day, I’m still drowning in the sorrow of losing my parents. It’s just never gone away, and I never dealt with it. My father died when I was alone with him, all by myself, and it changed my life. I watched my father. It just; I can’t even fucking talk about it.” Livingston began choking up, sobbing intensely. “I can’t talk about it, man. This happened in 1982 so it’s still an emotionally powerful thing.”
Jenni Lynn Band takes New England by storm, still adding more venues to busy schedule
The Jenni Lynn Band are celebrating their first year in existence under their current name and line up. And what a year it has been for Jenni Lynn and her band. Playing seven to eight gigs each month, success has emboldened them, prompting them to start unleashing more of Jenni Lynn’s original music.
Prolific guitarist Thaddeus Hogarth continues his amazing career
Thaddeus Hogarth has been on the greater-Boston music scene for about 25 years now. Despite his ever increasing opportunities and visibility, he’s always kept his focus on the joy of playing music.
Heather McKibben gears up for the bluesy, groovy, giving HeatherFest20
Heather McKibben never would have guessed 20 years ago that she’d be hosting HeatherFest20 this September 7th. What started it as a backyard party with a single blues band at her then Canton, Massachusetts home has become a mini festival, eventually named after her, in her backyard in Norton, Massachusetts. HeatherFest has been known to draw up to 3,000 people over the course of the day. A $25 donation goes towards charities supported by HeatherFest.
Hirsh Gardner goes back to the beginnng with upcoming New England reunion concert
Drummer-producer Hirsh Gardner has been a very busy man these days. Aside from his Cambridge studio chores, he‘s been organizing a reunion concert for his once nationally famous band New England. “Don’t Ever Want To Lose Ya” and many other New England originals will come alive. Gardner and his original three band mates will perform a full concert at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Massachusetts on Friday, August 15, at 8:00 p.m. New England is one of those bands that have been kept alive on the internet and in the memories of fans.
CT musical genius Daphne Lee Martin brings her music to the masses
Daphne Lee Martin just might be a musical genius. The New London, Connecticut Chanteuse released two full length albums in a year’s time. Moxie, released in 2013, and Frost, released in 2014, are companion pieces. Loaded with every influence from 1920s gypsy jazz, to big band swing elements, to modern electronic experimentations, to Appalachian folk, to jump blues, both albums are the product of a very fertile musical mind. Co-owing a record store with her husband reflects the broad musical vocabulary and tastes Martin carries around in her head. How she developed the skill to mesh these diverse elements into her own unique style requires a closer look at the singer-songwriter-composer-arranger‘s history.
John Hall continues Marshfield Fair blues festivals; 4th day of music added this year
John Hall is a very busy man this time of year. Hall is the creator and director of the hugely popular Green Harbor Roots Festival and North River Blues Festival at The Marshfield Fair. It runs the third and fourth weekend of August. Hall has quite a story to tell about his festival, the history behind it, and his multitude of other jobs, past and present, in the local music industry.
