Iconic singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff
And a bona fide ‘Guitar Goddess’ come to Taos
ON FRIDAY (May 6), one of the best and arguably most beloved singer-songwriters of her generation, Karla Bonoff, will play in Taos. The 90-minute concert is yet another
quality performance to be held in the Encore Gallery at the Taos Center for the Arts. This particular concert is special for a number of reasons. For starters, a live performance, indoors, is continued validation that life may be
returning to a semblance of normal (whatever normal is these days). And
secondly, not only will we have the opportunity to hear the iconic Bonoff
perform, but she will also be playing with guitarist Nina Gerber, who is a
highly-regarded talent and warmly referred to as a “musicians’ musician,” meaning, she can accompany anyone and bring out their best.
Mary Domito, whose Taos Lifestyle business and brand are presenting the concert, is bringing Bonoff back for the
second time in five years. “I wore out Karla’s album in 1977. That’s when I discovered her music, as she was coming out of the L.A. singer-songwriter scene,” Domito said. “To also have Nina Gerber
here is like icing and sprinkles on your favorite cake — she’s a guitar goddess and we are in for something special.”
Rather than the two musicians coming together to form a perfect storm of sound, Bonoff and Gerber are more like a perfect reprieve from the notso-perfect pandemic experience. “I’m excited to be out playing in front of live audiences again,” said Bonoff, “it
seems like people are so ready to be coming together for music.”
Born and raised in Southern California, Bonoff was a songwriter by the age of 15. She became friends with other singer-songwriters and musicians in the 1960s who were creating their own unique sound. Those relationships, established early on, had a lasting effect. Bonoff is perhaps best known for having written multiple hits for Linda Ronstadt, whose 1990 album, “Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind” includes three of Bonoff’s songs,
including “All My Life,” which won a Grammy. Bonoff has also opened for
the likes of James Taylor and Jackson Browne, and she has toured with Bonnie
Raitt, John Prine, and J.D. Souther — to name just a few notable musicians.
According to a Billboard Magazine review about Bonoff, “Long before Alanis and Jewel, there was a breed of singer-songwriters whose earthly anthems of soul-searching, heartache and joy touched souls in a way few can
muster today.” I was curious about the soul-searching anthems and asked Bonoff about that. I wanted to know if she, through her soul-searching music, had found what she was searching for. “I’m not sure I would describe my music as being personally soul-searching,” she explained. “It might be soulsearching
for others and it probably is, but for me, it’s cathartic. It can provide
some emotional release, but no, I’m not really searching for my soul.”
I admit I loved her response, as I had always wanted to know if the music or genre was unduly defined by the writer’s discourse more so than the musician who, in fact, not only wrote the words but then also set it to music. I dared to ask more about where her music comes from. “Sometimes the music just comes out and it’s not something I consciously think about. I write in a lot of different ways,” reflected Bonoff. “Sometimes it can be easier if I’m writing something for a movie or a specific script but not always. When
there is something ready to surface, and that might come from my subconscious, it just comes up in a natural way. It just flows out.”
We talked about what it is like playing in front of a range of audiences. I wanted to know if she had a favorite
song or lyric and if she ever got tired of a song. “Fans change from year to year and audiences definitely have their own personalities. But picking a favorite song is like asking someone to pick
their favorite child. I have my favorite moments, I can play one song a lot and then feel like it’s time to take a break,”
she said. “That’s why touring with Nina is incredible. She has the ability to take a song that might feel a little bit tired to me and make it new again. She is a great guitar player.”
No doubt, the audience on Friday will be able to listen and absorb the results of Bonoff’s natural flowing
process paired with Gerber’s ability to bring fresh energy to a song that has been played, as Domito described, until the record wore out.
As we start to acclimate to this reentry phase, audiences are remembering just how good it feels to be part of
live music. Not surprisingly, Bonoff used her shutdown time creatively and
produced her first-ever holiday album. While she won’t be performing any of
the seasonal songs on Friday, the CDs will be available for purchase. Tickets cost $30 in advance and $35 on the day of the show. Masks are required for all in-theater events. For more information visit tca.org/calendar.