David Wilcox, park Theater

Reviewing a 1992 show featuring David Wilcox and Patti Larkin at Manhattan’s Bottom Line, a New York Times critic asked a question that, all these years later, still seems pertinent: “Why isn’t music this good more popular? The blame must fall largely on radio and the music-video channels. As intelligent, well-made and accessible as it is, the music of people like Mr. Wilcox and Ms. Larkin seems a little too serious and not quite young enough to be accepted as mass-market entertainment.” The critic noted that Wilcox, a singer/songwriter, had put out two albums on A&M Records (he would be dropped by the label a few years later) and said he “sings with a mellow fluency that suggests a hybrid of (James) Taylor and Kenny Rankin, but he has better enunciation than either. Many of his songs analyze the dynamics of relationships in epigrammatic verses that are at once earnest and gently humorous.” An Ohio native who has been based for many years in western North Carolina, Wilcox says hearing a fellow student playing guitar in a stairwell in college helped lead him down a musical path. Allmusic’s bio describes Wilcox’s music as a “thoughtful blend of folk, pop, and jazz styles ... warmly sung, personal storytelling with an inventive acoustic guitar style. His poetic lyricism and intimate stage persona have earned him comparisons to James Taylor, and his guitar approach to that of Nick Drake and Joni Mitchell.” Allmusic notes that the 1989 A&M debut, “How Did You Find Me Here,” sold over 100,000 copies largely by word of mouth, “representing a grassroots-oriented engagement with his fans that has lasted throughout Wilcox’s career.” Indeed, for some years now Wilcox has hosted a gettogether near his home for fans, featuring lots of music and good vibes. His website offers the chance to sign up for next year’s gathering. Meanwhile, he has continued to pursue his muse. Earlier this year, he released “The View From the Edge,” and his website features several videos from that album and others.