Sunday’s ‘Because We Have Music’ is all about the song and the feeling
From contributed reports
Yip Harburg, the composer of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, said, “Words make you think thoughts. Music makes you feel a feeling. But a song makes you feel a thought.” And that’s been the goal of Kid Pan Alley’s “Because We Have Music” virtual concert series over the last year — to help us feel deeply in these times of numbness and separation.
The next concert on Sunday, April 11, at 7 p.m. is all about the song and the feeling. It features master songwriters Pierce Pettis, Alisa Fineman and Kimball Hurd, and Kid Pan Alley hosts Paul Reisler and Cheryl Toth.
Songwriter Pierce Pettis is considered a master of musical storytelling with a style ranging from folk to country to Christian contemporary. An Alabama native, he began his career at the famous Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. Later, he contributed to Fast Folk Musical Magazine in New York, recorded for Windham Hill/High Street Records in Los Angeles, and spent a decade as a sta songwriter for Polygram and Universal Music Publishing in Nashville.
Joan Baez rst discovered his music in 1979, when she covered his song, Song at the End of the Movie. Since then, many artists including Garth Brooks, Art Garfunkel, Susan Ashton, Tim O’brien and Dar Williams have recorded his songs.
According to the Washington Post, "Unlike a lot of his contemporaries, singer-songwriter Pierce Pettis doesn't belong to the 'me generation.' He's more likely to sing of his surroundings than himself, and frequently draws on his Southern background for inspiration and color."
Alisa Fineman and Kimball Hurd bring a rich humanitarian and musical background to their performances. While Alisa both have enjoyed solo careers, they complement each other well as a duo: Alisa with her rich alto, and Kimball with his gorgeous instrumentations and vocal harmonies. A composer of both folk and Jewish music, Alisa has a passion for the connection between music and the divine. She currently serves as a cantor for Congregation Beth Israel in Carmel, California.
Paul Reisler is the founder of Kid Pan Alley as well as the chamber folk group Trapezoid, and Paul Reisler and Three Good Reasons. The All Music Guide called his music “pure poetry. The ensemble treats these original tunes by Trapezoid's founder Paul Reisler with the reverence of old traditional ones but with a daring of Promethean proportions.” He’ll be joined by vocalist Cheryl Toth.
What makes the series so special is that the audience is part of the show in the Kid Pan Alley zoom living room. RSVP for the free concert on April 11 at Kid Pan Alley. even tb rite. com for a special evening of songs and songwriters.