Heather Pierson Trio coming to Westport
Heather Pierson logs thousands of miles as a traveling troubadour, playing more than 200 dates each year across the country. The roads she’s been on have crossed through most of the 50 states, passing through Connecticut several times, and into Fairfield County at least twice over the past year.
She was a performing exhibitor at the 2018 New England Folk Alliance convention held in Stamford, and that’s the first time we met in person, although I had been familiar with her music and particularly her song “Singin,’” the title track of the debut album she recorded with the Heather Pierson Trio. In 2018, she also opened for Joe Jencks at Voices Café at the Unitarian Church in Westport.
The multiinstrumental singersongwriter’s road map takes her back into Fairfield County, when she returns to Voices Café, headlining with her Heather Pierson Trio on Nov. 16 at the Unitarian Church.
The title track, “Singin,’” she told me at the 2018 NERFA, was not even intended to be recorded. It was written to help her get through a crucial point in her life. But when her bandmates heard it, they told her to bring it to the stage. I particularly like the lines: “Why do I even try . . . to reach out to strangers and sing? Well, singin’ ain’t just somethin’ I do. Singin’ is the thing that sees me through.”
In a recent interview with Pierson, conducted, not surprisingly, while she was on the road, the musician admitted she’s living a lifelong dream.
“I always wanted to be a traveling musician, ever since I was young,” said Pierson, whose musical expertise includes the piano, guitar, tenor banjo and ukulele. “First, it was a dream to be a keyboard player in an Allman Brothers tribute band, and then as a piano player in a blues band. The dream I had went through several iterations, and then at some point, as I became more interested in writing my own songs, the dream changed again. And now, I’m a touring singersongwriter. Will the dream change again? Who knows? But for now, I’m really enjoying the ride.”
Pierson, who’s based in Conway, N.H., has known her bandmates, Davy Sturtevant and Shawn Nadeau, for nearly a decade.
“I met Shawn and Davy around the same time, in the spring of 2010, at two different open mics right in my area,” she said. “I started playing with both of them in two different contexts, and slowly the worlds converged. They both appeared on my 2013 solo record, “The Hard Work of Living,” along with some other musician friends.”
In 2014, Pierson was selected to perform in a showcase at the Southeast Regional Folk Alliance conference, and she asked Sturtevant and Nadeau to join her. Sturtevant now plays cornet, along with dobro, fiddle and mandolin in the trio, and he adds harmony vocals. Nadeau plays bass and sings harmony vocals.
“We had a lot of success at that conference, and we’re still touring in the Southeast every year because of it,” she said. “Our touring has expanded to include much more of the U.S., thanks to our successful showcasing at other Folk Alliance conferences. We’ve been following the growing momentum ever since.”
Norwalk’s Dave Caplan, chairman of the Voices Cafe Committee, explained the criteria for choosing acts for the monthly concert series, which has presented between 65 and 70 shows since the series launched in 2010.
“There are many elements that come into play, so it’s hard to say which ones carry most weight,” he said. “I’m most concerned with vocal and instrumental artistry and good songwriting, of course. And like many fans, I love vocal harmonies. But the ability to connect with, entertain, inspire, and at times, challenge our audience is also key criteria. And over the course of a season, it’s fair to say we aim for diversity and balance in a number of dimensions.”
Caplan notes Pierson and her trio meet those requirements.
“The trio fits quite easily into this criteria,” he said. “Heather, Shawn, and Davy are all accomplished instrumentalists. Heather has a beautiful singing voice and is a great songwriter. There is no question the audience will come away feeling inspired and uplifted. And yes, there will be vocal harmonies to enjoy.”
Audiences have enjoyed the trio’s live shows, mainly because of the chemistry they each bring to the stage, according to Pierson.
“The three of us are from very different backgrounds, musically and otherwise, and all those influences makes for quite a musical melting pot,” Pierson said. “Our tastes vary wildly, too, though there are points of convergence. Mainly, we each value the importance of melody, groove and dynamics very highly. With those common core musical values, it’s such a joy to make music as a trio.”
For more information, visit Voicescafe.org or heatherpierson.com
Mike Horyczun’s Sound Surfing column appears every Saturday in The Hour. Mike can be reached at: news2mh@gmail.com