[FM] NERFA

[SteveKey@aol.com]

My highlights from last weekend's Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA):

--Seeing old friends like George Trapani, recording engineer on my first LP, 
who was there promoting the songwriter scene on Long Island, which he 
documented on a CD called "Breakout! Island Songwriter's Showcase at the 
Pepper'd Owl."

--Hearing new voices, such as Jory Nash, sweet-voiced Canadian with a gentle 
finger-picking style and charming wit.  Michael Hsu, particularly his song 
"Your Boyfriend, Your Dad", wicked humor added to his earnest vocal and 
driving guitar. Stephanie Corby, smoky-voiced song stylist, sounding to me 
like Patti Cathcart of Tuck & Patti.

--Hanging out on the third floor with the outlaw from The Bronx, Monty 
Delaney, who broke all the NERFA rules with his no-case showcase room, and 
probably because of that, drew an amazing cross section of talent.  My 
favorite song of Monty's was about his Irish roots -- real stuff, strong as 
stout.  Stu Kabak's "Numbers" brought out all the hankerchiefs.  Terence 
Martin, at Monty's urging, did his brilliant "Folding Chairs" after begging 
Monty, "Don't turn this into a sing along." Mike Agranoff, at the piano, 
offering this sage observation, "It'll be a sing along if it is one."  It was 
a sing along.

--Driving back with Alan Whitney's new CD, "The Borderland".  I couldn't pry 
it out of the CD player.  Songs like "Sleeping with the Television On", 
painting the sad picture of suburban desperation that was my upbringing; 
"Days of Heaven", reclaiming and rebuilding love from the ruins, another 
story from my life; "The Dream", mourning a lost friend, as well as the gulf 
that separates the races that children somehow can cross over.  Alan sounds 
like Rodney Crowell singing the Bruce Springsteen catalog.  A triple threat: 
great songwriting, powerful performance, and subtle yet rich production.  A 
CD like this gives me hope.

Keep in touch,
Steve Key, Washington DC, thinking of launching a "condo concert" series.