Carolyn proved to be an accomplished and thoroughly delightful performer. She engaged us with her instrumental mastery of the hammered dulcimer, guitar and flute, and was entertaining as she told us something about her life and situation when she composed each of the pieces she played. She has extended her repertoire far beyond the usual Celtic fare one usually hears with this instrument (which genré she also does well), including some tone poems evocative of Pacific Northwest life.
We especially appreciated the stories behind her vocal "Evangelina" (involving a road trip and a Montana truck stop) and instrumental "Maria de Peninha" (her experiences on the west coast of Portugal and the people she met there).
Saturday, 10 September 2005
House Concert:
Carolyn Cruso
Carolyn
Cruso is an acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and composer. Over the past
fifteen years she has toured widely in both the United States and
Europe, as well as producing six CDs during that time. She is equally at
home on hammered dulcimer, flute, guitar and vocals and performs a
diverse array of original tunes and songs as well as traditional
material. Her instrumental compositions are mainly for the hammered
dulcimer and are inspired by her strong connection to nature as well as
her extensive travel and the cultures she's encountered along the way.
Her unusual and lyrical approach to the dulcimer especially delights
audiences and has even won over curmudgeons who swore they hated
hammered dulcimer!
As a
relative newcomer to the performing songwriting genre, Carolyn has been
surprising fans around the country with the fact that she is a poetic
lyricist, a powerfully expressive singer and a strong guitar player. Her
lyrics explore love, loss and regeneration and convey a compelling sense
of longing. She regularly uses open tunings which allow her to find rich
voicings to the chords she uses. Her performances have been called
powerful and emotionally provocative. Her lyrics are thoughtful, poetic
and possess a compelling sense of longing. Her vocals are tough and
tender. Her guitar chordings have been described as delicious and her
playing is dynamic and expressive.
7:30pm at Brookhaven Lodge.
