Singer-songwriter Ferron overcomes life’s challenges
Published 9:00 pm Thursday, February 22, 2007
Perseverance through personal and music-industry challenges is a thread running through Ferron’s life, but as difficult as some challenges have been, her songs have been a beautiful counterpoint.
The singer-songwriter, whose voice is more a whisper from deep in her throat, performs Sunday in Seattle. She’s a skilled lyricist and you know that each word has passed a rigorous test before joining the others in line.
Ferron, who was once in foster care, left home at 15. Friends helped make her first two albums, which she took to the 1977 Michigan Women’s Festival. Earlier in their careers, Suzanne Vega, Tracy Chapman and Ani DiFranco opened for Ferron.
While most of her work was recorded independently or on small labels, she signed with Warner Brothers in the 1990s and was nearly broken by promises not kept and the legal battle to win back the rights to three of her CDs.
On her song “Never Your Own,” she sings: “Me, I’ve run with the big boys and I’ve lain in their dirt/It’s the same sorry story and we all have been hurt.”
She lost her sense of direction for a time, but after several years without a CD of original music, Ferron recorded “Turning Beautiful,” a CD that’s as good as “Testimony” and at least as welcomed.
Jonathan Coulton: For an entire year, Coulton wrote one song a week, released each one as a podcast on Fridays, and delivered “Thing-a-Week” in four CDs in a metal container, proving to himself he could be creative on deadline.
The witty folk-alt singer-songwriter can sing about zombies, a self-loathing squid and a geeky software engineer in love. He once wrote and recorded a soundtrack for Popular Science magazine’s special Future of the Body issue and made it to the masthead as contributing troubadour.
Coulton has one of the best grasps on Internet marketing. Since anyone can use his songs for free if they don’t make any money and link to his Web site, YouTube has dozens of videos with his music. Saturday, Seattle
Preservation Hall Jazz Band: Traditional New Orleans jazz will be the evening’s fare as a band that can trace its roots back to the early 1960s continues to spread the tradition across the world. Many of the band’s charter members performed with the pioneers of jazz in the early 1900s, kept the tradition alive, and passed it down to the 21st century. Tonight, Seattle
Ann Hampton Callaway: The pop-jazz singer, songwriter and pianist has a four-night run supporting her latest release, “Blues in The Night.” In addition to her originals, Callaway aptly covers Oscar Hammerstein’s “Lover Come Back to Me,” Cole Porter’s “It’s All Right with Me,” and the title track by Johnny Mercer. Callaway was one of the creators of the Broadway musical “Swing!” and her acting earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Thursday through March 4, Seattle
Steel Pulse: One of the pioneering roots-reggae bands originated in England with a message of social justice, hope and education. The band has won both a Grammy and Grammy nominations. The band’s pop phase is long gone; it’s returned to its roots, as heard on 2004’s “African Holocaust.” Tuesday, Seattle
Todd Snider: The proverbial everyman is the star on “The Devil You Know,” the “country-folk record of your lit-major dreams,” according to Rolling Stone magazine. “Devil” made it into Rolling Stone’s Top 50, Blender’s Top 20 and No Depression’s Top 60. Wednesday and Thursday, Seattle
Maria Muldaur: She’ll bring the songs from her No. 1 Billboard Blues Album “Heart of Mine: Love Songs of Bob Dylan.” The Grammy-nominated singer (“Midnight at the Oasis”) has also earned an AFIM Indie award for the Best Acoustic Blues Album (“Richland”) and W.C. Handy nominations for Acoustic Blues Album of the Year and Traditional Blues Album of the Year. She’s a roots player, with jazz, folk, gospel and country in her background. Tonight and Saturday, Seattle
Steve Gillette &Cindy Mangsen: The duo is pure folk, whether they’re covering traditional songs or carrying on tradition within their originals or rearranging Rudyard Kipling’s “The Way through the Woods” and adding melody. On “Being There,” they’ve tackled a 1935 hurricane that killed nearly 2,000, created a concertina medley, covered a quirky vision of the cosmos (“The Kid with the Comic Book”), and written a love song to their home state (“The Vermont Waltz”). Saturday, Seattle
Donald Harrison: The alto saxman was just named Jazzman of the Year by Jazziz magazine. His three-disc release “3D” features a different genre of music on each disc: classic jazz, R&B/smooth jazz, and hip-hop. Harrison originated the noveau swing style of classic jazz, which combines acoustic swing with several other styles, including hip-hop and reggae. Tuesday and Wednesday, Seattle
The Blasters: They started in L.A. biker bars in the 1970s playing R&B and roots-influenced rock, picked up a punk following, and pushed the resurgence of American roots rock with the “American Music” album. “So Long Baby, Goodbye” was in the film “Bull Durham,” and “Marie, Marie” was in the movie “Someone to Watch Over Me.” Tonight, Seattle
Donald Harrison performs Tuesday and Wednesday in Seattle.
Where to hear it
Ferron: 8 p.m. Sunday, Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle; $15; 800-965-4827.
Jonathan Coulton: 7 p.m. Saturday, Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle; $15; 800-965-4827.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band: 8 tonight, Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle; $24.50-$42.50; 206-292-2787.
Ann Hampton Callaway: Various times Thursday through March 4, Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave., Seattle; $24.50; 206-441-9729.
Steel Pulse: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Showbox, 1426 First Ave., Seattle; $25, $30; 206-628-0888.
Todd Snider: 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle; $18, $20; 206.789.4250.
Maria Muldaur: 8:30 p.m. today and Saturday, Highway 99 Blues Club, 1414 Alaskan Way, Seattle; $18; 206-382-2171.
Steve Gillette &Cindy Mangsen: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle; $12, $14; 206-528-8523.
Donald Harrison: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave., Seattle; $21.50; 206-441-9729.
The Blasters: 9 tonight, Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle; $17.50, $20; 206-628-0888.
