SHAWN COLVIN: A singer-songwriter's singer-songwriter
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Singer-songwriter Shawn will perform at the Barre Opera House on Friday, Nov. 6, as part of the Celebration Series. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
Toolbox
By ART EDELSTEIN Arts Correspondent - Published: October 23, 2009
One of the premier singer-songwriters of the past two decades, Shawn Colvin, makes her Barre Opera House debut on Friday, Nov. 6, at 8 p.m., as part of the Celebration Series. For Colvin fans the show will be an opportunity to hear her in a solo performance. For those less familiar with this fine performer, there is the chance to catch a pure star in the "new folk movement."
Colvin's music fits with other insightful and contemplative songwriters; Joni Mitchell and Janice Ian come to mind. Her talent as a writer, guitarist and singer emerged in the late 1980s and put her in a group of musical cohorts that includes Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, Patty Griffin and David Wilcox.
Her debut on the opera house stage comes as part of the Celebration Series' dedication to bringing artists frequently requested by Opera House audiences, said director Dan Casey. Colvin is one of several artists in the singer-songwriter vein that fans want to hear.
Casey said he is pleased with the acceptance the Celebration Series and the Barre Opera House are receiving when he contacts acts to appear. The venue is causing a buzz in the performance community, he said, for the quality of the sound, the attractiveness of the room, and the enthusiasm of the audience, Performers like Colvin, who normally would play much larger concert halls with many more people in the audience, said Casey, have heard how well they are received at the Opera House.
Colvin, who for many years performed with backup musicians, made the decision several years ago to perform primarily solo because it helps her connect with her audience.
Colvin is one of the leading lights of the so-called "new folk movement" that began in the late 1980s. After debuting as a solo performer she went on to win acclaim in 1991 when "Steady On," released in 1989, won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording. Colvin's 1992 sophomore effort, the more pop-oriented "Fat City," earned her two more nominations — Best Contemporary Folk Recording and Best Female Pop Vocal for the single "I Don't Know Why" — as well as considerable critical praise and a growing crossover audience. In addition, "I Don't Know Why" became a big adult contemporary hit.
"Cover Girl," an album of cover songs, met with mixed reviews and modest sales in 1994, but Colvin again earned a nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Recording. In 1997 her single, "Sunny Came Home," grabbed the spotlight and brought her music to a more mainstream audience. In 1998, "Sunny Came Home" won two Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, and "A Few Small Repairs" became her first album to reach platinum status.
In the past decade Colvin has contributed vocals to songs by Béla Fleck, Edwin McCain, James Taylor, and Shawn Mullins. She also collaborated with Sting on "One Day She'll Love Me," the theme song for Disney's "The Emperor's New Groove." She returned to the solo format with 2001's "Whole New You" and, in 2004, summarized the first 15 years of her recording career with the compilation, "Polaroids: A Greatest Hits Collection."
The most recent album, "Shawn Colvin Live," contains many of her most requested songs including "Shotgun Down the Avalanche," "Sunny Came Home" and "Tennessee." On this live album, recorded just over a year ago in San Francisco, we hear a performer who sings with authority and ease. Her music was very familiar to the audience who warmly applauded each song. Colvin is also a fine guitarist whose playing adds emphasis and expression to her vocals.
The Barre Opera House seems a perfect venue for this fine artist. With just a guitar, simple lighting and excellent sound, Shawn Colvin's music will get the spotlight it deserves.