Music speaks to us in unique ways with a voice that can evoke meaningful responses, calling up memories, creating joy, inspiring hope, or stimulating action. Darke County Center for the Arts Coffeehouse Series presents performing artists in a comfortable, intimate setting that provides the almost perfect ambiance for these reactions, as well as providing the opportunity for gathering with others in a relaxed welcoming atmosphere to enjoy social interaction as well as excellent music. DCCA’s 2015-2016 “Voices” season appropriately features singers with distinct voices who will utilize their amazing talents to speak to audiences, at the very least providing a good time and perhaps eliciting even more profound results.
Troubadour Lee Murdock, widely recognized as the premier interpreter of songs and tales about the Great Lakes, opens the series at Union City’s Arts Depot on Thursday, September 17. The singer/ songwriter’s music brings to life timeless stories about hard work, hard living, ships that come in, and ships that go down, all accompanied by his fluent guitar playing that encompasses ragtime, blues, Irish, and folk traditions. Known as a historian as well as a recording artist, Lee uses authentic source material of the past and present as the basis for his musical tales that speak to those who love the sea as well as to music lovers.
Adelee & Gentry, two talented sisters from West Alexandria, look upon themselves as storytellers, writing songs that they describe as real and honest. The duo, which will perform at The Coffee Pot in Greenville on Thursday, October 22, has developed a sunny folk-pop sound grounded in a rootsy base elevated by their captivating two-part harmonies; their voices blend in that singular “sister harmony” that thrills listeners. Not only their singing but also their songwriting seems to “just pour out” naturally, all imbued with the passion and personality that has contributed to their meteoric rise on the Nashville music scene.
The Bistro Off Broadway will provide the venue for blues singer Kristine Jackson on Thursday, February 25. Known for her soulful, gritty vocals, KJ (as she is known to her fans) delivers the old messages found in the blues in a down-to-earth contemporary style. “You don’t need to be downtrodden to sing the blues,” says the tiny but mighty artist who says that her mission is to play great music with even greater emotion. Her natural ability to express life through her music has spoken to audiences from Cleveland to Memphis to Chicago, and will soon resonate in Greenville.
Sarah Goslee Reed has been performing her insightful original songs for well over 20 years; she will bring her powerful and touching music to Arcanum’s Wayne Trail Historical Society House on Thursday, March 31. Her appealing pure clear voice tells moving stories through music. Sarah’s down-to-earth songs capture the feel of the Ohio countryside, whether she’s singing about the earth, her garden, planting trees, or meditating about life and the remorseless passing of years.
Montage Cafe in Greenville will host the final performance of the Coffeehouse Series season when Noah and Alex perform their rootsy pop acoustic music on Thursday, April 21. The Oxford-based duo covers all genres, listing their influences as ranging from Sam Cook to Frank Sinatra to Amy Winehouse. Noah Cope, an accomplished musician who has been working professionally for the past twenty-five years, and 24-year-old singer/guitarist Alex Poteet discovered common interests while performing with other bands, and formed their duo about two years ago to give voice to their unique interpretations of the great music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Voices speak, voices sing, voices comfort, amuse, and enrich. Who knows where listening to the varying voices during DCCA’s Coffeehouse Series may lead? Tickets cost just $10 each ($8 for DCCA members) and will be available to the general public beginning July 1. For more information, contact DCCA at 547-0908 or [email protected] or visit DCCA’s Website centerforarts.net.
