Published August 26, 2004, in issue 0334 of the Hook

After reading Mark Grabowski's review of the Dinah Pearson Band [Music review: "Bluesy jazz: Frigid art with heart," July 22, 2004], I couldn't believe we saw the same group. So before you write them off, here's another tale.

Dennis and I were sitting on our deck in the wilds of Waynesboro when we heard this great music. We looked at each other and off we went, heading toward the park. Waynesboro actually has a terrific city park, and that weekend they were having their Summer Extravaganza. Being rather new to the 'Boro we didn't really know what that was.

We followed our ears to the bandstand in the park and there was this group, rocking in the rain. They were good. Solid blues with a twist.

The guitar players were bopping off each other; the drummer was holding steady. Then this woman steps to the mike. She sort of leaned into it and just started singing her tale.

Her voice was strong and steady. She sang with a kind of intimate ease-- a little cool, but the coolness of someone who just knows what she's singing about, and she's letting you in on it, easy-like. Not shouting at you and crying, just sharing it with you.

It's like she put her arm around your shoulder and is sharing the tale with you, right in your ear. On the up-tempo songs, it's like she's letting you in on the fun, on the joke, but with the same knowing, easy nod. I bopped and rocked in the rain and had a wonderful surprise afternoon.

This was the warmest cool I've experienced in a long time and it was very far away from Grabowski's "frigid." Check it out for yourself.

Elisabeth Fitzhugh
Waynesboro

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