How Many Superlatives Can You Fit In A Blog Post?

Great music last night at the Acoustic Showcase. Really -- we were blessed with one excellent song after another, presented by musicians with tremendous skill and heart. And everybody had a good time.

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We began the evening with Ashley Jordan. We had the pleasure of first hearing Ashley when she was still a high school student. She had big talent then, and she's only gotten better in the ensuing year(s).

Her voice is flexible and strong, with a lovely lilt to it -- well suited to ballads, love songs, country numbers, even the Adele cover she tried out.

It's a cliche, so I try not to over-use it, but... I wouldn't be at all surprised if we heard a lot more from Ashley in the not too distant future (hit songs, big tours, etc.). In the meantime, it's a real treat to hear her up close at the Showcase.

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Next in line was Chris Nauman. He's played the Showcase before, so I thought I knew what to expect -- energetic yet nuanced folk/pop music, with solid guitar work and an appealingly textured tenor voice. However, this time Chris's music was wonderfully augmented by a couple of tremendous musicians: McGregor McGehee on bass and Ken Selcer on lead guitar. 

Wow. These guys can really play. 

McGregor's steady, playful, smooth notes swam beneath the songs like a big fish, while Ken's deft, facile, flexible leads darted and twisted over the melodies like some kind of dragonfly [extended metaphor alert!].

Highlights included a beautiful rendition of Woody Guthrie's "I Ain't Got No Home," and an up-tempo number inspired by recent events: "Occupy."

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But wait, there's more! Chris and cohort left the stage, and Showcase newcomers Michael Priscella, Brice Buchanan and Rebecca Lynch picked up the torch.

And again, wow. More folks with pro skills and playful appeal! This trio says they specialize in "dusting off neglected baubles," and the songs they offered did receive a delightful jazz/pop shine.  Michael (that's him on the left) had a smooth, sweet acoustic feel going, while Brice (on the right) tickled some solos and bit into others with his Telecaster Thinline. As for Rebecca, she's got a tremendous voice, a real feel for the music, and great stage presence.

   
And I do...

mean...

stage presence!






We had lots of fun listening (and singing along) to appealing renditions of wonderful songs by Burt Bacharach, Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, and others. Question: when was the last time you grooved to "Harper Valley PTA"? Answer: last night at the Acoustic Showcase!

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And that's all for this episode of the Acoustic Showcase, where good music reigns supreme, and superlatives abound!

See you next time!