From: owner-cageheads-digest@smoe.org (cageheads-digest) To: cageheads-digest@smoe.org Subject: cageheads-digest V1 #14 Reply-To: cageheads@smoe.org Sender: owner-cageheads-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-cageheads-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk cageheads-digest Wednesday, November 4 1998 Volume 01 : Number 014 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Belated review of Stephanie's House Concert [Jonathan Burak Subject: Belated review of Stephanie's House Concert First of all the setting was a beautiful 100 year old victorian that Stephanie lives in. Stained-glass windows and multiple fireplace. Very comfortable. There were about 15 people entertained by Jane Kelly Williams and Joel Cage. Joel and Jane switched off between three-song sets. One didn't leave the "stage" while the other was playing. It really is wonderful to be able to watch performers in a house setting, just a few feet away, no amplifiers. It's very different to be able to hear Joel keep time with his foot. You could rarely get that in a club. It had a very intimate feeling. Patti and I felt lucky to be there. Jane has a lovely soprano voice. She plays softly, a deicate picking touch on the guitar which had an almost "haunting" quality. Her music was very personal. She sang two beautiful songs about homeless people in New York that she encountered. She also did an audience participation song about a woman named Rose who died in the recent U.S. embassy bombing in Africa. Jane said she hadn't performed live in a while. It showed a little sometimes but she much too hard on herself -- she gave a wonderful performance and if a video existed of that show and Jane were to see it she would be pleased. I wish I could say more but I didn't take any notes. I believe the artists explained their songs to us in more detail than they usually do in clubs. Joel was very candid about what his songs were about and to some extent what he was about. He said his songs were more like "snapshots" of a moment in time (my paraphrase) as opposed to telling a story. Joel sang several new pieces of work: one was about becoming older, the other was about (in my words) acceptance and staying in the day. Eventually, Joel singled me out to pick a song. I chose "Winter" which brought about a brief and amusing discussion between Joel and his wife/lover Judith about the meaning of the song. He also sang a new song about talking to his twelve year old son. Well, hope this gives you an idea of what it was like to be there. Regards, Jonathan Burak ------------------------------ End of cageheads-digest V1 #14 ******************************