Lui Collins At Railway Cafe12:00AM / Thursday, February 15, 2007
 | | Lui Collins |
North Adams – Singer/songwriter Lui Collins will perform a concert at Railway Café in MCLA Gallery 51 on Friday, Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m..
Collins, whom Dirty Linen magazine calls “New England’s finest singer/songwriter,†first played the Railway Café series during its inaugural season in 2001. This month’s concert will feature songs and poems from Collins’ new CD, “Closer,†along with favorites from her early recordings, with Collins accompanying herself on guitar and banjo.
A native Vermonter, Collins has performed and made albums since the 1970s, releasing three albums on Philo and Green Linnet records before founding her own label, Molly Gamblin Music, in 1993.
“Closer,†her eighth solo recording and her first release on renowned
artist-cooperative label Waterbug, represents a departure for Collins, as it is her first recording to include recitations of her poetry. The recording’s 22 tracks include 10 songs, two original banjo tunes, and 10 poems, mostly inspired by the rural landscape outside Collins’s Ashfield home. “Closer†also includes covers by Patty Griffin, Harry Woods and Cheryl Wheeler.
Richard Cuccaro, in Acoustic Live of New York City, describes “Closer†as “a shimmering set of jewels, celebrating every aspect of her crossing to the hopeful place she has found for herself.†He calls the final poem, “Hanging Up the Snowshoes,†“staggeringly beautiful,†and said that the entire album is “a keeper.â€
Canadian singer/songwriter Stan Rogers said, “Lui Collins sings my songs better than I do.†And the legendary Dave van Ronk called Collins “one of the best guitarist/arrangers I’ve heard in years.†MCLA Gallery 51 is at 51 Main St. in North Adams. Admission for the concert is $10 in advance, $12 at the door, $8 for students/seniors.
For reservations or information, (413) 664-6393, or e-mail railwaycafe@juno.com. For more information on Collins’ music, go to
www.luicollins.com. |
