Melissa Ferrick w/ Mal Blum

Melissa Ferrick

http://www.melissaferrick.com

Melissa Ferrick could blow her own horn quite well, a flugel horn to be exact, if she chose. Instead, she expresses her creative spirit with an acoustic guitar.

Since the early 1990s, the accomplished singer-songwriter from New England has compiled a solid string of sonically strong, lyrically rich studio albums.

Her widely praised 2006 album "In the Eyes of Strangers" fulfilled the rock 'n' roll essence that Ferrick has long harbored and drawn inspiration. But just when it seemed she would take a hard plunge into a more layered, instrumentally diverse sound, she returned to the studio to produce perhaps her most intimate, stripped-down album to date, her ninth studio effort "Goodbye Youth."

Laid down in a single day during her near-constant tour schedule, "Goodbye Youth," marks a departure from the music she wrote and arranged with a team of accomplished musicians on her previous effort. Yet, the new album retains the pure Ferrick trademark: An endearing, emotionally honest first-person lyrical approach driven by her dynamic acoustic sound.

Ferrick ranks among an elite group of female guitarists who'll brave the stage alone, and leave it with the house cheering for more.

Some of the biggest names in folk-rock-pop music, such as Ani DiFranco, PJ Harvey, Neko Case and Liz Phair, have tackled standing under the spotlight alone at one time or another during their illustrious careers. The same can be said for Ferrick, except for one notable difference. She has made it something of a signature to go before her audiences armed with only her guitar and a set list. Since the end of her "Eyes of Strangers" tour in mid 2007, for example, Ferrick has taken to the stage solo, headlining and playing countless venues coast to coast for more than a year.

Mal Blum

http://www.malblum.com/