By Gail Reynolds
In the throes of insomnia, reading a bit of Bruce Cockburn’s memoirs, Rumours of Glory, prompted by Cockburn’s reference to his collaborations with Patty Larkin, an internet search disclosed the flaming haired Boston-based singer-songwriter-kick ass guitarist will be in the Tampa Bay Area within this week.
Love such coincidences, Cosmic Puns!
January 24, Larkin will be at the St. Pete Craftsmen House Gallery for a house concert.
Since the setting is intimate and seating is limited, reservations are advised. Call (727) 323-2787.
Rather than attempt to plumb the full depths of Patty Larkin’s artistry, it’s best to urge music lovers who are not familiar with her to initiate their own exploration, perhaps starting with “Wolf at the Door”:
Larkin began classical piano training as a child, then discovered the folk scene while studying jazz guitar at Berklee School of Music. Whether Berklee alum complete a degree or have attended for just a term or two, there’s a cred that is unmistakable.
Her earlier English major days are evident in her lyrics, such as this “Me and That Train” vignette from her 1995 Strangers World CD:
It was Me and That Train
Like the night before Christmas
I was working downtown
A shopkeeper mistress.
A guy in a ski mask
Had a gun in his pocket
And he pointed to the safe
And he told me to unlock it.
I put my hands in the air
And I laughed ‘cause I couldn’t stop it
Just like Me And That Train.
Besides arresting musicality, Patty Larkin delivers pathos, angst, humor and satire, as on her 1990 In the Square.
I’m White
I grew up in the suburbs
I like to use adverbs.
To show I went to school.
Zwee dow
Dup bayoo doo doo dow
Hey hey hoy hoy how boys
Dow Jones Dow Jones.
She even does impressions, such as Garbo going to The Mall.
She is clearly in the same league as another legendary redhead, Bonnie Raitt. Patty Larkin has also earned eleven Boston Music Awards and has been honored by Boston’s Mayor Thomas Menino with “Patty Larkin Appreciation Day” in recognition of her philanthropic contributions to non-profit organizations.
And it just so happens she’ll be in the Tampa Bay neighborhood!
Patty Larkin Concert, Saturday, January 24, 2015 @ 6:30 p.m. Please contact Craftsman House for tickets.
MAP TO CRAFTSMAN HOUSE 2955 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, Florida 33713
I love music and I love to write, so Rock at Night is a perfect forum for me.I appreciate all genres from classical to country and am astounded by the number of extraordinarily talented but under-recognizedmusical artists. So my articles often feature such “well known unknown” musicians and composers.
Before email, I would include a record review along with my holiday greetings as an alternative to annual reports of personal achievements and acquisitions. Among these, I wrote of Leonard Cohen’s I’m Your Man in 1988 and Bruce Cockburn’s Nothing But A Burning Light in 1991, urging my friends and family to listen to these masterpieces.
Now I can continue to express my enthusiasm for various musical artists to a wider audience.
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