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The enigmatic Richard Shindell. . . is a lifelong introvert who makes his living as a performer. On stage, he's clad in black, singing spine-tingling tunes in a bottomless baritone; offstage he's got a chortling belly laugh and flamboyantly smokes cigars. . . Shindell's lyrical guitar playing is edgy and melodic, but it's his rich voice that drives the songs. Tempered with a slight hoarseness and unique inflections, it emanates a foghorn-like power, continually restrained. . . . Shindell's body of work is creative and profound. Dirty Linen
Richard Shindell's most recent recording, "Somewhere near Paterson," has been called a "revelation" by music critics. He is a master guitarist and a master songwriter. Joan Baez says of him: "Richard Shindell is one of the best songwriters of this or any other era." He is most definitely a craftsman, playing with quiet forthrightness while finding new ways to present familiar themes in song. The New York Times says that Shindell "sings with a concentration that reveals the tension behind his lyrics." His is a memorable voice and his lyrics stay with you long after the last note was sung.
Dar Williams, who along with Lucy Kaplansky, has recorded and toured with Shindell as Cry, Cry, Cry, says that Shindell is "a truly great American songwriter." The collaboration of these three artists was originally going to be a short-term project; it turned into much more and boosted the careers of all three in the process. These days Shindell plays solo and likes it that way. His songs tell diverse tales: Survival in Bosnia; a stockbroker begging his pharmacist for a prescription; Mary Magdalene pondering why people question her relationship with Jesus. As a seminarian who studied to be a pastoral psychotherapist, Richard Shindell gets to the real nitty gritty. As one critic says, "This is not your father's folk music."
After the tragedy of September 11, Richard decided to bring along some friends and mix up his repertory a little. In addition to his original songs, he'll be singing songs we can sing along with, like "Who Knows Where the Time Goes," "Hard Times Come Again No More," and Paul Simon's song, "America."
Nashville performing artist Amy Rigby opens the two-set show. Amy is a wonderful singer/songwriter whose three albums on Koch records combine winning melodies with witty, moving lyrics detailing the transition from being a Hoboken-in-the-80's era punk/popster to a working single mother in the 90's and 00's.
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