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Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 59

Location:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Issue Date:
Page:
59
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

POP Mary Fahl finds her voice She's been compared to Enya, but she idolizes Judy Collins By JONATHAN TAKIFF takiffjphillynews.com ing you're going to hear on Hot AC radio," she conceded. "If this disc is to succeed, it has to be one of those word-of-mouth things that slowly builds on itself." Mary Fahl appears Monday and Tuesda (the latter show is already sold out) at 8:30 p.m. at Tin Angel, 20 S. 2nd St. Admission: $20.

Info: 215-9 28-07 70. AROUND TOWN: Sophie B. Hawkins lets it all hang out at The Point tonight at 7 and 10. $25 The baleful boy rock of One Star Hotel alights at Fire tomorrow, while the lively retro rockabilly purists Cave Catt Sammy prowl the 412 W. Girard Ave.

joint on Sunday. In the cause of promoting informality and populism, cellist Matt Haimowitz and the Miro Quartet bring classical music to Tin Angel tonight at 8. $15. New England folk fave Carrie Newcomer is in the room tomorr ow. Popish singersong writer Michelle Branch hits TLA, 334 South on Tuesda at 8 p.m.

Paul Cebar The Milkwau-keeans party hearty at the North Star, 27th and Poplar, tonight at 9. $12. Ravonettes and The Vue make for a strong bill of garage and psychedelic rock at the North Star on Wednesday. 10 p.m. $10, followed on Thursday by Michelle Shocked at 8 p.m.

$22 in advanc $25 day of show. Dirty Dozen Brass Band marches to the Seller sville Theater 1894 in Seller sville tomorrow for an 8 p.m. show. $28.50. The hip -hop and world music-influenc ed Youngblood Brass Band visit North By Northwest, 7165 Germantown on Sunday at 9 p.m.

$8. Dan Fogelberg warms the Keswick on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. 47.50. David Lee Roth rocks the joint on Tuesda 8 p.m. 46.

Man of many talents Bruce Re-infeld showcases his photography and High Fidelity Disco fashion line and also plays with his tuneful rock group Polar Creep on Wednesda at Marathon Commerce Square, 20th and Market streets. The public's invited from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. That much anticipated Polyphonic Spree show scheduled for next Thur sday at First Unitarian has been canceled, drat, 'cause the ensemble needed more time to mix their second album. People are forever comparing Mary Fahl to Enya.

Yes, both have a vocal grace and rich melodic sense that verges on classical music. Both appeal to a mature, sophistica ted audienc that buys its music at Borders or Barnes Noble, that finds precious little of interest on commercial radio. "They've been saying that about me since the mid-1990s when I was in October Project, but the truth is, we're not really alike," said Fahl, who's appearing Monda and Tuesda at Tin Angel to celebrate the release of her OdysseySony Classical debut album "The Other Side of Time." "Enya's all about layers upon layers of harmonies with electr on-ic flourishes. My music is stripped down, not layered at all. Plus, her voice is a soprano, mine is much earthier, a dusky contralto.

Her sound is more wordless vo-calese my material is much more rooted in the storytelling, singersongwriter tradition." Ah, but there have been times, Fahl admits, when she's thrown back a quick affirmative, when asked by an advertising agency type "Could you sound like Enya?" for the scoring of a TV commercial. "There's nothing like needing to make the rent to turn you around fast," she shared with a laugh. "I was happy to get the work voicing spots for Audi, Crystal Light, Russell Athletic, Fisher-Pric e. I'd still do it, if given the chanc e. Thanks to those commercials, I was able to save some money and put together the band I'm working with now." Fahl's tasteful new album is all over the musical map, from the Stephen Foster-flavored "Going Home" (used in the Civil War-set film "Gods and to the artful pop balladry of "Paola" and "Dream of You" to the jazz- and rock-styled "Kindness Can Be Cruel" to her impas sioned performance of the Italian aria "Una Furtiva Lagrima." In truth, a more apt comparison to Fahl's aesthetic temperament would be Judy Collins.

"She definitely was an important influence on me," Fahl agreed. "As a child I listened to albums like 'Wildflo wers' and 'In My Life' and Mary Fahl will perform Monday and Tuesday at Tin Angel. tional Irish ballad called "The Dawning of the Day," will soon be haunting a 9U-themed film called "The Guys." And Fahl could easily imagine another au-teur making hay with her cinematic album track "Dream of You" which was inspired, she said, by watching Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo" "with that beautiful, on-the -edge-of-creepy sound of Bernard Hermann's score." Fahl is reconciled to the fact that it will take alternative avenues like film scoring and constant touring to get her music heard and appreciated. "I set out to make an artistic record, something like 'Wildflo wers' that you could play in 20 years and it will still sound fresh. But there's noth Music's classical division.

In recent years, Gelb has radically reshaped the label and kept it alive by salting the roster with crossover talents like Charlotte Church, Yo Yo Ma and Mark O'Connor. Now he's branching out even further by reviving the Odyssey imprint which, like rival Nonesuch, used to be the home to modern minimalist composer like Steve Reich, world music and budget-priced classical recordings and now is opening its arms to Americana- flavored pop music artists, as well. An added bonus for Fahl has been gaining entree into film soundtrack work, which Sony does a lot. Another of the songs on her album, a rewrite of a tradi 'Whales and In my mind, that was what a good record was supposed to sound like. She had that unique voice very flutelike, very pure and the song selection was very eclectic everything from medieval music to Dylan to Brecht Weill theater music and songs of her own.

Judy's arranger Josh Rifkin gave her music that almost classical quality. What kept it cohesive, the through line, was her voice. I thought, how lucky she was to be able to do that kind of mix. Most record companies would never let you do that." Fortunately, Fahl (and her beautifully burnished vocal pipes) found a sympa thetic ear in Peter Gelb, the daring director of Sony PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS PAGE 59 FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2003.

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Years Available:
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