New Music Courtesy of Gable Music

Row 1, from top: Jeremy Hebbel of Gable Music and Lauren Kuhne. Row 2: the band Elephants Gerald. Row 3: Stewart Lewis and Joy Ike; Row 4: Michael Natrin and Sol Knopf. Photos by Howard Stump.

At the start of last winter, I went to a great event in Wilmington, Delaware, having been invited by the talented Stewart Lewis. He himself had been invited to play by Gable Music, a local group that supports and promotes local music events. I was thrilled to go, and went with my sister, Kathy. The basis for the event was that Gable Music invited six singer/songwriters, and each are given their time to perform the music they loved to play. Having known only Stewart's music at the start of the evening, I was looking forward to hearing a whole bunch that was new! So we made out way to the Chris White Gallery in Wilmington, and found a space buzzing with activity, and walls lined with beautiful art. Gayle Dillman and Jeremy Hebbel of Gable Music took on the duties of introducing the artists for the evening, starting with Delawarean Lauren Kuhne. Enjoy as you listen to Lauren singing "Lady Music".

To learn more about Lauren Kuhne, visit her on ReverbNation. For me, Stewart Lewis is an artist who needs no introduction. I've seen him a couple of times, and he has always impressed me. I also have his CDs and EPs in my collection, and listen to his music all the time. Once again, Stewart was amazing, and I was glad I was there. I hope you enjoy the video of Lewis performing "Shine", off his album 'In Formation'.

To learn more about Stewart Lewis, visit his official website. You can also find his music on iTunes and Amazon. Before showing up and seeing her name on the poster, I didn't really have a clue who Joy Ike, or anything about her music. Joy drove in from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but her voice certainly showed no signs of being tired. I thought her voice was captivating, and her songs well-written. Enjoy the clip of Joy Ike singing "Happy".

To learn more about Joy Ike, visit her official website. You can find Joy Ike's music on iTunes and Amazon. The next up was the group from Baltimore going by the name of Elephants Gerald. The artfully combine Folk, Rock, Pop & Americana influences to craft a sound that is both exciting and organic. Check out the clip of Elephants Gerald singing "Ticker Tape Parade".

To learn more about Elephants Gerald, visit the official website. You can find Elephants Gerald's music on iTunes and Amazon. Next up, Sol Knopf took the stage. Sol makes a home for his family in Delaware, in the town where I grew up! While he regularly performs, Sol would truly consider himself a songwriter, having won a recent songwriting contest, and having his music heard by some of the top artists in Nashville. In this clip, Knopf sings one of his beautiful songs, "Is It Real?".

To learn more about Sol Knopf, visit his official website. You can find Sol Knopf's music on iTunes, Amazon, as well as his online store. The final artist on the bill was Michael Natrin, who was one of my Twitter friends I knew online, but had never met, so I was very pleased to have the chance to hear him play live. Natrin is one half of the duo 'The Honeybadgers', along with Erin Magnin. Their music is a combination of folk and Americana, in the style of the great Pete Seeger. In the following clip, you can hear Michael singing with Erin on The Honeybadgers song, "South of the Border".

To learn more about Michael Natrin, visit his official website. You can find Michael's work as part of The Honeybadgers on Bandcamp. If you'd like to find out more about Gable Music, visit their official website, or 'follow' them on Twitter.

Stewart Lewis • Live In Wilmington

I was lucky enough to be in the audience on November 17, 2012, where six singer/songwriters performed sing songs each as part of 'The Six' at the Chris White Art Gallery in Wilmington, Delaware. The acts were introduced by Gayle Dillman and Jeremy Hebbel of Gable Music, who put together the event. The reason I was there, along with my sister Kathy, was an invite from the magnificent Stewart Lewis, a favorite of mine since I was lucky enough to catch a show with him, Tom Goss and Jake Walden. Yes, the talent and handsome numbers were off the chart that night! Interestingly enough, a couple of years later, and Stewart hasn't lost any edge, still looking quite handsome, and just a gifted live performer. I was happy to have my camera and videocam with me, and you can see the pictures in this post. The videos will let you see the performer, his beautiful and layered performance of "Shine", a song off the album 'In Formation'.

Stewart's most recent release is a gorgeous collection of folk songs, 'Stumbling For Truth'. One of the very beautiful songs found on it is "Four Lanes To Pittsburgh", and I was so excited when he starting playing it. And another thing I love about live performances is when you learn a little bit about the song, like you will in this clip.

Another thing I love is when you are able to catch the artist singing a song that you can find on any of their recordings. That is the case when Stewart played "Where You Been", a song written by Reed Foehl, Stewart's brother. It is a lovely song, and it is so unusual for Stewart to be playing a full song he had not written. Enjoy "Where You Been".

Now, I mentioned 'full songs' above, because I have seen Stewart performing a version of his "Fifteen Song Medley" in previous shows. It is an ingenious medley of songs from your radio to Stewart's show. There are so many of the songs you will immediately recognize, and a couple that might sneak up on you. I just love this.

For more about Stewart Lewis, you can visit his official website. You can also find him on Facebook. You can purchase 'Stumbling For Truth' from iTunes, CD Baby, and Amazon. You can purchase 'In Formation' from iTunes or buy the physical CD from Amazon or CD Baby. Go to his website and check his tour schedule, and if he is playing near you, I say get your butt to see him!

The Six • Live Music in Wilmington

Sorry I didn't have time to get together a more elaborate post, but last night I went to see some great music performed live in Wilmington, Delaware. Gable Music sponsored 'The 6,' where six invited singer/songwriters come to perform six of their songs. I really knew about it because I was invited by one of the artists, the brilliant Stewart Lewis. When  I looked at the list, I also saw the name of one of my Twitter friends, Michael Natrin. So neither I nor my sister could resist, and we foudn ourselves driving to Wilmington to check out the event. And, of course, I couldn't attend without both my still camera and my videocam, could I? I don't know what I would do with myself if I didn't. Well, I hope to get a post together very soon that includes pictures and individual video clips, but until then, enjoy this overview of the night.

It was great to see some musicians from here in Delaware. While Stewart is from DC, Joy Ike from Pittsburgh, and Elephants Gerald are from Baltimore, Lauren Kuhne, Sol Knopf, and Michael Natrin play for the home team! And the acts were introduced alternatively by Gayle Dillman and Jeremy Hebbel of Gable Music.