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Event
Sera Cahoone
Across herfour critically-acclaimed albums, SeattleartistSera Cahoone has become known for creating stirring, hushed Americanamusic that embodiesraw emotionalism. Her songs have always been the sort that grab the listener by the collar and pull them close. And yet fans may notevenrealize theyve yet been held at arms length until they hear the revisited arrangements on her new, forthcoming EP, The Flora String Sessions, due for self-release on April 20, 2018. The Flora String Sessionsrevisits some of Cahoonesmost belovedfanfavorites from across her remarkable career, with just herstarkly honest vocals andguitar plusviolin, viola, and cello. Its somewhatof a greatest hits collection,albeit with more intimate, stunningly beautiful arrangements by Led to Sea violist Alex Guy. The trio Guy assembled to support Cahoone on this effort serves to augment the space between notes, drawing the listenerinto the essence of heart-rending selections like Couch Song (from 2006s Sera Cahoone), Baker Lake (from 2008s Only as the Day Is Long), and Worry All Your Life (from 2012s Deer Creek Canyon). In fact, the arrangements are so stirring, even Cahoone was delighted and surprised about how her songs came out. The first time I heard the string trio at rehearsal, she says, I couldn't believe how beautiful it sounded. Ive always played by ear. ... It hurts my head trying to imagine how Alex arranged all these parts and put them on paper. It's been a really great experience.Cahoone has always been a master ofintense lyricalintimacy. And while her exquisite live band has provided her previous recordings with lush, intuitive instrumental support, there is something remarkably pure about hearing some of the best songs of her career delivered in this more nuanced manner.As she has steadily gained a wider audience over the past twelve years, the Denver-native-turned-Seattle-mainstayhas toured with Son Volt, Kathleen Edwards, Blitzen Trapper, and Gregory Alan Isakov, to name a few;but it was a duo tour with Guy that set the pair spinning toward this project. In 2017, they set out for a brief tour of theSouthern US, which quickly grew into a five-weekjaunt out West.Once Guy had arranged violin parts for that outing, it seemed natural to her to expand them intostring trios for a special performance back home at Seattles Saint Marks Cathedral.To prepare for that evening, the pair combedthrough Cahoonesback catalogueto determine which songs would best lend themselves to being played with a trio.Once they had nailed down 16 songsfor the set, Guyspent the next few months completingthe arrangements.Each of Seras songs has its own beautiful character, she notes.It was a challenge and a real pleasure to try and bring that character even more to life through the string parts,...without overwhelming the beauty of the original guitar and vocals.
But, she adds, the best moment for me was at our first rehearsal with the string trio.Sera hadn't heard any of the arrangements live yet and I really wasn't sure what her reaction would be because there were so many new elements that she wasn't used to. At the end of each song her eyes were on fire, and she'd say 'Woah!That was awesome!' I knew I'd been on the right track."
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LocationThe Axe and Fiddle (View)
657 E Main St
Cottage Grove, OR 97424
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 21 |
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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