Amos Lee finds balance between the light and dark.Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard Amos Lee's name has that faint hint of familiarity about it. The same could be said of his music, which is as easy to slip into as an old sweater. Lee comes to the WOW Hall on Saturday on a tour that's been selling out dates from Portland to Louisville. A Philadelphia native whose soulful folk songs will appeal to fans of John Prine John Prine (born October 10, 1946, in Maywood, Illinois) is an American country/folk singer-songwriter who has achieved widespread critical (and some commercial) success since the early 1970s. Prine is the son of William Prine and Verna Hamm. , Jack Johnson Jack Johnson may refer to:
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, born in Belmont, Massachusetts. and Ben Harper Benjamin Chase "Ben" Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American musician. Biography Harper was born in Claremont, California, U.S. (in California's Pomona Valley). He began playing guitar as a child in Claremont. , Lee is promoting his second album, "Supply and Demand." It's a record he says could be called "Kid Songs and Murder Ballads." Lee's mix of playful and dark influences jell nicely on his latest release, which is both larkish and wistful. One reviewer described the album as capable of blooming on both breezy afternoons and romantic evenings. The uplifting opening track, "Shout It Out Loud," could fit easily into the "breezy" category, while the humble shanty shanty, in music: see chantey. "Sweet Pea sweet pea, annual climbing plant (Lathyrus odoratus) of the family Leguminosae (pulse family), a legume native to S Europe but, since its introduction to horticulture c.1700, widely cultivated for its fragrant flowers. " sounds like the soundtrack to an old fashioned love story. Lee has said the inspiration for the latter tune came from an old girlfriend, but the finished product reminded him more of a song you would sing to a child. A former elementary school teacher who gave up the chalkboard for the stage, Lee began to get serious about music while attending the University of South Carolina
• • during the mid-1990s. A series of breaks, including a tour with a fellow master of smooth, Norah Jones, earned him a recording contract with Blue Note. Lee's self-titled debut was released in 2005. "Supply and Demand" followed in October 2006. Since then things have been plenty busy for Lee, who says his biggest challenge is taking it one song at a time. "Most of my life these days is spent either performing songs I've already written, thinking about songs that are half-finished or starting new tunes," he said in a news release. "I'm aware of people's expectations, but my job is to serve the song, and that's what I focus on.' CONCERT PREVIEW Amos Lee With: Chris Kasper When: 8 p.m. Saturday Where: The WOW Hall, 291 W. Eighth Ave. Tickets: $20 in advance or at the door |
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