A FREE In-Store Concert by Singer/Songwriter SARI BROWN & Friends

Saturday , September 17, 2005
12:00 pm
Location: Elderly Instruments
in-store performance (free)

"For a teenager with a couple of Ark performances on her resume and plans to play at a New Orleans coffeehouse within the week, she's unexpectedly grounded," wrote Ann Arbor News interviewer Ann Schimke about Sari Brown--in early 2003 when Brown was just 15. Nearly three years later, Sari has added considerably to her resume and is still a well-grounded teen--a facet of her personality that lends considerable substance to her original and evocative music.

Performing at FarmFest in Johannesburg, heading to a gig at the Earthwork Harvest Gathering in Lake City after her free Elderly concert, preparing for an October 1 "Super Special Southeast Michigan Songwriters' Showcase" at Magdalena's Teahouse in Lansing, and a variety of other gigs in her ever-expanding musical arena, keep Sari on her toes--yet grounded.

Sari's first CD, titled For What is the Journey, was reviewed in January, 2005 by Lansing State Journal music reviewer and longtime Elderly music purchaser Chris Rietz. "For every couplet that plays like one's first, tentative attempts at self-expression, there are a dozen that hit the mark. Sari Brown is a fine, beguiling singer, but it's her skillful, fresh wordcraft that gives 'Journey' its spark," he wrote of the debut album, calling it "...an album of real promise, from a literate and often original new talent."

The Ann Arbor-based Brown and a few of her Detroit-area singer-songwriter friends together offer their audiences an exceptional opportunity to see some of Michigan's up-and-coming acoustic talent. Brown is a soulful singer and a writer of unconventional, intimately personal spirituals. Jill Jack is a fresh, frank country singer/songwriter who has won several Detroit Music Awards. Singer/songwriter, arranger, and musician Liz Larin has won four Detroit Music Awards. Former Tangerine Trousers band member Luke Sayers is well-known for songwriting steeped in tradition with an emotional edge.

A previous performance at Magdalena's Teahouse in January led music publicist Phil Wintermute to write of the young artist "...the audience fell under the thrall of a young poet, weaving images and ideas and associations into a dreamlike cascade..." He explains: "Sari Brown, now 17 years old, has been compared to Bob Dylan since she was 15 or younger. Like Dylan, Sari brings a wealth of poetic power to her songwriting and takes the listener on unexpected journeys of creative depth, full of wisdom and foolishness, common sense and mystery. Unlike him, she is open and engaging. She has a lovely voice with a wide range. And she is a deft, articulate and creative guitarist."

"Sounding a bit like Michelle Shocked, Sari calls [her recording For What is the Journey] a collection of spirituals--but this ain't your mama's religion. Accompanying herself on guitar and ukulele, she details a journey of heartache, addiction, love, and having faith...." - Sing Out! Magazine

"Celtic-inspired original story-songs with poetic lyrics and a strong political sensibility." - Hobart Taylor, Crazy Wisdom Music

Check out recordings we carry featuring Sari Brown