Ben Carroll’s soulful, powerful voice lives somewhere at the crossroads of Stevie Wonder and James Taylor–he’s captivating, distinctive, mesmerizing. With the help of his accomplished acoustic guitar playing, Carroll moves his audiences with his plaintive songwriting, written from the heart and with a thoughtful, sometimes keen eye, while exploring the endless themes of love, of a search for a place and meaning in the world.
As the son of Grammy-winning Starland Vocal Band members (“Afternoon Delight”, 1976), Carroll enjoyed a rich musical exposure in his childhood, chiefly in the veins of harmony-laden folk and pop of the 70s, and the R&B/Soul/Roots sounds of the deep south. These influences have been naturally integrated into his music, lustrously evoked by his poetic delivery and his voice of startling honesty and beauty.
“Real thing…Yes he is. I’ve seen this handsome and charismatic New Yorker perform with just an acoustic guitar, and he killed. Possessing a clear, sweet voice and a satchel full of catchy folk-pop songs about life and love…It’s a throwback sound, kinda early Nilsson, but more upbeat.”
- Dusty Wright
Ben Carroll in concert, Friday, March 25 at Lapwai Lane Shredders Club
Potluck 5 p.m.
(Please bring a covered dish and your favorite beverage. No desserts please.)
Showtime 7 p.m.
Artist donation: $15
To reserve seats in advance, please make check payable to Ben Carroll and mail to:
7245 Lapwai Lane Darby, MT 59829
Thanks for supporting professional acoustic music in the South valley.
Lapwai Lane Shredders Club is an ongoing house concert series at the home of Jay Toups and Tamera Rackham. All donations go to the artists. We are volunteers in a great cause.
Fingerstyle guitar virtuoso and composer Chris Proctor will make his second appearance at Lapwai Lane Shredders Club on Sunday, February 27. His 30 year long career as a touring performer finds him at the pinnacle of the international guitar community, as a guitar wizard’s wizard, and it is a rare treat to hear a guitar player so lyrical, yet so technically flawless.
Also appearing will be Reanaleia Behling, a marvelously talented improvisational vocalist!
Sunday, February 27
Potluck 5 p.m. (Bring a delicious covered dish and your favorite beverage. No desserts please.)
Showtime 7 p.m.
Artist donation: $15 Advance, $20 Door
To reserve seats, make check payable to Chris Proctor and mail to:
7245 Lapwai Lane
Darby, MT 59829
Cliff Eberhardt knew by age seven that he was going to be a singer and songwriter. Growing up in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, he and his brothers sang together and their parents played instruments. His dad introduced him to the guitar and he quickly taught himself to play.
At fifteen, Cliff and his brother Geoff began touring as an acoustic duo, playing the Eastern club circuit until Cliff turned twenty-one and moved to Carbondale, Illinois. There he found space to develop his own voice within a vibrant and supportive music scene that included Shawn Colvin. After a couple of years there and a short stay in Colorado, Cliff moved to New York in 1978.
Because the clubs were great (the Bitter End, the Speakeasy, Kenny’s Castaway, Folk City) and the company amazing (John Gorka, Suzanne Vega, Lucy Kaplansky, Julie Gold, Steve Forbert, Christine Lavin, and Shawn Colvin), New York was an ideal musician’s boot camp. Though he put in long hours as a taxi driver, Cliff worked steadily on his music throughout the 80’s, doing solo gigs and studio work, and playing guitar on the road with Richie Havens, Melanie and others. Singing advertising jingles for products like Coke, Miller Beer and Chevrolet (“The Heartbeat of America” campaign) allowed him to devote more time to his songwriting.
Come to my house for a very special concert on Friday night.
Last night I spent at least an hour swapping messages with a new friend on Facebook who happens to be the daughter of an interesting woman who lives nearby. I mentioned an upcoming concert featuring an internationally known fingerstyle guitar player at the absolute top of his game. And that she and her mother would be most welcome to attend. (This is outer Montana, very rural; every seat is a great seat, and every seat with a paying person in it counts. Which is why I work hard to sell the events. They wouldn’t happen otherwise.)
The artist in question is a music industry legend who fills concert halls and listening rooms and music festivals and who delights and thrills his audiences with every thumb-busting performance he gives. All over the world. This artist could easily win a place on a list of the top guitar players who have ever lived. At least among followers of fingerstyle guitar.
No kidding. This artist is easily a world-class performer, composer and musician, by any credible measure. One Google search would provide all the artist credibility needed to validate a decision to see the artist. But we’re not talking about what is credible here.
My new Facebook friend’s incredible ensuing interrogatory was predictable for someone who was looking—first and foremost—for a way out of “having to” attend a concert with an artist she did not yet know. She wasn’t interested in what she could learn about the artist by simply showing up, putting her butt in a seat and digesting every juicy moment of the show with the artist less than 8 feet away.
My Facebook pal wanted to know more about the artist: did he sing? Or does he “just” strum?
Thanks for visiting. I spend most of my time out the West Fork so I may never have the privilege of meeting you. That is, unless you attend a house concert or help with your online marketing. Or we meet by chance at one of my favorite local haunts. The chef there, Michael Campbell, is a real life saver.
You may be wondering what our motivation to invite the Ravalli Republic to cover our concerts is: Why do my wife Tamera Rackham and I present touring acoustic musicians in our home on a regular basis? Simple: It’s great fun to stage these small events, and our friends (whether old or new, young or ancient) love the shows!
And on a practical note, knowing we’ll soon have a house full of guests, it’s a great motivator to clean up our house from top to bottom.
