On September 18, 2010, Patrice arrived at the intimate Black Bart Theater (aka the Brushwood Lounge) in Murphys, California with her longtime bassist Glenn McGregor, ready to embrace the possibilities of an impromptu collaboration with several local musicians. Jens Jarvie, a gifted percussionist who had befriended Patrice and Glenn on one of her many previous visits to Murphys, sat in for the entire set. Respected Bay Area jazz pianist Jonathan Alford joined in on several songs. Singer/songwriter Bill Welles contributed some smoldering slide guitar. Vocalist Erin Ross sang her heart out. No formal rehearsal, just a quick run through at sound check.
“That night, it wasn't about hitting every right note,” Patrice recalls. “It was about being both brave and vulnerable and being willing to let the music be what it wants to be.”
Who can fully explain the dynamics of an exceptional live performance? Perhaps on this night it was the level of focus and attunement required for players not accustomed to playing with each other. Maybe it was the healthy tension that accompanies unpredictability. Whatever the reason, Patrice was in rare form even by her own lofty standards, and the intimate audience was enthralled from opening strum to encore.
And that was just the beginning of the recording you hold in your hands. For the full story of the evening, the players, and the companion video, visit the Brushwood Lounge online.
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