Album Notes

Naomi Sommers began her performing career at age six when she sang on stage at Washington D.C.'s legendary Birchmere with Jonathan Edwards and the Seldom Scene. Even before that time she had been singing on recordings for her father Phil Rosenthal's bluegrass label American Melody. From those early beginnings, she has evolved into an expressive singer/songwriter and a nimble instrumentalist on flat-picked guitar, banjo and flute. Although her musical style is influenced by American roots music, Naomi loves to create new sounds by combining elements and instruments from different genres.

Flying Through, Naomi's debut solo CD, features many bluegrass instruments (played by masters including her father Phil Rosenthal on banjo, mandolin, mandola and guitar, and Stacey Phillips on Dobro), as well as African percussion, button accordian, fiddle, trombone, harmonica, and awesome solos by the artist's brother, jazz trumpeter Daniel Rosenthal. Naomi's strong, clear voice has been put to use in rock bands, with jazz quartets, in gospel choirs and singing for years with the Sommers-Rosenthal Family Band on festival stages, town greens, libraries and community concerts throughout New England.

"Surprisingly sophisticated songs. Sommers understands the subtlety of lyrics and melody, and brightens them both with imaginative hooks. Flying Through is the kind of compelling debut that announces that the artist will not be pigeonholed into a particular genre, and that promises more surprises in the songs yet to be written." (New Haven Advocate)

Naomi Sommers currently lives in Jamaica Plain, MA, performing in New England and across the country. This summer she traveled to Texas to perform as a finalist in Kerrville Folk Festival's New Folk Songwriting Competition. Check back on CD Baby for Naomi's new album "Hypnotized" coming out this September, 2004.