ISLAND SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE

The Hard Luck Café welcomes six songwriter-performers from the Island Songwriters Showcase (ISS). For the third year, ISS members nominated the performers for their talent and accomplishment. Each one is a gem, — a songwriter with a voice that is truly their own. Some will perform solo and some with a small ensemble. In addition, they are also collaborating on a few very special group numbers to be announced at the event. The evening is sure to be unique, varied and a lot of fun.

Sid Cherry is the composer/lyricist of the award winning original musical “The Molly Maguires”. His songs from “The Molly Maguires” have been performed and recorded by stars of over 30 Broadway and movie musicals. An album of music from the show was recorded by legendary record producer Arif Mardin.
      Sid is the recipient of the prestigious Richard Rodgers Development Grant. He was nominated for BMI’s Jerry Bock Award and, in 2008, was selected as a finalist for the Fred Ebb Award for excellence in theatre songwriting.
      As a musician and musical director, Sid has worked on a number of Broadway and off-Broadway shows, and in most of New York’s major cabaret venues, including the legendary Rainbow Room. He has arranged, orchestrated and served as musical director for countless corporate industrial shows, for clients including Bell Atlantic, Cablevision, Deloitte & Touche, New York Life, Parke-Davis, Pepsi, 3-M and others. For most of these, he also wrote original songs and/or composed special musical material.
      A BMI-affiliated songwriter for over 15 years, Sid is also a member of the BMI Advanced Musical Theatre Workshop, as well as the American Federation of Musician’s Local 802 and The Dramatists Guild.

Estelle Henrich, has been a member of FMSH since 1972 and a member of ISS since 2002. She excels with an autoharp and an Appalachian dulcimer, and has been writing clever songs since 2001. She also sings bass in Willow, a women's a cappella chorus. Her influences are folk music of all kinds, country music and Jimmie Dale Gilmore.

Hank Stone was born and raised in New York City, under the roar of 707's into JFK, in the shadow of Aqueduct Racetrack. He learned the guitar, and taught himself to write songs, in homage to whatever he heard. He moved his family to Long Island in the 80's, and once the kids were grown he strapped his guitar on again. Hank is a classic 'late bloomer' ... finally finding his stride in middle age, at the peak of his songwriting and performance skills. Since hitting the local stages in 2001, he has garnered praise and encouragement from fans, musicians, radio hosts, and writers. The diversity in Hank's melodies reflects his wide-ranging taste in music, and his lyrics offer a smorgasbord of narratives, character studies, and mood pieces.

Suzanne Ernst writes: "I started writing songs in high school: — My lyrics often reflected my draw to finding out about my inner world — who am I, why am I here ... the usual questions ... though my very first song was about Alfred, an imaginary dog who plays a banjo. The song did not address life’s most profound questions but the melody does make a distinctive ringer on my cell phone.
      "My music background is pretty varied - I sang in the church and high school choirs, and listened to my dad sing and play cowboy songs on his Harmony 6 string. Our old Hi-Fi (hi fidelity, young ones) played our household records including: my dad’s Swing Era music; my sister’s Broadway musicals, Elvis, The Platters, Pat Boone, Fabian, Peter, Paul & Mary; my brother’s a cappello Rock & Roll; and my mom’s Perry Como and Sinatra. When I was about 12 years old, I picked up my Dad’s guitar. One of the first songs I learned by ear was Buddy Holly’s "Words of Love". In 1966, I received my first guitar, a Gibson B-25, and was singing with my friends at hootenannies.
      "In the 60’s, I listened to the Beatles on a.m. radio while doing my homework - and to Joni Mitchell, the Beach Boys, Chad & Jeremy, The Animals, Simon & Garfunkel, Janis Ian, and many other’s - whose music lifted me out of my grammar school doldrums. When I was 16, I recorded a duo with the guy who sang the "Palisades Park" radio commercial. The record never took off (you mean you never heard of "I Really Really Do" ?), but I did learn how to sing into a studio microphone.
      "College exposed me to madrigals, Gregorian chant, atonal choral pieces, Beethoven, Segovia, and chamber music. Hofstra University had a great collection of old folk music. I also listened to Crosby/Stills/Nash/Young, Santana, Bread, Harry Chapin, Kenny Rankin, Carol King, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Baez, Dylan and others. I was drawn to Eastern philosophy after reading books by Hermann Hesse and Alan Watts and, in the early 1980’s I spent time in a spiritual community. While the experience wasn’t what I had hoped, I got my first taste of consistent song writing. People in the community were singing my songs at the church service ... that was a kick.
      "I have been playing in coffee houses, bars, restaurants and cafes since the late 60’s. In the 80’s, I jammed with a group of guys who liked playing 40’s jazz and standards (Don’t Come Around Much Anymore, Take The A Train, Sunny Side of the Street, etc). My singing and guitar playing has been described as folk, folk-rock, and California folk - reminiscent of Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, or Kenny Rankin ... It’s still a work in progress…and it’s still fun.
      "Writing songs has always been therapy for my soul. My first CD - "little things with great love" brought me great joy to produce and share with friends, family and fellow musicians. I couldn’t ask for more."

Ken Krumenacker writes — "In nineteen fifty-nine I discovered my brother's guitar under his bed. High school brought chorus, hootenannies and the Dock Place Singers — and I wrote my first song. College found me playing solo in Brookville & NYC, - then Kansas, Colorado and Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. The seventies were years of playing the local clubs on Long Island (solo & in groups).
      "In making Sea Cliff my home, I was instrumental in organizing the summer youth program at Tappen Beach that featured local musicians, and volunteering and performing for Mutual Concerns and the Beatification committee in local fundraising, and on the stage with Theatre II productions as well as writing a two act play Asbestos Atrocity, and creating educational programs with BOCES, children's programs with the Village Nursery School, Harbor Child Care and Deasy Elementary School. Recently I've been writing and performing, in collaboration with Doug Kolmar as the group Dogs Gone Fishing", and presently I enjoy performing in the Barbara Garriel Trio."

Susan Cohen — When it comes to pinning down a style and genre, singer/songwriter Susan Cohen isn't easy to classify. With a big voice that's deeply rooted in old school country, you might expect honky-tonk inspired tales of love and loss, but there's an edge and a sense of sophistication that quickly become apparent as the stories and melodies in Susan's finely crafted songs reveal themselves. By combining these elements, Susan has developed a songwriting style that is unique, compelling and which transcends what listeners expect from those who wear the singer/songwriter moniker.