Richard Shindell
Richard Shindell ( born 1960 in Lakehurst, New Jersey) is an American folk musician and singer-songwriter.
Life
After his first three solo albums, the career of Richard Shindell got in 1997 a boost after Joan Baez recorded three of his songs (Fishing, Reunion Hill and Money for Floods ) on her album Gone from Danger, and invited the distinguished Shindell to them on their tour in 1997 and to accompany 1998.
In 1998, Shindell along with Dar Williams and Lucy Kaplansky the group Cry Cry Cry. On the same album Cry Cry Cry, there was an eclectic mix of cover versions of REM to the not so well-known folk singer James Keelaghan. The trio went on tour with the album, followed then again the individual solo careers. So far no plans for future recordings in this constellation were announced, with Shindell and Kaplansky often stand together on stage.
Appeared in 2007 with South of Delia a CD that contains exclusively cover songs - among others an extraordinary folk version of Bruce Springsteen 's classic Born in the USA.
Richard Shindell Currently lives with his wife and their children in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The songwriting
In the early albums, the musical arrangement is still clearly folk -heavy, but later distanced Shindell some of these roots, and often used the guitar and his voice. However, in the 15 years of the musical work were already numerous instruments used. A certain amount of experimentation is not deprive him.
Often Shindell used when writing his songs to a specific person perspective: from an inspector of the Authority for illegal immigrants (INS ) in Fishing about a soldier in World War II Sparrow 's Point, a drummer boy in the Confederate States Army in Arrowhead, a Spanish grandmother in Abuelita to a stockbroker in Confession stories are told in first person.
The special feature of his way of composing songs, there is also the fact that he has a great talent for it to take all stories with complex characters and actions in a few words and lines. Comparable with storytellers from the early 20th century.
He likes to use this sad themes, but sounds in some songs and his sarcastic humor out what we also experienced especially in live performances, in which he likes to tell between each piece for several minutes stories to the emergence of the songs that amuse the audience.
Because of standing in the foreground playing the guitar, and the tone of voice between baritone and bass, raises his music to occasional comparisons to Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits or Johnny Cash.
Discography
- Sparrows Point ( Shanachie, 1992)
- Blue Divide ( Shanachie, 1994)
- Reunion Hill ( Shanachie, 1997)
- Cry Cry Cry (Razor & Tie, 1998), with Dar Williams and Lucy Kaplansky
- Somewhere Near Paterson (Signature Sounds, 2000)
- Courier ( Signature Sounds, 2002)
- Vuelta ( Koch Records, 2005)
- South of Delia ( Richard Shindell Recordings, 2007)
- Not Far Now ( 2009)