For more than a decade and a half, Pete and Maura Kennedy have been making music that recalls the jangly guitars of 1960s bands such as The Byrds and The Hollies.
Beginning with 1995 disc “River of Fallen Stars” and including more recent releases such as “Evolver” and “Better Dreams,” the duo has been universally praised for its “joyous ’n jangling” folk-rock sound.
Now, inspired by a sojourn in Paris, France, the husband and wife have reinvented themselves as Impressionist composers more in debt to Ravel than rock’n’roll, more akin to Burt Bacharach than Buddy Holly.
The Kennedys will perform selected tracks from their new CD, “Closer Than You Know,” when they headline the SyrAcoustic concert which kicks off Daniel Pearl World Music Days, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Catherine Cummings Theater, 16 Lincklaen St., in Cazenovia.
Critic Chris Nickson points out that the Kennedys “compose catchy, arresting material, and ‘Closer Than You Know’ is no exception.
It all starts in high style with the almost psychedelic ‘Winter’ before easing into the gentle ‘Rhyme and Reason,’ with its layered Maura vocals. Pete, as usual, shines instrumentally, playing virtually everything and proving once more how masterful he can be on guitar. But really, it’s about the writing and delivery, as the sublime ‘Cradle to a Boat’ shows, as perfect a piece of acoustic pop as is likely to come around during 2012.”
Raised in the Syracuse area, Maura Boudreau performed here in the 1980s in bands such as Sparse Frontiers and the Delta Rays. In 1992, in Austin, Texas, she met Pete Kennedy, a native of Northern Virginia, who performed in Nanci Griffith’s band.
Now married and residing in New York City’s East Village, the couple continue their collaboration with Griffith. Pete produced her new disc, “Intersection,” and the Kennedys continue to tour with the fetching Texas tunesmith.
Also performing at Saturday’s show in Cazenovia will be three more duos: Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman, Gary Frenay and Arty Lenin and Todd Hobin with Doug Moncrief.
“It’s going to be great,” Pete predicted during a telephone interview last week. “I know most of those guys, except for Todd, but Maura has known them forever. It’ll be like a class reunion. And I’m sure there will be jamming although we don’t have anything officially planned.”
Admission to Saturday’s SyrAcoustic concert costs $20. Tickets are available at Cazenovia Jewelry, the Sound Garden in Armory Square or via brownpapertickets.com; (800) 838-3006.
Musician-journalist memorialized
To celebrate the Daniel Pearl World Music Days, Live Space Entertainment and Cazenovia College will present a series of concerts this fall at the Catherine Cummings Theatre at Cazenovia College.
The Daniel Pearl Foundation celebrates the life of the slain Wall Street Journal reporter and mandolin player by utilizing the joy of live music to remind us all to embrace peace and understanding. In early-2002 Pearl was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan while investigating the Al Qaeda terrorists.
The Pearl World Music Days begin here Saturday, Oct. 6, with a SyrAcoustic concert featuring four talented Central New York duos.
Appearing on Friday, Oct. 12 will be Professor Louie and the Crowmatix as well as the Gent Treadly Duo for a special tribute to Levon Helm, Rick Danko and the Music of The Band. The Syracuse-based Rock of Ages Horns featuring trumpeter Jeff Stockham will add to the excitement.
On Oct. 21, Grammy-winning acoustic blues guitarist John Hammond takes the stage on marking 50 years of performing. Syracuse Area Music Awards hall of famer Mark Hoffmann will open the show.
On Nov. 13, the Blues Project will be in the house featuring founder Danny Kalb and Steve Katz formerly of Blood, Sweat and Tears.
The next night, Nov. 14, the series continues to Poco, one of the most successful folk-rock bands from the 1970s and ’80’s, with Central New York’s own Dusty Pascal as special guest.
For ticket info and show times, visit livespaceentertainment.com.
Russ Tarby is a contributing writer at Eagle Newspapers. He can be reached at [email protected].
