Elinor Nauen

My building, the Ezra Pound aka "The Pound," has been home to a lot of artists over the years. Hearing Rachelle play last week at City Winery belatedly reminds me that I first met her when she moved into The Pound We hit it off right away. It was shortly before her 30th birthday because practically the first week we met, she swept me up to go to her party at a friend's. Did I run into people I knew? Possibly ~ she knows everybody. The first time I heard her at a club, the lamented Rodeo Bar on 3rd Ave, she opened her mouth & my mouth fell open. Rachelle is not only a fantastic musician & songwriter, she's one of the most brilliant people I've ever met. We have had some of the most thoughtful & challenging conversations of my life.

 

Rachelle moved on from The Pound a good while ago but at least I can say I introduced her to her boyfriend, the equally brilliant Sensai Albie. 

 

Thanks to a friend being out of town, I got to go to Rachelle's traditional year-end salute to artists who died this year. She put her own spin on songs of Tina Turner, Rodriguez, Sinéad O'Connor, Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett, Shane MacGowen, and many more. One highlight (they were all highlights ~ she's an incredible performer with an incredible voice) was a duet with Carol Lipnik of David Crosby's "Wooden Ships." Hearts stopped. Gasps were heard. It was totally worth ~ well, I was going to say worth Pangea's wildly overpriced and mediocre food, but it was too good a night to mind even that. She's doing another show on the 4th. Go if you can! 

How great to hear my old friend Rachelle & her terrific three-woman band Vicki Kristina Barcelona in a neighborhood park last night. Perfect weather & they are great. They sing Tom Waits songs in three-part harmony, with accordion, washboard, & many more instruments. All three have fantastic & distinctive voices; together they are way more than the sum of their parts. 

My long-time neighbor & friend Rachelle Garniez is an amazing songwriter, musician, & performer. We went to see her last night at Rockwood 3, right around the corner on Orchard Street. Accompanied by a stand-up bass player & a violist, she sang a few new songs + a couple of familiar ones, with a little Mose Allison-Leonard Cohen medley in the middle. As Robyn said,  Read More