MORRISBURG – On March 1, at 7 p.m., the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage is welcoming a performer who has been described as “an artist collecting melodies and rhythms that glitter like jewels in the sun.” Laura Cortese and the Dance Cards are coming to Upper Canada Playhouse to present a concert that will be both unique and memorable.
With seven albums released to critical and popular acclaim, San Francisco born singer, musician and composer Laura Cortese has performed in venues as varied as the Newport Folk Festival and Carnegie Hall. She has travelled the world, both performing and teaching and creating what PopMasters called “a stunning forward looking sound that charts a path for innovation in folk music.”
Yet, “when I sing, I don’t think about genre,” Cortese explained. “I think about the story I’m telling, the universal emotion I’m trying to convey and the human experiences that connect us all. Every singer I’ve ever fallen in love with (from Otis Redding to Mavis Staples) has made an impression on me and influenced the way I transmit songs. I like the term roots, because it acknowledges that I am building on what came before.”
She embraced music from her childhood. “I did school plays, choir, orchestra and dance shows.” Then she discovered the fiddle. “Music is about connecting…it’s about community…I wanted to play all the time, to join the musical world more fully.” She has also helped create Music Camps for young artists, helping them, like her, to embrace new ideas and collaborations.
Laura Cortese and the Dance Cards were selected as cultural ambassadors for the American Music Abroad program, which allowed her to discover new experiences with other musicians, and to see “audiences clapping and singing and dancing in the aisles. These connections across language and culture…confirmed that this is still my passion.” This broad view of music and of the world, has allowed her to explore many themes when she creates her music. She writes about nature, motherhood, romance, unrequited love and even the pain of loss.
She will be joined for her SLAS concert by the Dance Cards, Valerie Thompson on cello and Isa Burke on guitar and fiddle. Cortese loves that special connection that comes from performing live. “Every show is unique. The audience on any given night determines where we will go. We create an experience where singing along and clapping is encouraged.”
The audience can expect an exciting, and wide ranging concert on March 1. “A show with the Dance Cards is dynamic,” Cortese said. “We’ve got songs that end in spontaneous dance parties, and others where the vocal harmonies cause a few tears.”
Returning to the SLAS after appearing in an earlier Intimate Acoustics Showcase, will be the exciting and talented Irish Millie Shadgett. Joined on stage by her dad, Murray, as back up artist. She will open the concert. Millie has been on many musical adventures in the last year, especially with the release of her new album, GRACE. “I have been playing around with mixing traditional Irish sounds with a modern twist… Every song on the album is totally my own, and I love that each one tells its own story.” Her work has been praised by Natalie McMaster and Donnell Leahy as “a fresh, lively sound.”
Still at the start of her career, Millie has been going to University, “learning how to blend music, business and tech to take my sound to the next level.” However, like Laura Cortese, for this young performer, there is nothing better than appearing before a live audience. “I love how every show is a little adventure…together we create something special. At the SLAS concert you can expect a mix of high energy, foot tapping fun, and some quieter heartfelt moments that really showcase the spirit of GRACE. It’s going to be a night full of surprizes, great music and a lot of fun.”
Don’t miss the opportunity to see and hear some terrific music on Saturday March 1, at the Upper Canada Playhouse. The SLAS has brought the amazing Laura Cortese, “bold and elegant, with rich vocal harmonies and her poignant and powerful singing,” and her Dance Cards for a one night only concert. And opening for them will be the exuberant young performer, Irish Millie. What a great night lies ahead.