Singer, songwriter, activist, and teacher of the "art of the possible," Cris Williamson brings her astounding voice to bear on a disarming mixture of joyful up-tempo tunes and poignant ballads, woven together from strands of folk, reggae, and lush pop. Cris transformed popular music in the mid-70s, spearheading the blossoming women's music genre with The Changer and the Changed, the first of over 17 recordings, most recently last year's Ashes. Whether she's playing for a few folks at a small club or for a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall, Cris stirs souls and opens minds with music that celebrates human strength, tenacity, and resilience.
The original spice girls, Teresa Trull and Barbara Higbie are easily the most exuberant and multi-talented duo in any musical style, or more accurately, in many musical styles. The two whipped up a wonderfully tasty musical meal on their second album, Playtime (Slowbaby), the long-awaited follow-up to their 1983 debut, Unexpected. Teresa has been a women's music star, album producer, and horse trainer (she does not whisper, she sings to them); and Barbara has been a major player in groups such as Montreux and Terry Riley's Indian-jazz fusion group, Khayal, as well as a solid solo performer (not to mention a new mother). With Teresa's larger-than-life gospel-soul voice, and Barbara's soaring vocals and effervescent fiddle and piano virtuosity, the two range over a terrain that varies from blues and gospel to folk, rock, and jazz. Whether performing a touching original ballad, a quiet piano interlude, a raunchy version of a blues classic, or a romping remake of a pop standard, Teresa and Barbara combine gut emotion, technical brilliance, and pure joie de vivre.