Greater Morristown fans have a new venue for acoustic music: Studio Yoga in Madison.
As singer Loretta Hagen and her trio discovered on Saturday, the Green Light Performance Series has the friendly ambience one would expect from a place where Iyengar yoga, meditation and Tai Chi are practiced the rest of the week.
“I loved the yoga studio,” Loretta said after her hour-long show. The West Milford singer-songwriter was accompanied by her husband Gary Hagen on guitar and Linda Lambiase of Ringwood on djembe. They were presented by yoga instructor Sandee Moreta, in a former theater on the third floor.
“Sandee and the staff were so nice and welcoming. The building is absolutely beautiful and the studio is a wonderful and intimate space to play music in. Gary, Linda and I really enjoyed performing there and hope to be back soon,” said Loretta, who polished her smooth sound–evocative of Mary Chapin Carpenter and Anne Murray– during several years in Nashville. She and Gary anticipate a follow-up next year to their CD, Mud and Stone.
The Green Light series launched in the spring and is named for the studio’s location–2 Green Village Road–and a nearby traffic light at the intersection of Main Street, Sandee said.
“It’s like a coffeehouse, without the coffee!” she said. Blueberries and strawberries made up for the caffeine deficit.
Sandee said studio students and area residents seemed hungry for places to socialize close to home. Music felt like a perfect fit. “The acoustics in the room are fantastic,” she said of the converted theater, which can seat about 70 people.
The intimate lighting is a bit challenging for video, so we got creative with this clip of Loretta performing her song, Take Me.
Next up at the Green Light series: The guitar duo Frank & Hank, a.k.a. Frank Sole and and Hen3ry Nerenberg. They’ll bring their gig bag of jazz, folk and classical arrangements to Madison on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014, at 7 pm. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students with I.D. get in for $10.
The series is booking future acts; musicians, poets and performance artists can call 973-966-5311 for more details.
