Fans of three-part harmony enjoyed the equivalent of a master class last Friday at the Troubadour in Morris Township.
No Fuss and Feathers delivered the goods with flair and a dash of frivolity–a “plucked” rubber chicken figured prominently in the act.
The group describes its blend as “pop-infused-literate folk, bluesy-country-tinged acoustic, and Brooklyn-edged-Americana,” which is truth in advertising. The songwriting is strong all around, from Karyn Oliver, Carolann Solebello (who honed her harmonizing with the beloved trio Red Molly) and Catherine Miles and Jay Mafale from The YaYas.
Slideshow photos by Kevin Coughlin; click/hover on images for captions:
The arrangements are innovative, too, with a mix of guitars, ukulele, bass and assorted percussion instruments, anchored and embellished by Mafale’s deft fretwork.
Geography prevents this ensemble from performing as often as one might wish, so Friday’s audience was fortunate. On the plus side, the band members have fairly active solo careers. And a second No Fuss and Feathers album is in the works.
Glen Coleman, a find from The Folk Project’s Open Stage, got the night off to a friendly start as the opener.
The Troubadour has lined up another treat for this Friday, March 24, 2023: The Kennedys.
If you caught Sunday night’s Austin City Limits tribute to the late, great Nanci Griffith on Channel 13, you saw Pete Kennedy playing in one of the clips.
Pete and Maura Kennedy met in Austin, Texas, in 1992, when Pete was backing Griffith on guitar. The couple toured twice with the famed singer-songwriter’s Blue Moon Band, and emerged as one of the most popular and enduring duos on the folk scene.
Admission on Friday is $10; children 12 and under, free. Livestream: $4.99. At the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morris Township.
