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| Local songwriters release
indie discs Two of the Garden State,s best independent singer-songwriters, Robin Renee and Gregg Cagno, have released new CDs. Cagno, a Hunterdon County-raised folk-rocker, has Present Moment Days,, out on Black Potatoe Records in Clinton. Renee is offering the 12-song In Progress,, on her own Menage a Music. She may have moved from the New Brunswick music scene back home to Atco, but Renee hasn,t forgotten how to craft a variety of good songs. Independent singer-songwriter Robin Renee has released a new album, "In Progress" Whether the dynamic punch of the Patti Smith-like punk-folk rockers, Empire,, and Silent Partner,,, the poppy acoustics of For Today,,, the chamber music-inspired Progress,,, the well-rooted poetry of Butterfly Jar,,, the snappy, sexy alternative pop of I Could Love You,,, the reggae-tinged Spiritual Ink,,, the a capella coming-of-age ode Talking To Walls,,, or any of the other fine tracks, Renee never lets the listener down. Her great songs are made even better by the performances of lead guitarist Tim Jordan and The Rittenhouse String Quartet and the production of Philadelphia-based studio whiz Jayar, who has worked with Chaka Khan and George Benson. If Renee, a former member of the Hub City bands Spy Gods and The Loved Ones, had made this record three years ago, she might have been scooped up by the majors in the wake of the Lilith Fair flood. At this point, she,s probably better off taking the indie route of Ani DiFranco. If the quantity of her material can match its quality, she hopefully will be as successful. Check it out when Renee plays the Indiegrrl Showcase at 8 p.m. July 6 at Sun Music Company, 340 W. 71st St., New York. For more info, visit www.robinrenee.com or contact Menage a Music at menage98@aol.com or (856) 767-8998. Cagno,s moment The James Taylor/Jimmy Buffet-like title track to Present Moment Days,, was inspired by the 32-foot ketch that Cagno,s brother, Wayne, lives on with his fiancee off the coast of the Bahamas. There,s a photo of Wayne Cagno on the CD jacket wearing a shirt that says Live Slow.,, Whether Gregg Cagno realizes it or not, that,s pretty much how he lives from a musical standpoint. Present Moment Days,, is as mellow and meaningful as music gets. Besides the title track, Cagno, accompanied only by his acoustic guitar and percussionist Lara Gonzalez, offers other slices-of-life that put the brakes on society,s out-of-control pace. The standout is the multileveled, Michelangelo-inspired The View from Here.,, Listening will help you lose the weight of the world,, for at least a little while. Present Moment Days,, also captures the same vibe with a few tunes from Cagno,s three previous albums, such as Mandolin Moon,,, Waiting for the Fun,, and Lost In Durango,,, and covers by top-notch songwriters like Ellis Paul (Watching the Wind Blow,,), John Gorka (Angel Leaving Town,,), Steve Earle (Fearless Heart,,) and Michael Hedges (Two Old Days,,). Cagno also gets a helping hand from longtime friend and songwriting partner, Christian Bauman, who,s released a few excellent albums of his own. Upcoming performances include 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Park Amphitheater, Maplewood, and the Black Potatoe Festival on July 15 at The Hunterdon County Historical Museum, Clinton. For more info, visit www.greggcagno.com or www.blackpotatoe.com MUSIC CENTER LIVE: The Scotch Plains Music Center continues to present free concerts from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. every Saturday with local, regional and even a few national acts, such as Scotch Plains, favorite son, Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens. Coming up will be the New York-based three-piece girl group Sirens, July 8; the local ska band The Purple Monkey Dishwasher, July 15; Simple Simon, featuring guitarist Dave Hatfield, July 22; the duo Eban Brown, July 29; and The Ken Fragnor Band, Aug. 5. We,re just trying to give folks an opportunity to play,,, says Greg Natic, owner of The Scotch Plains Music Center. They donate their time and we sell their CDs. We,re getting a good response. Several groups have been back a second time. It,s not only for their own good to push their band but for the good of the town.,, If interested in playing the music store, contact Natic at (908) 322-7542. By ROBERTMAKIN Staff writer from the Courier News Published on June 29, 2000 |