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Kari Tieger

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Music Player

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    Music of the Muse (feat. R.A. Fish & Paul Gabriel) 3:46
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  2. 2
    4 Am Lament (feat. R.A. Fish, Paul Gabriel & Dave Price) 3:08
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  3. 3
    Journey Song (feat. Erin Quinton Erban, Dave Price & Paul Gabriel) 3:36
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    Shine so Bright (feat. Jim Kassal, Alex Tirrell, Jon Patrick Brennan, Sara Bartel, Paul Gabriel, Dave Price, Jessica Carrera, Ian Greitzer & Josh Jk B 2:59
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Upcoming Events

Previous events

Fete de la Musique 2022

Fete de la Musique 2022

Saturday, June 25, 2022 @ 7:00PM — 7:20PM (EDT, UTC-04)Sat, Jun 25, 2022 @ 7:00PM — 7:20PM (EDT, UTC-04)

Alliance Francaise de Providence, 928 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908

Outdoor venue, weather permitting. Short performances from 5-9 PM. Erin Quinton and I perform French songs and instrumentals at 7 PM. All ages.

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Nov15

Open Mic Feature: Kari Tieger & Erin Quinton

Thursday, November 15, 2018 @ 12:00AMThu, Nov 15, 2018 @ 12:00AM

The Mediator Stage, 50 Rounds Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island

Open Mic starts at 7:30 (signup at 7), with a break for cake at 9.  Kari T and Erin Q take the stage at 9:15 for a half hour feature set.  Looking forward to seeing you!

$5 recommended donation

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May16

RISA Saturday Songwriter Sessions

Saturday, May 16, 2015 @ 12:00AMSat, May 16, 2015 @ 12:00AM

Brooklyn Coffee Teahouse, 209 Douglas Avenue, Providence, RI

Kari Tieger, Beth DeSombre, and a third performer To Be Determined, will alternate 35 minute sets of original music to fill the evening.  The Brooklyn is a great listening room, so come on down!

Suggested Donation

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May8

Poesie et Musique at the Alliance Francaise

Friday, May 8, 2015 @ 12:00AMFri, May 8, 2015 @ 12:00AM

Alliance Francaise de Providence, 928 Smith Street, Providence, RI

Celebrating Valentine's Day in May, The Eclectic Quartet (Kari on keys and vocal, Erin Quinton Erban on viola, Jon Patrick Brennan on bass, and Ron Schmitt on percussion, with backing vocals by Sara Bartel) will perform many of Kari's love songs in English and French. 

Members and friends of the Alliance will also share their poetry.  These sweet offerings will be accompanied by wine and pastries.

$10 for Members, $12 for Non Members

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Apr11

Kari Tieger and Wayne Cabral

Saturday, April 11, 2015 @ 12:00AMSat, Apr 11, 2015 @ 12:00AM

Brooklyn Coffee and Tea, 209 Douglas Avenur, Providence, RI

Songwriters Kari Tieger and Wayne Cabral will each do a set of original music, and they will collaborate on a couple of songs together.  There may even be a couple of surprise guests.  Don't miss this great evening!

$10

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Sep11

KT Solo Art Gallery Gig

Thursday, September 11, 2014 @ 12:00AMThu, Sep 11, 2014 @ 12:00AM

Rossoni Art Gallery, 558 Minteral Spring Ave., Studio BF112, Pawtucket, RI

Free

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Jul24

Open Mic Feature

Thursday, July 24, 2014 @ 12:00AMThu, Jul 24, 2014 @ 12:00AM

The Mediator Stage, 150 Rounds Avenue, Providence, RI

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Monthly Blog with Exclusive Photos

Monthly Blog with Exclusive Photos

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A Wonderful Article

An Amazing Recent Article in the Barrington Times 

What follows is a lovely and comprehensive article by Michael Khouri, entitled “Meet Kari Tieger:  Getting Lost in the Passion of Music,” which recently appeared not only in the Barrington Times, but in all associated East Bay newspapers .  It has since also appeared in the bimonthly newsletter of the Alliance Française.  Here is the link, and the text follows:  https://www.eastbayri.com/stories/meet-kari-tieger-getting-lost-in-the-passion-of-music,111894?

By Michael Khouri

What immediately impressed me during my recent sit down with singer/songwriter/keyboardist Kari Tieger was her beautiful speaking voice. Like her singing voice, it is lilting, rich in tone, rhythm and inflection. Strikingly operettic.

Her language is the Queens English - proper and cultured, but without the slightest suggestion of elitism. In fact, she can slip into street vernacular for effect whenever necessary. A joy to listen to.

Over tea at The Black Pear in Barrington, the East Providence resident spoke of her lifetime as a piano teacher, working musician, recording artist and lover of all things Français.

”I’m a bilingual singer, songwriter, keyboard player, vocalist,” said Tieger.

”I remember deciding to call myself a singer/songwriter in the early ’80s, when no one was using the term at the time.”

I asked Tieger about the origins of her love for music.

”From 4 years old I fell in love with the violin. Whenever I heard it being played, it would move me to tears, so my family believed I was meant to be a violinist,” remembers Tieger.  “At 8 I was taking lessons. I had a gifted teacher who was very strict and demanding. My dad, my grandmother and my uncle, who were all musicians as well, closely observed my development.”

Tieger struggled with lessons and everyone concerned concluded that she wasn’t cut out to play the violin.

That small setback, however, wasn’t the end for her as an artist, but ironically, the beginning of her lifelong journey in music.

“I was drawn to the piano. I started to play piano at around 14. My dad knew I fell in love with it, and for my 15th birthday he showed up at the house with a U Haul and a piano. It changed my life. I still own and play that very piano to this day,” Tieger said.

Tieger’s progression on the piano was evident and speedy.

“While learning the piano, I took a few lessons with a few different teachers,” said Tieger.

”At 15 I was in my first recital. We lived in Long Island at the time. I had found a wonderful teacher there. Her name was Bets von Drasek. She taught me voice as well as piano. After a couple years of study with her, when I was 17, she said, “You are ready to teach. Here’s the book you will use. Here are two students.”

By the time Tieger was in college, she was teaching, studying and gigging.

“I was offered a job on the Port Jefferson ferry playing piano and singing once a week. “It was going well until one day a gentleman came up to me and said he was a musician, and could he play a song? Being trusting and green in the business, not knowing the rules of etiquette or protection, I said yes. He was talented and tricky. Eventually he was offered the gig. I was out.”

It was Tieger’s first foray into the callous side of the music business — a business that at times can be cut-throat and unforgiving.

”When I was still in college, I went to Boston for a visit on New Year’s Day. It was there that I met my husband. He was from Rhode Island and visiting as well. Our courtship blossomed, and before too long I went back to Rhode Island with him and we’ve been here ever since,” Tieger said.

An explosion of music

Be it coincidence, precise star alignment or simply evolution, Tieger’s move to the Ocean State seemed to have unleashed a deep well of inspired art and creativity. She has, since then, written prolifically and has amassed a voluminous body of recorded works.

In total, Tieger has recorded and released 23 CD’s including appearances on nine compilations CD’s.

I asked Tieger about her drive to write and record.

“Songwriting kind of pushed its way out of me, taking on a life of its own,” said Tieger.

“I’ve been making albums since the late ’80s, and every one of them has made itself.

“I remember when I was working on my CD, ‘Touch of Magic.’ I just wanted to record a song or two. Then more and more material came. And before I knew it, I said, ‘Oh, I’m making an album.’ ”

Many local songwriters/musicians who release independent albums do not, historically, have large sales numbers. Tieger was once asked why she made albums that she knew would be very difficult to sell commercially.

”It’s not about money. I’m driven because these songs want to be recorded. And it’s always a relief when I’ve finished recording, because even if I never perform them again, they are in a form that will last forever,” said Tieger.

A love for the French

Among her works, Tieger — a self-confessed Francophile — has recorded 3 CD’s in French, ‘My Zazen,’ a bilingual introduction to meditation, En français, s'il te plaît’ and ‘Nos Mots’.

Tieger first heard the beauty of French music as a child.

”I was listening to the radio with my mom, and an Edith Piaf song started to play. My mom, who took French in high school and had a friend who spoke it, spoke some French and I asked her what the singer was saying, whats going on in the song? And Mom translated for me. I fell in love with French then and it is still today one of my passions.”

Tieger, who is not of French heritage, said the language came to her naturally and easily. She took French at 13 and studied it all through high school. It was her major in college. Music was her minor. She spent her junior year abroad in Tours, France.

”One day I visited a chateau in the village of Chenonceau. Before I even stepped in, I knew every inch of it. I told the guide where certain rooms were, which way to go. I was completely familiar with the layout, like I’d been there many times before. I don’t know if you believe in reincarnation,” said Tieger, ”but deep down I feel that I’ve lived lives as a French person.”

Years later Tieger would return to France to visit friends she had met online and to record and play gigs, from house parties to concert halls in Paris.

Appropriately enough, just in the last few weeks Tieger has posted a new Spotify playlist entitled, “My Love Affair with France.”

In 2009, Tieger’s album, ‘Nos Mots’, was awarded best album of the year by Motif Magazine, and in 2010 Motif nominated her for Best Female Vocalist.

Her song, “Tell Me Please,” which was nominated for Song of the Year by the Providence Phoenix in 2000, may be the definitive piece that showcases Tieger’s musical acumen and vocal prowess. Beginning with her signature staccato electric piano lines, the song, at 4 minutes and 7 seconds, is a mini opera that draws the listener into a melodic and emotional whirlpool.

She proposes a litany of direct questions to her lover, “Will you still think of us, when you hear the word trust?”, “Will our love last and live in this new century?” and “Are we here for the long haul?”

The author, in her fear and self-doubt, pleads for affirmation with an aching, soaring vocal that finally falls back down to Earth, only to echo the title once more.

A Hollywood artist

Tieger’s original music has been used in various television shows over the years. Her instrumental ‘Coronado’ was used as bumper music for Eva Longoria’s “Desperate House Makeovers” on the Oprah Winfrey network. Other instrumental work by Tieger was used on A & E’s “Catherine the Great”, on the food network’s “Amazing Wedding Cakes” and The History Channel’s documentary on the Mexican War.

“I’m not getting rich on the royalties, but it’s nice to get a check in the mail once in a while,” she said.

Tieger, who has played the local singer/songwriter bohemian circuit from CAV, Beans & Bags and The Inner City Café, to being a mainstay at The Hear in Rhode Island Folk concerts, currently concentrates on teaching.

“I teach 4 afternoons a week at the French American School of Rhode Island. I’ve been there 13 years and presently have 23 students,” said Tieger. ”Every year I have more students enrolling. My piano teaching style is old school. I don’t use apps, and I don’t use YouTube. My students must learn to read music without any tricks.”

Is there a new album in the works?

“I haven’t had a song that bothered me to be written in a while,” she said.

Bothered, I asked?

“I mean a song or an idea that made me get up in the middle of the night to work on it, but I’m sure there’s one right around the corner. Every time I say this will be my last album, it isn’t.”

As she concluded the interview, Tieger’s voice became soft and certain.

“Sitting down at the keyboard, I get lost in the feelings and passion of music. And when I’m playing, time has no meaning.”

 

Michael Khouri is a Barrington resident writing occasionally about the Rhode Island music scene. Reach him at mkhouri@cox.net.

 

04/18/2023

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A Summer Performance / Update on the Nightsong Project 

Oh my, it's been a whole year since I shared a blog!  Welcome to the warm, wonderful days of late spring, as we transition into summer.  On the evening of June 25th, the Alliance Française will present their annual Fête de la Musique from 5 to 9 PM.  Erin Quinton and I will perform a short set of my French songs and instrumentals at 7 PM.

 

My granddaughter Elena is growing like a weed.  She and the family moved to Maine last fall.  Her current favorite show is Bluey, which we watch when she comes, and she has done some exploring at the keyboard.  Here we are enjoying it together as we sometimes do when she visits.

 

In other news, work continues albeit remotely on the Nightsong album.  The keys and vocals are all recorded, along with a fair amount of the strings.  Next, plans are underway to add drums, bass, and guitar, and the final tracks to be added will be reeds and the rest of the strings. 

This will be a rich album, the full-length follow up to my 2009 "Trilogy of Nightsongs: A Romantic View of Vampires", and hopefully a fitting representation of our 2009 production Nightsong:  A Vampire Musical.  Please stay tuned!

06/14/2022

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Earth Day 2021: The Year Advances, Vaccines are being Administered, Live Music is Returning 

Hello All, Happy Earth Day and welcome to Spring, although today there's a blustery wind and the temperature is not expected to climb out of the 40s.  However there are spring blossoms and buds on the trees, and the warmer weather seems imminent.

Happy to report I have had both doses of the vaccine, although my day to day activity hasn't altered much at this point.  When I teach at school, the students and I are still masked, surfaces are cleaned regularly, and hand sanitizer is always at the ready.  All of this is likely to continue until the end of the academic year in June.  Yet preparation is underway for a second recital, which will include a number of interesting pieces, from Classical to Jazz to Pop.

I am looking forward to July, at which time my favorite bands have a number of concerts and shows booked.  It's been a very quiet winter!  I don't personally have any performances on the calendar, largely because my band mates are all busy with teaching and other projects.  But I do hope to resume recording for the Nightsong album, since it has been tabled for several months now.

At four months old, my granddaughter Elena is growing like a weed, and appears to be a very happy and bright little person; always smiling!  It's a genuine joy whenever she visits.

In honor of Earth Day, why not think about planting a tree or two in the near future? I read online that the Taunton Public Library has free trees available.  I'm a member of Arbor Day, so my annual membership brings new saplings to life throughout the year.

Here is a photo from a performance in 2004,  See more about it below.

Newly posted today, rediscovered after 17 years, is a video of the first public performance of Something's Wrong from Trilogy of Nightsongs, following its release of in 1996.  I was accompanied by Jon Patrick Brennan on percussion, so you will have to imagine and mentally add the famous bass line as you listen to it.  You can find it under the heading LISTEN of my site, or by visiting

https://youtu.be/svKsC6ICudo

Life continues, as we wait for things to open up again in a big way.  In the meantime, be well, take care of yourself and your loved ones, and I'll write again this summer.

 

 

04/22/2021

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LOOKING FORWARD TO 2021 

Greetings, All.  2020 is waning fast -- in two days' time we will arrive at the end, and start fresh with the new calendar year 2021.  In my house, this is a major event.  With no exaggeration, we keep 20 calendars each year.  Much like the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, we go room to room at the start of each month to turn over each calendar and take inspiration from the new images.   Some calendars are for keeping track of dates and appointments, others purely decorative.

I know many people are looking forward to happily saying Good Riddance to the year that brought the Corona Virus Pandemic.  However that's not all that it brought; it called upon our creativity.  Unable to meet face to face, many people began to hold Zoom meetings with friends, family, and business associates.  I personally met faithfully with other Alliance Francaise members for a weekly Cafe-Croissant meeting, and periodically with family members for a group zoom meeting.  Most people found ways to work remotely.

As performing musicians, we were obliged to find alternative ways of reaching out to fans to share our music.  While I still don't feel comfortable doing Live Streams, I have certainly gotten braver about recording Kari Live at Home videos, and the response has been most heartening.  After viewing the recent blockbuster Amazon Prime series "Queen's Gambit for example, I became obsessed with the Erik Satie piece "Gnossienne No. 1" that was played during a couple of episodes.  I ordered the music, learned it, and just posted a video of myself playing it on my acoustic piano.  To my delight, my performance was added to a Classical Mix on youtube, immediately adding views.  

My previous blog announced the arrival of my lovely granddaughter, who truly was the perfect holiday gift, making for a beautiful end to this difficult year.  Before we completely dismiss or -- worse -- condemn the entire year of 2020, might I suggest that we all examine the ways in which the necessary constraints brought about our growth and development?

That said, I AM eagerly looking forward to a time when the vaccine finally eliminates the need to don a mask as soon as one steps out of one's home!  It will be wonderful to attend restaurants and concerts, to enter stores and offices without having to stand on little circles 6 feet apart, and to be partitioned behind plexiglass everywhere.  What we need now is to take stock of our growth, feel gratitude for the good things that have come out of this world crisis, and practice patience as we enter the new year.  It will take continued courage, but we're almost there, everyone!  Huzzah for the rollout FINALLY of the vaccine!!

Happy New Year, my friends, and see you on the other side! 

 

12/30/2020

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A New Additon to the Family 

Happy Holidays!!

On December 3rd, my granddaughter entered this world. With both parents being musicians, it's entirely likely that she too will be musical. And if so, since her grandmother, great grandfather, and great great grandmother are and were also musicians, this would make her the 5th generation in our family!

I will keep this blog short, as there is unfortunately no other musical news to report at this time, due to Covid.  But here is a photo of Elena Ostara Brennan and your truly, Kari Tieger.

Hope you have a happy and most especially healthy holiday season and New Year 2021.  Here's to seeing an end to this pandemic, and resuming some of the many sidelined activities we all so dearly miss!

 

12/16/2020

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Filling the Hours of Lockdown 

Some of the things I've done in recent weeks to pass the time include attending online workshops to try to develop new skills, vocalizing, and practicing.  This morning just for a lark, I (re-) sightread Beethoven's Sonatina in G Minor, Opus 49, something I hadn't thought about in ten or even fifteen years.  Torture is best when self inflicted, right?  Well truth be told, it wasn't all that awful.  The notes came back somewhat easily to my fingers.  But the piano IS sliding out of tune, so I was glad no one else had to witness it.

Most musicians these days are doing live streams.  That's not really my forte, so I have posted some older videos and mp3s from YouTube and SoundCloud, and will probably continue to do that.  I did share a song from my practice session, calling it the next best thing to a live stream.  I continue to prepare a song for our next foray into the studio, whenever that happens, and to work on a set for this year's Fete de la Musique, not knowing when or if that may happen.  It helps structure my practice.

I thought I'd share a photo from 2010, in honor of happier times and in the hope that we may soon get back to making music in public.  Photo by the late great Ed LeDoux.

These are challenging times for all of us.  Along with watching Netflix and Amazon Prime, I encourage you to read, meditate, find -- or resume -- a hobby, discover your inner resources. 

Hopefully it won't be too long before I can see your smiling faces again.  Hang in there!

04/13/2020

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Work Continues this Winter on Nightsong Vocals for Kevin Campbell Songs 

Last month we tackled Like Raindrops and on March 3rd we will take on Dark Night of the Soul.  Kevin's songs are notoriously difficult to sing, so I work on them daily, leading up to the next session. We will be giving it a slightly different treatment, but I thought it would be interesting to include the youtube link for a version I performed with the Cast at our Broadway evening in October of 2009, prior to premiering Nightsong at the Saint Anne's Arts and Cultural Center in November of that year, in you're interested in giving it a listen.  Simply copy and paste, or search for Dark Night of the Soul at my youtube Channel.  https://youtu.be/V47rQ77Zhyk

I hope to go back this spring to begin fleshing out the arrangements for both songs, and we may even begin work on the Nightsong theme.  Mostly all the other songs from the show have at least been begun.

Having made a strong showing in January, preparation is underway with my French American School of RI (FASRI) students for their Spring Recital.  I'm pleased to report there will be at least one original song on the program, a Disney theme, and several popular songs, along with the usual repertoire.  I was thrilled to receive flowers in January, and my smile says it all.

This really has been a mild, relatively snowless winter so far, but I can't quite believe we're out of the woods yet.  I do hope it doesn't snow on March 3rd!  That said, I'm guessing you are also looking forward to Spring and the return of flowers.  See you soon!

02/24/2020

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Current Projects and Karitieger.com Hosted at Bandzoogle Now 

Happy New Year!!  Now that the Holidays are behind us, Jon Brennan, Matt Ricci and I are resuming work on the Nightsong project.  I'll be recording some vocals later this month, and we hope to begin filling in more backing tracks between now and the Spring.  Some of these songs were begun more than ten years ago, so it's clear that this album will take longer from start to finish than any other Kari Tieger release. As often, it started as an EP and has grown into a full length album!  These will be my interpretation of songs from the show written by yours truly and Kevin Campbell.  We first produced our Broadway style musical Nightsong, A Vampire Musical in November 2009 at St. Ann's Arts and Culture Center in Woonsocket, RI.

FYI:  For the past month or so, karitieger.com is no longer being hosted at Hostbaby.com, but rather at Bandzoogle.  I'm still negotiating my way around, but have recently added some photos from through the years. 

While I've always been completely self-supporting, I do plan to offer a couple of subscription tiers soon, so that the Superfans and Megafans among you can help support new projects and music we create.  (Not to worry:  this won't represent a huge outlay on any one person's part.  If you regularly buy coffee or other beverages when you're out and about, you could be investing about the same amount toward supporting Kari Tieger Music.)  Thank you in advance for your help!!

 

01/11/2020

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Postcript to our August Concert and Happy Holidays! 

It seems the Holidays are upon us, or as the French call them "les Fetes de Fin d'Annee," and several months have sped by since our August concert. 

Surprisingly, I didn't include any photos from that performance in my previous blog, which I plan to rectify right now.  This first shot was taken during Coronado --  Kirk's on sax, Jon's on bass, and Erin is providing hand percussion with palmas during the musical break, after which she resumed acoustic guitar.  In the second photo of Green Eyes, Kirk is now on flute, Jon's on acoustic guitar, and Erin's on viola.

 

 

Finally, here's a closeup of yours truly at the keys, which I believe was taken just before singing Tu demeures dans mon coeur.

 

 

2019 was largely about getting Touch of Magic Revisited mixed and mastered, culminating with our amazing CD release party at the TRIAD Normandy Studio.  I believe those of you who attended will agree that it was a great success.

Now as I look forward to 2020, our next project is the Nightsong Album, for which I've already recorded a number of tracks, yet still have a ways to go.  It will contain my interpretation of the songs from the musical, and perhaps one day we will also be able to release an original cast recording, if we manage to recover the lost files.

For now, I'll close and  wish you all a healthy and happy holiday season with thanks for your friendship and ongoing support of Kart Tieger Music. 

************************************************************

*(My keyboard has been out for repairs since the end of August, but for my birthday in November I received a beautiful backup board that's almost a perfect replacement.  However I'll be very happy when mine is back home again!)

11/30/2019

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A Wonderful Concert and Now Summer has Flown 

The August 25th Senior Series Concert in Central Falls expanded to include Jon Patrick Brennan and Erin Quinton (as well as Kirk Feather and yours truly), so it was actually an Eclectic Quartet performance. With a more ambitious set list than has become customary of late, we presented an hour of music, primarily Kari Tieger tunes, but also songs by Kevin Campbell and Frank Sinatra, closing with America the Beautiful. (See my youtube Channel.)

There was an especially warm response from the audience, which consisted of about half Seniors from the high rise where it was held and half Kari Tieger friends and fans, some new, some longtime and loyal.

09/05/2019

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    Music of the Muse (feat. R.A. Fish & Paul Gabriel) 3:46
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    4 Am Lament (feat. R.A. Fish, Paul Gabriel & Dave Price) 3:08
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    Journey Song (feat. Erin Quinton Erban, Dave Price & Paul Gabriel) 3:36
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    Shine so Bright (feat. Jim Kassal, Alex Tirrell, Jon Patrick Brennan, Sara Bartel, Paul Gabriel, Dave Price, Jessica Carrera, Ian Greitzer & Josh Jk B 2:59
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