My first experience hearing Ashley Pitre sing was about a year and a half ago. I understood that she and her sisters came from a musical family (their parents were in "a terrible eighties band called 'Dangerous Times,'" Ashley would tell me later), and her mother is still a working musician. Having never heard her--or her sisters--sing before, and knowing only of their talents through reputation and word-of-mouth, I found myself really looking forward to it.
Ashley's only accompaniment was the acoustic guitar that nestled, loose and comfortable, on her lap while she sat cross-legged and totally unprepossessing on the floor in my good friend’s living room. I had asked her if she wouldn’t mind playing a song or two for me.
She is a natural performer, and obliged me.
Her voice is husky, clear, and mellifluous. In times of comparison, we are often called upon to hold the object of comparison to the mirror of nature. Ashley’s singing is not the strident crash of surf breaking, and it doesn’t crackle or roll like burning wheat. Rather, it is wind whistling across the mouth of a cave, the keen of loon, a pussy-willow brushing a downy forearm.
Ashley sings with restraint, personality, and a subconscious harmony that murmurs just beneath the immediately aural; it is implied, like the notes in a good wine that are not tasted. Most of all, it resonates with the kind of natural clarity and immediacy that puts technical vocalism to shame.
Her songwriting tends to deal with the internal dialogues between the self and the other. Elephant Shoes is a gentle, Juvenilian jab at a former lover, and the speaker’s struggles with the divine, in King Me, the centripetal symbolism revolves around a surreal dialogue with God: “This floor, it goes on for miles and miles / I laid the tile, black and white checkered / King Me.”
She laughed a little self-deprecatingly at her lyrics, and says that a lot of them “don’t make any sense,” but in the several times I’ve enjoyed her singing and conversation, I’ve noticed her emotional sophistication and sensitivity. These tools will undoubtedly develop her songwriting, lyricism, and natural musical intuition and aesthetic as she develops and grows with her almost year-old son, Micah. If anything, any weaknesses one might find in her technique are only indicative of the reservoirs of natural talent that are already being brought to yoke.
Ashley Pitre is a performer who, should you give her five percent of your trust, will repay the forfeit of your investment. But will be your loss should you miss her performances.
Ohhhh that's sooo sad. But that's okay. it will happen again one day. You know now that you mention it, the promoter told me one of the musicians was moving the day of and had to cancel. Awww. Maybe i'm your replacement?!
Nice deal!! Is your art show here in Vancouver? Because I might be playing a show on November 20th too. That would be swell if it were the same show. Alvero had his art show which went well, and i'll be playing at the Media club on December 12th. Come on down!!! I'm glad you're closer to your family now. I'm sure they love seeing you guys more often now. Cristina and Sofia say Hi and PS Sofia made her goal of losing 50 pounds. Now it's another 50 to go.
wow.. kids grow so fast!!! i'm doing well, i moved back to my home town to help take care of my granddad. he has alzhimer's. but it is a real blessing to have this time with him. other than that, i'm just trying to finish school and not loose my mind. :D i'm glad to see that you are still writting music and such. you were and are so good at it. your music makes me happy. but yeah, that's about it in a nutshell. your son is the cutest by the way.
hee hee! too bad we're not playing the same night. i'll try and come hear you play as well! i wonder if the purple crab still has fish nets hanging on the walls... :P
Hey girl!. No I don't Plan on eing in cali this summer, but I have family and friends for you to stay with. I'm doing really good, going to Nepal and Tibet in 2 weeks, for 3 months. Hey you are awesome, just thought I'd let you know that. much love and peace form the Most High, the lover of your soul.
I got this layout from topbun
