Luke Bridley w/ Melissa McClain

        Luke Brindley combines formidable musicianship with an honest, contemplative poetic vision. His songs range a wide spectrum, from modal instrumental odyssey to intimate barroom refrain, variously revealing Brindley as an adept guitarist and mature songwriter with a fine, expressive voice.

2000's Spring Song and 2001's How Faint the Whisper are companion pieces, albums exploring themes of betrayal and hope within a context framed on one side by Brindley's formal training as a musician, and his reverence for masters like Keaggy, Cockburn, and Ali Farke Toure on the other. How Faint the Whisper is darker, more focused, and has garnered acclaim and widespread radio airplay. In December 2001, the record was named a Top 12 DIY album by Performing Songwriter Magazine.

Brindley's live performances are marked by an ease come of years upon the stages and in the cafes of New York and New Jersey, and are often distinguished by an uncommon chemistry between he and multi-instrumentalist brother Daniel (piano, accordion, percussion, vocals), who frequently lends a hand onstage. With a penchant for improvisation and a knack for connecting with his audiences, Brindley has shared the stage with Wynton Marsalis, Pierce Pettis, and Brooks Williams, among others.

As a student at the University of Virginia in the early '90s, Melissa McClain sang and played guitar in various groups After graduating and moving to Michigan, her job as a high school English teacher forced music into the background.

Melissa released her first CD, Soaring, last year. The collection is a mixture of lighthearted, up-beat tunes and more thoughtful, literature-inspired narratives. The CD includes songs inspired by Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye ("The Bluest Eye") and Thorton Wilder's Our Town ("Keep It Warm"). Her love of literature inspires her to give the timeless characters and themes new life through a different artistic medium. Her songs also take on a very personal voice, letting the listener in to universal feelings about love, loss, and struggling to feel free enough to follow one's dreams.