ALBUM:
Photobook
TAYLOR USED:
812
912-C
SONG CLIPS:
There's a Path
28k | 56K
The First Chill of Winter
28k | 56K
CONTACT INFO:
Hidden Poet Music
P.O. Box 501
Germantown,
MD 20875
E-mail:
Hidden poet @aol .com
Web:
www. hidden poet .com
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Steven Gellman's sensitive songcraft incorporates simple but evocative slice-of-life imagery, homespun folk warmth, keen pop instincts, and crisp, first-rate musicianship.
Part poetic reflection, part chicken soup for the ears, Gellman's "snapshots" immortalize the enduring memories that have shaped his life. He grew up fascinated by family
photos as a boy, and when his father gave him his first camera, Gellman began compiling Photobooks of his own, jotting down notes to next to each photo to capture the
context of the moment. Photobook sets some of those moments to music, and like a good photo album, showcases some nice composition. His soft tenor radiates with a choirboy's
pristine poise, yet authentically conveys the depth of his themes (the loss of his father, the confused torment of closeting his sexuality as a boy, the power of friendship,
a sublime communion with nature). Gellman's nostalgia opts for subtle, tasteful arrangements in which the piano, cello, mandolin, banjo and fiddle project the comfortable vibe
of an old friend, with added warmth provided by assortment of female harmonies. If getting mired in the past is the Achilles' heel of nostalgia, Gellman eludes this by using
his heartfelt memories as a touchstone for future happiness.
Gellman heads up the Elderfolk Program for the World Folk Music Association. He often performs in nursing homes and retirement communities, and even used a choir of senior
citizens as backup on one of his cuts. He has played throughout the US and Canada, and at the National Theater and the White House in his home town of Washington, D.C.
Photobook has garnered critical acclaim across the country - it was nominated for four awards from the Washington Area Music Awards (WAMA) and by the Gay/Lesbian American
Music Awards (GLAMA) for Debut Album of the Year.
"Intensely sensitive and impressively intelligent at the same time."
— Billboard Magazine
"Check out Photobook; it'll do your heart good."
— The Washington Post
"[Photobook's] inspiration-tinged lyrics are the icing on this musical crumpet."
— Music Monthly
"Picture Perfect."
— Gazette Newspapers
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