Five Rhode Island songwriters – Mark Cutler, Mary Ann Rossoni, Joanne Lurgio, Mike Laureano, and Jan Luby – will perform together in a benefit for the ACLU of RI. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. Please bring cash or checks made out to ACLU of RI or mail checks (made out to ACLU of RI) in advance to: Blackstone River Theatre, 549 Broad Street, Cumberland, RI 02864. You can reserve tickets by calling 401-725-9272.
Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame inductee Mark Cutler, front man for several prominent bands over the decades – The Schemers, Raindogs, Men of Great Courage – is a compelling songwriter, singer and guitarist. He’s also generous with his talents, running songwriting workshops and encouraging others to create. He is the founder of The Same Thing Project, a “community songwriting” workshop for people from all walks of life. Mary Ann Rossoni has delighted Rhode Island audience for 35 years. She’s also toured the country with her original music and is a talented multi-instrumentalist who writes beautiful songs with a lot of heart. Her lyrics paint pictures in the minds of her listeners, and she’s a talented visual artist as well. She says she “keeps trying to retire,” but she still performs at events that mean a lot to her. Joanne Lurgio, another R.I. favorite, is a skilled songwriter with a beautiful voice who believes “Music is powerful. Music is magic. Music is healing.” She was voted Best Singer and Best Songwriter in 2006 and 2011 in Motif Magazine polls. Lurgio has not been playing for a while, being a caregiver, so this will be a “Welcome back!” her fans won’t want to miss. With a distinct Americana feel and New England charm, Lurgio moves from country to bluegrass, to folk to gospel, all with a bluesy undertone. Mike Laureano is a passionate performer with songs that are visceral and evocative. He’s proud of his roots and many of his songs deal with his gritty blue collar home town and the lives of his family and friends. He won the 2017 Wildflower Texas and the 2016 Woody Guthrie songwriting contests, and was a finalist in 2016 in the Kerrville New Folk contest, as well as winning the Stone Soup/RISA songwriting contest in 2014. Jan Luby is a storyteller known for her engaging stage presence as well as a voice full of passion, range and power. Her songs are evocative, often personal stories, ranging from socially relevant to irreverent, heartbreaking to humorous. Luby was voted Best Female Vocalist in Motif Magazine in 2011. She currently hosts two open mics in Rhode Island as she feels building community is essential.
