Just got another gig at another great performing arts space. Friday September 15 I will be there with some very friendly musicians. The Buttonwood Tree in Middletown is one of my favorite places ever. I played there with Exit 43 and it is as perfect a place as you could find. Every town should have a Buttonwood Tree. It’s located in the middle of beautiful downtown Middletown, easy access from lower Fairfield County and restaurants galore. I will keep you updated but SAVE THE DATE! Friday SEPT. 15.
BOB DYLAN TRIBUTE CONCERT IN NEW MILFORD ON MAY 20
•May 2, 2017 • 1 Comment
A Bob Dylan tribute concert will be the May 20 concert at the Merryall Center in New Milford. Following two sold-out concerts in Westport, The Suzanne Sheridan Band will be on stage at Merryall in tribute to the great American rock poet Bob Dylan on his selection for the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature. The concert will take place Saturday May 20 at 8 pm at the Merryall.
The Nobel Prize honored Dylan “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” He is the first musician ever to win the award and the first American to win in the literature category since Toni Morrison won in 1993. The New York Times called it “perhaps the most radical choice in history stretching back to 1901″ when the first Nobels were awarded.
Over a career that has spanned more than five decades, Dylan has written songs in many genres, from folk, blues and country to rock, English folk, jazz and the Great American Songbook. In the 60’s, Songs like “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’” became anthems of the civil rights and anti-war movements. Later, he composed beautiful love songs, such as “Make You Feel My Love,” first commercially released by Billy Joel in 1997 under the title “To Make You Feel My Love” before Dylan’s version appeared later that same year. It has since been covered by numerous performers and has proved to be a commercial success for recording artists such as Adele, Garth Brooks, Bryan Ferry and Kelly Clarkson. Two covers of the song (one by Garth Brooks and one by Trisha Yearwood) were featured on the soundtrack of the 1998 film Hope Floats. Dylan eventually released the song as a single.
“A lot of his songs are amazing,” Sheridan says, but she especially likes “To Make You Feel My Love” for the “sensitivity” displayed by it. Another of her favorites is “It Ain’t Me Babe,” which shows the cynical side of Dylan’s personality. His output has always been characterized by what Sheridan calls “telling the truth to power” and also by a “poetic spirituality.” Dylan’s list of accolades is a long one. In addition to the Nobel, he has received 11 Grammys, a Golden Globe, an Academy Award, a special Pulitzer Prize, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama. He is also a member of several music halls of fame, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Sheridan will be covering the Dylan songs that capture “the essence of who Dylan is.” These most l will include “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Like a Rollin’ Stone,” “The Times They Are a-Changin’, ” “I Shall Be Released,” “You Gotta Serve Somebody,” “Masters of War,” “Forever Young,” “Lay Lady Lay,” “Just Like a Woman,” and “Hey Mr. Tambourine Man.” Sheridan might even take on an imitation of Dylan’s scratchy, high-pitched vocalizations.
Sheridan will be joined by musicians Bob Cooper on keyboard and organ; Colin Healy on harmonica, mandolin and fiddle; drummer Jake Habegger; and Paul Horton on lead guitar, a well-known Nashville studio musician.
This will be Sheridan’s first appearance at Merryall. She and Merryall artist Rob Brereton performed together in October 2016 at the Westport Historical Society’s very popular folk series, Coffeehouse at the Wheeler’s. In addition to her Dylan concert, she and her band have done concerts featuring the music of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen (her personal favorites), Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, James Taylor, Carly Simon, and Pete Seeger in addition to leading singer-songwriter circles. She has been to Australia and Canada with the Mitchell/Cohen show and has performed several times at Voices Café. Her concerts at Voices Café have proven to be their highest grossing concerts since the inception of the series, beating out such notables as Peter Yarrow and Cheryl Wheeler. It is time that the Merryall audience finds out whyl.
The Merryall Center is located at 8 Chapel Hill Rd., New Milford, CT 06776. There is parking available in the lot next to the Merryall Center and in the field across the street where the Merryall Chapel is located. The phone number is 860-354-7264
For tickets to Suzanne Sheridan and The “Bob Dylan Tribute Concert” click here: Sheridan/Dylan concert. The date is Saturday May 20 at 8 pm and tickets are $10. For further information on Suzanne Sheridan, visit her website at Suzanne Sheridan Music.
YOU AIN’T GOIN NOWHERE
•May 2, 2017 • 1 CommentThe Suzanne Sheridan Band sold out the first Bob Dylan tribute concert on April 28 at the Westport Historical Society’s “Coffeehouse at the Wheeler’s” so another date has been scheduled: Friday May 12 at 6 PM. Just call 203-222-1424 to reserve your seat for this amazing concert.
WHS TO HOST DYLAN TRIBUTE CONCERT
•March 7, 2017 • Leave a CommentThe Westport Historical Society’s next Coffeehouse at the Wheeler’s with singer-songwriter Suzanne Sheridan and guest musicians will pay tribute to American rock poet Bob Dylan on his selection for the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature. The concert will take place Friday, May 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Society’s Sheffer Gallery.
The Nobel Prize honored Dylan “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” He is the first musician ever to win the award and the first American to win in the literature category since Toni Morrison won in 1993. The New York Times called it “perhaps the most radical choice in history stretching back to 1901″ when the first Nobels were awarded.
Over a career that has spanned more than five decades, Dylan has written songs in many genres, from folk, blues and country to rock, English folk, jazz and the Great American Songbook. In the 60’s, Songs like “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’” became anthems of the civil rights and anti-war movements. Later, he composed beautiful love songs, such as “Make You Feel My Love,” first commercially released by Billy Joel in 1997 under the title “To Make You Feel My Love” before Dylan’s version appeared later that same year. It has since been covered by numerous performers and has proved to be a commercial success for recording artists such as Adele, Garth Brooks, Bryan Ferry and Kelly Clarkson. Two covers of the song (one by Garth Brooks and one by Trisha Yearwood) were featured on the soundtrack of the 1998 film Hope Floats. Dylan eventually released the song as a single.
“A lot of his songs are amazing,” Sheridan says, but she especially likes “Make You Feel My Love” for the “sensitivity” displayed by it. Another of her favorites is “It Ain’t Me Babe,” which shows the cynical side of Dylan’s personality. His output has always been characterized by what Sheridan calls “telling the truth to power” and also by a “poetic spirituality.” Dylan’s list of accolades is a long one. In addition to the Nobel, he has received 11 Grammys, a Golden Globe, an Academy Award, a special Pulitzer Prize, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama. He is also a member of several music halls of fame, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Sheridan will be covering the Dylan songs that “really appeal to me” and also capture “the essence of who Dylan is.” These most likely will include “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Like a Rollin’ Stone,” “The Times They Are a-Changin’, ” “I Shall Be Released,” “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall,” “Forever Young,” “Just Like a Woman” and “Hey Mr. Tambourine Man.” The Coffeehouse might even see Sheridan trying an imitation of Dylan’s scratchy, high-pitched vocalizations, she says.
Sheridan will be joined by musicians Bob Cooper on keyboard and organ; Colin Healy on harmonica, mandolin and fiddle; and drummer Jake Habegger. The fifth performer will be Paul Horton on lead guitar, a well-known Nashville studio musician.
Sheridan did her first Coffeehouse at the Wheeler’s in 2012. She has done concerts featuring the music of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen (her personal favorites), Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, James Taylor, Carly Simon, and Pete Seeger in addition to singer-songwriter circles.
The “Bob Dylan Tribute Concert” will be on Friday, April 28 from 6-8 pm at the Westport Historical Society, 25 Avery Place, across from Town Hall. There is a $20 donation, which includes wine and light refreshments, and reservations are suggested: (203) 222-1424. For more information visit westporthistory.org.
ROB BRERETON COMES TO TOWN, SHERIDAN IS HAPPY
•October 11, 2016 • Leave a CommentOctober 28th, 2016
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
WHS will celebrate the fourth anniversary of its Coffee Houses at the Wheeler’s with an evening of music from the American Songbook, plus folk, country and Joni Mitchell songs, all performed by singer-songwriter Suzanne Sheridan of Westport and dulcimer player Robert Brereton of Sherman, Conn.
The evening is being called “Someone to Watch Over Me,” the George Gershwin classic that is also the title of Brereton’s 1992 album of instrumentals featuring Renaissance dance music, Scottish folk and American jazz. It is also a special occasion for Sheridan, as it comes one day before the anniversary of her marriage to long-time partner Rosanne Gates and two days before her birthday.
“I began as a singer with a guitar,” says Sheridan, “and I’m coming back to my roots, what I care about most – a quieter, more folkie approach to music. The dulcimer,” she adds, “puts out a soft sound and is perfect for the occasion.”
Brereton, who has degrees in classical guitar, music composition and music education, is considered one of the pioneers on the contemporary mountain dulcimer, an instrument that long was associated only with the simple, plaintive music of the Southern Appalachians. Early in his career, however, Brereton worked in a folk instruments store where he learned to modify the tunings of the dulcimer so it could be used to play the more complex melodies of music from the American songbook.
The playlist for the upcoming Coffee House, Sheridan says, will include the Scottish folk song “The Water Is Wide”; Gordon Lightfoot’s “In the Early Morning Rain”; “Carey Get Out Your Cane” by Jonie Mitchell; the country song “There Ain’t No Ash Will Burn”; the American hymn “How Can I Keep From Singing”; ”More Love” by the Dixie Chicks; “Moonglow,” “Blue Skies” and “Someone To Watch Over Me.”
Sheridan began her music career singing jingles and moved on to writing her own songs and performing locally and throughout New England and Eastern Canada. She has a repertoire of songs by Mitchell and Leonard Cohen that she performs on tour. The Coffee Houses model a tradition of kitchen singing that she observed in Canada, where multi-generations of family and friends would sit around eating, drinking and playing music. The instrumentation is simple, Sheridan says, “so the sound doesn’t overpower the songs, perfect for the Historical Society.”
The Coffee Houses all take place in the Society’s Betty and Ralph Sheffer Gallery, a space about the size of a small country road house.
The mountain dulcimer is a purely American creation, the first ones being crafted by the Scottish and English immigrants who settled in the Appalachians. Music historians say these early arrivals lacked the tools and time to make violins, so they invented a new type of dulcimer using wood from the mountains where they lived. Researchers add that while the mountain dulcimer is related to European instruments of the zither family, it has no antecedents in Scotland or England. The name derives from old English, French and Italian words meaning “sweet.”
Brereton performs occasionally in Connecticut and nearby states. His most recent appearance was at the Merryall Center in New Milford. Next year, on Sept. 27, he will play “Melodies and Musings: Our Appalachian Legacy,” in Guntersville, Ala. Brereton also teaches K-6 music, works with private students and composes, arranges and directs for several choirs near his home. You can learn more about him on his website, http://www.robertbrereton.com.
When the first Coffee House was launched back in 2012, Sue Gold, the WHS’s executive director, described the goal as “enriching the community and creating an opportunity for Westporters to gather together.” The events take their name from Wheeler House, the historic house that serves as home to the Society.
Reservations strongly suggested, call 203-222-1424, $20 Donation includes refreshments
Suzanne Sheridan and Rob Brereton – Making Music Magic
•October 3, 2016 • Leave a Comment“So how did you meet?” This is usually an innocent question, one that can begin a conversation, innocently or not. But in the case of Suzanne and Rob, the answer is fascinating. They met at a gay social at the Redding Road House in January, 2016. Can’t make this stuff up. Suzanne had never met Rob and Rob had never met Suzanne. But their worlds were closer than either could have imagined at the time. The gay social at the Redding Road House is held on the first Monday of each month and for the most part, it is mostly men who attend. However, on that evening, January 4, 2016, two women showed up – Suzanne and her wife, Rozanne. Rob is a very approachable guy. He is cute as can be and has the sweetest smile. Suzanne had no idea that Rob was a world-class dulcimer player who actually knows how to play Joni Mitchell tunes on his dulcimer and Rob had no idea that Suzanne was a world-class singer/songwriter/guitarist who just happens to be the pre-eminent performer of Joni Mitchell’s repertoire. Fate, in all her glory, brought Rob and Suzanne together that night. And here we are, 9 months later and birth is about to be given on October 28, 2016 when “Coffeehouse at the Wheeler’s” presents Suzanne Sheridan and Rob Brereton in concert. I think you want to be there for the delivery.
SISTER ACT at HOOT 2 – FRIDAY APRIL 8, 2016
•March 12, 2016 • Leave a CommentSuzanne Sheridan and Patricia Field are sisters. They are the oldest 2 daughters from a family of 5 girls and 1 son. They all sing. And when they sing together you could almost swear you are hearing the voices of angels. Fortunately for those within hearing distance, the Westport Historical Society‘s very successful and audience pleasing series, “Coffeehouse at the Wheeler’s” will be presenting its first concert of the 2016 season on Friday April 8 from 6-8 pm and Suzanne Sheridan and her sister Patricia Field will be singing together for the first time in a very long time. They will be joined by singer-songwriters Griffin Anthony and Bob Stanhope. Once again, the expectation is that this will be a sold-out event so it is never too early to call and reserve at 203-222-1424 or visit http://www.westporthistory.org. 
WESTPORT SPECIAL HOUSE CONCERT APRIL 26, 2015
•April 14, 2015 • Leave a CommentWhen David Tamulevich calls, people listen. In addition to being the other half of “Mustard’s Retreat” along with Michael Hough, David Tamulevich represents some of the best known folk artists in the world including Peter Yarrow and John Gorka. So when David Tamulevich called Suzanne Sheridan and asked her to play a house concert with him and Michael Hough (“Mustard’s Retreat”) on Sunday April 26 in Westport, Suzanne listened and then she responded with a resounding ‘YES!!!” David knows talent and he knows that Suzanne Sheridan is one of the best and most interesting performers on the music scene these days. Joining David and Michael and Suzanne at this extraordinary blending of musical champagne and caviar will be Bob Cooper playing the Steinway Grand Piano at the host’s home. Anyone purchasing a ticket will be told the address of the concert (Hint: home is a marvel of design and comfort and elegance). To purchase tickets email rozannegates@optonline.net 
AMAZING THINGS!!
•April 4, 2015 • Leave a Comment
http://amazingthings.org/event/suzanne-sheridan-performs-the-music-of-joni-mitchell-leonard-cohen/
Saturday May 16 Suzanne Sheridan will be bringing her band to Framingham, MA. Joining the band for this performance will be the amazing Joe Meo on sax, flute, and clarinet. He will be adding his special flare to this already amazing band and this extraordinary music.
Suzanne Sheridan Music 