Lynn Hollyfield

Lynn Hollyfield grew up in Staten Island, New York in a house filled with music, from the classics to the Beatles. Still, it wasn’t until she began to play on the Staten Island Ferry that she really came to appreciate the pure communication that music creates between singer and listener. Lynn sings folk music which is basically the music of the people. It celebrates the truly important things in life – the journey not the destination.

Layers is Lynn’s first solo cd. She has been part of the music scene in Maryland since the early 80s and was one half of the duo Hollyfield and Spruill. Layers celebrates the joys of nature and of life. As the mother of a daughter, I really identify with Thirteen Summer Moons and World of Sky. Both bring out that special bond as well as the delicate balancing act between nurturing and letting go.

Climbing tells the story of each of us and the things we learn in life’s journey and sets the mood for the rest of the album. All of Lynn’s songs are beautiful and contain a universal wisdom we can all identify with. There are once gentle and intense. They spin the magical tales of the everyday things we can too easily overlook in our busy lives. Most of the songs on the cd were written by Lynn, but she does two lovely covers of Dream a Little Dream of Me and Broken Things This is one of those wonderful cds you can listen to over and over and discover something new each time. I highly recommend Layers and if you are in the Maryland area be sure and catch Lynn live. Her schedule can be found at her website http://www.lynnhollyfield.com

Song List

1. Climbing
2. Layers
3. Halo
4. Late Summertime
5. Boats Gone By
6. Thirteen Summer Moons
7. The Waiting
8. World of Sky
9. Fall to Grace
10. Dream a Little Dream of Me
11. Broken Things
12. Freedom to Fly - FanRealm.com

Lynn Hollyfield’s Layers is a collection of ten original songs and a couple of well-chosen covers. Her indie-folk-pop style would have gone down a treat 25 years ago when she would have been opening up for 10,000 Maniacs or Cowboy Junkies, and it still sounds pretty good now. Hollyfield’s voice is strong and seductive, and her songs are warm and inclusive. Her version of the classic “Dream A Little Dream Of Me” strips the song back but takes no rash liberties with either tempo or arrangement. The title track – one of her own – is a beauty, which harks back to the best work of goth-folkies All About Eve. - Leicaster Bangs/UK

Lynn Hollyfield, a contemporary folk musician and acoustic guitarist, has been performing around Washington, D.C., for two decades. Known mainly for her contribution to a duo, Hollyfield & Spruill, she's now ready to release her first solo album, "Layers," and to celebrate the occasion at the Black Box Theatre in Indian Head, where she will perform with Grace Griffith at 8 p.m. May 15.

Tickets are $12.

Through "Layers," Hollyfield presents a pensive, roots-driven collection of originals and two covers — Julie Miller's "Broken Things" and a jazz curveball, "Dream a Little Dream of Me."

Each of the dozen tracks features the artist's angelic voice and fluid guitar picking, but Hollyfield is also joined by a variety of musicians who instill an array of equally melodic voices and instrumentation, from flute to piano and dobro. They include Griffith, Brian Simms, Steve Wolf, Dan Schwartz, Diana McFadden, Nina Spruill, Jeff Harding, Jimmy Brink and producer Marco Delmar. Hollyfield also collaborated with writer Carol Burbank to create two poetic tracks, "Climbing" and "Boats Gone By."

Hollyfield has placed highly several times in the annual Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest. With "Hollyfield & Spruill," her previous recordings, "Slipping Time" and "Blue & Green," were each nominated for the annual Washington Area Music Association Awards.

Some of her influences are Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, John Hiatt and Al Petteway.

The Black Box is at 4185 Indian Head Highway. Call 301-754-3611.

Go to www.indianheadblack.org.

For more on Hollyfield, go to www.lynnhollyfield.com. - Maryland Independent