Talon of the Blackwater

Talon of the Blackwater (2009) is Laura’s third album. Woven in the language of poetry and dreams, “lush, complex layers and the high qualities unique to her voice transform the folk music of her childhood into a “depth and scale of music so strong, a soul searing connection to it becomes inevitable.”

“While the voice gives Talon of the Blackwater its beauty, her writing is what gives it depth.” The Republican

“Inspired by greats like guitarist Pat Metheny, Siersema brings the power of her crystalline voice and compositional skills to bear on her third release…understated accompaniments are at times brilliant…Siersema takes the traditional spiritual ‘Wade in the Water’ and makes it her own with a ghostly arrangement reminiscent of Daniel Lanois’s work…the excellent 14-minute ‘Along the Fenway’ features cellist Eugene Friesen and is strikingly beautiful.” Progression, Quarterly Journal of Progressive Music

Produced by Jay Hovnanian, featuring Laura on piano and keyboards, she is joined by Juno winner Michael Farquharson, fretless bass, Grammy nominated T Lavitz, piano / organ, Grammy winner Eugene Friesen, cello; Nate Comp, guitars, Alastair Moock (additional vocals), Bruce LeBlanc, Nick Falk, drums, and Marcelo Woloski, percussion.

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THE RECORDER Arts & Entertainment Feature (June 18, 2009, Story by Richie Davis) Plunging into Blackwater Laura Siersema looks deeply into herself & lives to sing about it

SPOTLIGHT SPECIAL: Jazz Singers http://oliverdiplace.blogspot.com/2010/03/spotlight-special-jazz-singers.html

PROGRESSION: The Quarterly Journal of Progressive Music (Winter / Spring 2009, Style: Jazz/Folk/Art-Rock/New Age) LAURA SIERSEMA Talon of the Blackwater

Michael Jaworek (promoter, Birchmere, VA), David Sholemson (Sr. VP at Ted Kurland, manager, Pat Metheny) and Gary Calamar (music supervisor, Six Feet Under) have all praised Talon of the Blackwater.

To tour for this album, Laura worked with Billy Klock (B. B. King, Johnny Winter, Roomful of Blues) on drums and Wim Auer (Draa Hobbes, Steve Sontagg) on fretless bass. They played at Boston Arts Festival, WAMC’s “Performance Place” and Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts & Cultural Center in Middletown, CT. People new to Laura’s music at the Buttonwood said it was “fabulous” and “coffeehouses don’t know what to do with you because they’ve never heard anything like it!”

Lyrics

Tracks

Mother Mary Rose/Talon of the Blackwater and Graces/Go Children Slow/Wade In the Water/I Was Once a Sailor/This Train/Jumping Off the Big Board/My Eye This Flower In Julep Runs/Who Will Pass This On/All My Trials/Along the Fenway