Susan Werner and Jonatha Brooke in Concert

Date & Time Tue 01/07/2025 7:00pm

Venue The Studios of Key West
Key West, FL 33040 GET DIRECTIONS

Price 50

Phone Number 305.296.0458

Tuesday, January 7, 7pm
Helmerich Theater
$100 front row, $50, $40 mbrs.

Over the course of her twenty five year career, Susan Werner has earned a reputation as “one of the most innovative songwriters working today” (Chicago Tribune). With formidable chops on guitar (she began playing at age 5) and piano (she was a guest on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz), along with a graduate degree in voice performance, her shows are a one-woman master class in musicianship. Although best known as an acoustic songwriter that came up through coffeehouses and folk festivals, the Chicago-based artist has written songs in the style of Gershwin and Cole Porter (I Can’t Be New, 2004), gospel music (The Gospel Truth, 2007), traditional Cuban “son” (An American In Havana, 2016), and New Orleans junk piano (NOLA, 2019). In 2014 she composed the music and lyrics to the musical theater score Bull Durham, The Musical (MGM). Her songs have been recorded by Tom Jones, Michael Feinstein, and Shemekia Copeland, and her latest recording of originals, The Birds of Florida, took flight in 2022.

Jonatha Brooke is an acclaimed American folk rock singer-songwriter and guitarist from Massachusetts. Combining elements of folk, rock, and pop with poignant lyrics and complex harmonies, Brooke’s music has captivated audiences since the late 1980s. Her career began at Amherst College with Jennifer Kimball as the duo “The Story,” gaining attention for their witty wordplay and lush harmonies. They released two albums before Brooke pursued a solo career in 1994. Brooke’s solo debut, Plumb (1995), showcased her distinctive soprano and intricate songwriting. Despite industry challenges, she thrived independently, founding Bad Dog Records and releasing Jonatha Brooke Live (1999). Her albums, like Steady Pull (2001) and Careful What You Wish For (2007), reflect her evolution as an artist, marked by collaborations with renowned musicians and contributions to soundtracks, including Disney’s Return to Never Land. Brooke’s work often draws comparisons to Joni Mitchell and other 90s folk-rock talents. Her more recent projects include My Mother Has 4 Noses (2014), an off-Broadway play and album, and Midnight. Hallelujah. (2016). She continues to innovate and inspire, living in Minneapolis and producing music that resonates deeply with her audience.

Old Town New Folk is underwritten by Nick and Lorie Howley, with additional support from Doug and Sherri Montgomery, John and Marilyn Rintamaki, Nell Smets, and Michael Blades and Kathy Kilroy. Series sponsored by Blue Heaven