SANTA CRUZ SESSIONS

Part concert. Part conversation. Part recording session.

Santa Cruz Sessions is an ongoing series of intimate concerts bringing songwriters together in a relaxed coffeehouse setting to share their songs and the stories behind them.

The series is inspired by the songwriter-in-the-round tradition made famous by Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe. Several writers take turns performing one song at a time rather than each playing a separate set. Between songs, they talk about where the songs came from, trade stories, and react to what they are hearing from the other writers.

Because all the writers perform together throughout the evening, the conversation can take unexpected turns. A story might spark another story. One writer might comment on something they love in another writer’s song. Someone might spontaneously add a harmony or instrumental part. No two Sessions are quite the same, because some of the best moments are the ones nobody planned.

It is a chance to hear songs in a stripped-down, personal setting, just a few feet away from the people who wrote them. Instead of simply moving from song to song, you get some insight into what inspired the music, how the songs came together, and sometimes how they changed along the way.

Each show is recorded, so the evening is also a live recording session. Performances and conversations from the Sessions can later be shared through social media and podcasts. The songwriters also leave with high-quality recordings of their work.

You’re not just watching a concert. You’re in the room, part of something being created and captured.