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Krystle Warren’s music often reminds listeners of Tracy Chapman, Erykah Badu, or the more unpolished, rootsy side of Norah Jones. Ms. Warren’s full-length album, “Circles,” offers the kind of tunes that you might hear while dialing through AM radio stations on a cross-country road trip: a ’70s-inflected folk-soul blend that, while reminiscent of all of the influences mentioned, also includes a vocal tone that’s unique.
This is the sound she’ll be bringing to the Watermill Center’s Last Song of Summer charity event on August 28, where she’ll be opening for heavy-hitting pop performers Rufus Wainwright and Kylie Minogue.
Ms. Warren is a Kansas City native who paid her dues performing on her own in Paris and New York City—in the latter, most frequently as a busker in Union Square.
Her lounge-friendly performances were honed through those experiences, as well as by playing with other musicians, something she’s done since she was in her teens. “This taught me a great deal,” Ms. Warren explained in an online interview, “as did listening to an enormous amount of music on a daily basis.”
Mr. Wainwright is a favorite influence of the singer-songwriter, which is part of why she’s so delighted by the booking for the Watermill Center show.
“I’ve been an avid fan of Rufus Wainwright for quite some time,” she wrote, “so obviously this upcoming date has me pretty chuffed. I’m also in love with Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Stevie Wonder, among others.”
The latter three influences may be where she got some of her penchant for retro instrumental stylings. On “Circles,” she’s supported by her own backup band, The Faculty, who fill out her arrangements with layered harmonies, upright bass, a sprinkling of piano, and even pedal steel guitars. But it’s Ms. Warren’s more spare performances on the album, just her and her acoustic guitar, that are drawing the most attention, along with her songs, which stick to the most universal and approachable of topics.
“I tend to focus on the relationships between people, as well as the places they inhabit,” she said.
Playing on the streets of New York City put her in touch with the men who would end up being her backup band. And the city also provided the connections that would lead to her music being produced on an album.
“Our good pal Ben Kane offered to engineer my first EP, ‘Diary,’” Ms. Warren explained, “and he passed a few tunes along to Russ Elevado, who in turn offered to produce the full-length ‘Circles.’ Essentially, I think good people attract other good people.”
Two more of those “good people” are, of course, Mr. Wainwright and Australian singer Ms. Minogue, who will be the headliner and special guest, respectively, at the event. Mr. Wainwright, referred to by Elton John as “the greatest songwriter on the planet,” will be performing dramatic pop music from his latest album, “All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu,” while the equally accomplished Ms. Minogue will likely be showcasing dance-oriented singles from her new CD, “Aphrodite.”
The outdoor evening will benefit the Watermill Center, an arts and performance laboratory founded by Robert Wilson.
Ms. Warren will be performing songs from “Circles” and soaking up the entire event, which she rightfully considers a coup.
“I’m just looking forward to the experience, really,” she wrote. “Again, being a fan of Rufus’s music for so long, it’s really an honor for me to take part in the ‘Last Song of Summer.’ For me, at least, it’ll be a memorable evening.”
Rufus Wainwright, Kylie Minogue, and Krystle Warren will perform on Saturday, August 28, at 4:30 p.m. at the Watermill Center on Water Mill-Towd Road in Water Mill. Tickets range from $150 for general admission to $1,000, which includes a meet-and-greet artists reception. For tickets, visit watermillcenter.org/lastsong, or call 212-253-7484, ext. 18.
on Aug 24, 2010