Barb Barton's New Turtle Dove CD

Sunday night at 7 pm, in a wintry East Lansing full of students returning to MSU from their holiday break, the Unitarian Universalist Church was rocking, rolling, folking and clapping.

Barb Barton, musician friends and their instruments stormed the night with 2 sets of the fabulous tracks from Barb's new release, Turtle Dove.

This is a breakout CD. National (nay, international) attention needs to be paid to the rich, vibrant, earthy, full collection of Barton's new material. This CD - the fifth for Barton - is personal, open, tender, fierce and thunderfying. There wasn't a sound in the hall during Thanksgiving in Texas, and not a single eye stayed completely dry during Indiana Hills, a song that Barb wrote to honor her Grandmother Barton.

Like a good movie, a fantastic read, a gripping life event, Barb arranged the tunes on the Turtle Dove CD to give us listeners a rollercoaster ride of emotional highs, grief, relief and fun.

Michiganderians know to wear layers in January, and by the second set, we had the top two on the back of our chairs, standing, clapping, singing the repeat chorus. By the end of the concert, singing along to Listen to the Music, the celebrants were on their feet, dancing, laughing and rejoicing in the night and the music and the gifts of this songwriter/musician.

Driving home, we made an attempt to close the debate on which song is our favorite. Couldn't do it. We'd decide, then say, "Wait, play this one again. Which track is One Less Star? Play that. NO! I'm listening to Predator and Prey."

Barb wrote (except for three well-chosen covers), arranged, produced, mixed and engineered Turtle Dove. This level of accomplishment is going to come in handy in the near future. She's going to be gettin' busy on the road with the new Turtle Dove CD.

Barb Barton Turtle Dove CD Release Concert Announced

Barb Barton's long-awaited Turtle Dove CD will be debuted at a dinner and concert on Sunday, January 10 at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 855 Church St., East Lansing, Michigan beginning at 5:30 p.m. YaHOO! as we say here in the Great Lakes State.

If you're not a Michiganderian, you will be able to order the Turtle Dove CD at Barb's website. Check the CD cover art, read the press release, and the dinner menu - oh, the menu!

Barb Barton first touched guitar strings when she was 5 years old. Her songwriting found life in elementary school, using a No. 2 pencil. Her music was born and raised in the woods and water of the magnificent Midwest, accompanied by her Dad's voice that reminded her of Vaughan Monroe.

She has followed the musical cues of artists she admired in her 20s: Buffy St. Marie, Dan Fogelberg, Heart, Roy Clark, Michael Hedges, Led Zeppelin.

Her audiences love her because her music is personal. As a musician songwriter, a woman and a biologist, Barb Barton hopes that "people can reconnect with themselves and the Great Mother Earth and all our relations." She finds renewable energy from other musicians, her audience and the planet.

If trees sang back-up, they'd be touring with Barb Barton. Think ear reiki. Close your eyes, imagine a soul massage. Picture a Lake Superior mirage, a spring-dappled, high-water creek in headlong flight to its sister river. An eaglet on its first canyon dive. Dream about Dancing the Rice.

Drench your brain. Music your heart.

Count your senses. You sure you've only got five?

That's Barb Barton music. Get some now.

Barb Barton Turtle Dove CD Release Concert Announced

Barb Barton's long-awaited 6th CD release - Turtle Dove - will be debuted at a dinner/concert in Lansing, Michigan on Sunday, January 10th at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 855 Church St., East Lansing at 5:30 p.m. Visit Barb's site for ticket information, to ogle the menu, and to take a peek at the CD cover.

Barb Barton has a signature on her email newsletter. "Truth is the greatest gift one can give." Her audiences know what that means: connectedness. Music is truth. Barb's music reveals the invisible thread that binds the songwriter to her music and the music to the audience.

Our heart knows the truth. This is why we choose our car mechanic, the bank teller we wait for, the books we read, the pharmacist who holds our prescriptions, our daycare provider. That's how we chose Barb's music.

You start by tapping your foot to the guitar. You like the melody line. You like the chords. Barb's voice is engaging, accessible, lifting. Wait. What was that line? There it is again! She's storytelling with music. Stories about quiet grace, about love, about loss, about leaving home, about coming home again. About what nature's like when she's resting healed; what she's like when she's wounded and furious. You look around you. Other people are tapping their feet, leaning forward, hearing the truth. Now you've got Barb Barton's music.

Accessible truth. Barb's audiences leave a concert thinking "I'm luckier than I thought." And they feel good. Darn good. That's the truth.

The picture here is from a home concert Barb gave in May. One friend's mother, who will be 90 when the Turtle Dove CD comes out in January, asked Barb if she knew "Crazy." Barb moved the stool closer to Marian, picked up her guitar, sat back down, strummed a little, and began to sing. No one moved, no eye stayed dry. Marian is holding her favorite Barb Barton CD in the picture. Our friend Nancy bought her a little CD player to keep by her chair, so her Mom can hear some musical truth whenever she likes.

We should all be so blessed. Get yourself some Barb Barton music, and you will be. Truly.