Day 7: February 5th, 2010
Ellis 

Ellis walks on stage, flashes a bashful grin and does what she does best: singing her heart out every single time. She has a lovely voice, guitar chops and a graceful songwriting style; however, there is something about her live performance that is transformational. The sum is greater than the parts, and she is amazing. In addition to selling more than 40,000 copies of her CDs independently, Ellis has accrued a wealth of accomplishments including national songwriting honors and performances at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Sisters Folk Festival and the Rocky Mountain Folk Festival. Her Album ‘Break the Spell” was awarded “Best Female Singer-Songwriter Album” in 2009 by Just Plain Folks. She is currently recording her next album “Right on Time” for release in 2010. http://www.ellis-music.com/

     Ellis and I talked a couple of days ago and she said she was writing a song for her Granny today. Did I want to write a song for her Granny too? Or perhaps for my Granny? Of course I did, though I had no idea what I would say, or how I would say it (nothing unusual for me, frankly). I was a little bit apprehensive too. I didn’t know either of my grandmothers terribly well. They both lived on the west coast and I didn’t see them often. My Dad’s mother died when I was ten. She was a sweet woman who I’d met a few times and she made me a toy clown that hung in the window of my room for a long time
      My Baba I knew a bit better. She came out to visit us on occasion while she was still in good health and more over, her work is everywhere in my parents house. She was painter and a poet and I think she did a column for a newspaper in Palo Alto for a bit. She wrote and illustrated a children’s book for my brother (he’s the eldest) and painted a scene from “Wind in the Willows” on his dresser as well. She wasn’t the easiest person for me to know as a child, but she loved us and I’ve always admired her creativity. So, this is the song I wrote for her.

Timmy Riordan

Timmy has been called ‘the hidden gem” of the Somerville/Cambridge music scene. In February 2009 he wrote and posted 28 songs on his website. This year he’s doing it again.  He has also decided there should be 8 day in a week (in honor of the Beatles of course) and has invited 32 of his songwriting friends to support him through the month by each writing a song themselves. Over the last summer he recorded 8 of those songs on a CD entitled “Peter Let Me In.” Each CD includes an original cover, hand-drawn just for you in Sharpie by Timmy. Proceeds from this hand-crafted album are all going directed to the making of “New York’s Ignoring Me” his next studio album to be released in summer of 2010.