Crossing Over

Toronto folkie Eve Goldberg performs at Mom & Pop’s Coffeehouse in Levittown, Pa.

By: Jillian Kalonick

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Singer-songwriter Eve Goldberg’s sound ranges from gospel and blues to bluegrass and folk on her latest album, Crossing the Water.


   Growing up in Boston, singer-songwriter Eve Goldberg was forced to make the rounds in the folk scene with her family — not exactly the mark of cool for a young person.
   "My mom is a big folkie, she used to drag me to all kinds of concerts when I was a kid," says Ms. Goldberg, speaking from her home in Toronto. "Some weren’t my choice, but now I’m really glad I got exposed to traditional British and American music — blues, gospel, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Doc Watson. That was definitely a big influence, and still is. My mom and I often find ourselves at the same place — I go to a concert and she’s on the other side of the room."
   Ms. Goldberg, whose family relocated to the Great White North when she was 14, became a certified folkie herself when she became founding manager of Borealis, Canada’s national folk music label, in 1996. After directing a label home to artists such as Penny Lang, the Whiteley Brothers and Nancy White, she decided to record her first CD, Ever Brightening Day, on Borealis.
   "Working at Borealis was fantastic in terms of getting a great education about the music industry, especially the folk music industry," she says. "I had an opportunity to meet a lot of people who were an important part of the folk music scene in Canada, the U.S., Britain, Australia… it gave me a lot of background and information that a lot of artists don’t necessarily get — understanding in an intimate way how CDs are manufactured, the ins and outs of artwork."
   Ms. Goldberg’s own sound is a mix of folk, blues, gospel, jazz, bluegrass and old-time music, all sung with a crystalline voice. Her latest album, Crossing the Water, was released in 2003 and contains her own songs as well as covers of Tom Paxton, Bill Staines and Iris DeMent. She will travel to the States Feb. 11 for a performance at Mom & Pop’s Coffeehouse in Levittown, Pa.
   For her second album, "I really felt like I wanted to continue musically in the same path, which is a little eclectic, I don’t really stick to one genre," she says. "I wanted it to be a mix of uplifting and intimate, to cover topics or deal with issues that affect real people and people’s lives. That’s what I feel like it’s about and for, ordinary people, so that was very important to me."
   Crossing the Water’s tunes range from "Take These Chains from My Heart," a Bessie Smith-type take on the Hank Williams hit, to "Rosie the Riveter," an a cappella ballad about the plight of women during World War II. Ms. Goldberg also co-writes three songs with the album’s producer, fellow Canadian folk artist Ken Whiteley.
   "I’ve known Ken Whitely since I was in high school — my first year living in Toronto he came to our high school and did an artist-in-residence class with us," says Ms. Goldberg. "I feel really lucky that I met Ken and connected with him — I used to go to his gigs all the time. It’s nice to have become a friend and a colleague — in Canada he’s a big part of the roots music scene, he plays anything with strings on it."
   Though Ms. Goldberg returned to the States to attend Wesleyan University in Connecticut, she found she felt at home in Toronto and returned to its folk scene. "The kind of music that I’m drawn to and influenced by has been American music — that’s what I grew up hearing," she says. "That’s a very strong influence. As far as where I consider my home it’s Toronto. I love lots of things about Canada and living here.
   "In Toronto there’s some really exciting bluegrass music happening. A lot of younger musicians are doing lots of really interesting mixing of music, Like Ducks and The Be Good Tanyas. They draw on traditional music but they’re doing something really contemporary. It’s a great time to be part of the Canadian roots scene."
   Ms. Goldberg’s next album will be entirely her own songs, keeping the eclectic mix but writing everything herself. She also keeps busy directing Common Thread Community Chorus of Toronto and organizing the Woods Music and Dance Camp, a week-long music retreat for adults at Lake Rosseau, north of Toronto.
   "Often as we get older, we get this idea that making music is something that’s left to professionals, or you have to be really good at it in order to do it," she says. "That’s a very sad commentary on our culture. Making music is a human thing, we can all do it. It’s a way which we can learn from each other. In a world where we’re supposed to go and watch TV or catch a movie, rather than being consumers I think it’s important that we start creating."
Eve Goldberg will perform at Mom & Pop’s Coffeehouse, United Christian Church, 8525 New Falls Road, Levittown, Pa., Feb. 11, 8 p.m. Tickets cost $10, $6 seniors. For information, call (215) 547-1124. On the Web: www.momandpops.org. Ms. Goldberg will be on The Folk Show with Gene Shay on 88.5 WXPN Feb. 13, 8-11 p.m. WXPN on the Web: www.wxpn.org. Eve Goldberg on the Web: www.evegoldberg.com