Courtly Singer songwriter Suzl Katz, who has been compared to Jonl Mitchell end Suzanne Vega, will bring her style to the Willamette Valley Folk Festival next Saturday night. Katz seeks place in folk tradition Suzi Katz is what I'd call an Impressionist songwriter," Patty Larkin said "She's great — sets a mood and takes you to another place. And inci dentally, she kills on the guitar." Suzi Katz will perform at 7 p.m. next Saturday at the Willamette Valley Folk Festival. Katz released her self-titled album six months ago. Katz has been compared to other singer/songwriters such as Joni Mitchell and Suzanne Vega She, however, has been very success ful standing on her own Part of this comes from the musical talent of Katz's supporting cast. She plays with vocalist Jan Reimer, bassist Enrique Toussamt, percussionist Marc Anderson, and guitarist and recording artist Steve Tibbetts Katz met Tibbetts, who was a guest instructor, at the University of Colorado He took immediate interest in Katz's work Only two years later, she was signed by East Side Digital and has now released her first album. “I play a lot ol songs that have jazz chords, and I play in open tun ing," she said "I don't play a lot of basic folk chords. And then I write the lyrics in a kind of stream of con sciousness I keep a notebook and write word after word after word. It doesn't have to make sense until She's great — sets a mood and takes you to another place. And incidentally, she kills on the guitar.' — Patty Larkin Philo recording artist I put the lyrics and the music together." Katz enjoys both the musical as well as the songwriting part of her job. but has found songwriting to be a difficult step "It's hard not to be cliched or overly sentimental and still be meaningful," Katz said. Her music grasps many "wry. jazzy inflections" in combination with her understated voice and depth of songwriting. These char acteristics of her music are often compared to other artists, such as Mitchell known for jazzy inflections and Vega known for her under stated voce. While Katz has opened for such bands as the Samples, &g Head Todd and the Monsters, and David Wilcox, this is not really the audi ence that she is looking for “The audiences really don't lis ten to me," she said “They want ed more of a rock 'n' roll show." Now Katz wants to find audi ences who come specifically to lis ten "I hear the Indigo Girls on the radio, and I know they’ve got a tug following, but I don't know it that’s good tor me," she said. "Their songs are simple — they’ve got that groove, and I associate that groove with rock music. And I don't know it my songs have that groove or not." Katz was born in Detroit and moved to Boulder in 1982 She believes that region ol Denver inspires her. She said she wrote bad songs m Detroit. "I hated the area," she said "It was ugly, an endless stream ol shopping malls You couldn’t walk anywhere—you had to drive." Had she stayed in Detroit. Katz said she would have had to write songs tor her album about Wal mart and plastic flowers Katz is very determined to be a strong addition to the new acoustic movement. She wants to explore her talents and tmd an audience that really wants to lis ten to her Teresa Isabelle I JaSi?! | COLOR| REPRINTS I Turn your favorite color nags I Into extra pitots (or friends and family: 1 3X5 5/S1.00 4X6*.4/S1.00 I ’35mm negatives onlyj $ CDCC 0 0 i GOLDFISH !a little ocean 1920 Franklin 687-0682 • r tmn mxi nivi wenc-on Food ORDERS TO UO 303-4480 947 FranKlin Bvd Mon Thurv-11 00 am to 10J0pm Ffl -11 00 am to Midn*ont Sjt-Noon to Mtdmgnt Sir -Noon to 10 50 pm Eugene's Weekly Community1•Msrketphce9Celebration Enjoy the great music at the Willamette Valley Folk Festival! And remember... the best local musical talents play every Saturday on the Market Stage. See you there soon! Local Crafts • Great Food • Live Entertainment 10am to 5pm • RAIN OR SHINE » 8th & Oak ( I ANSI* At SmiKsOtNt »KI Vltl May “Firsts” With Marin! Join Marin Alsop and (hi; Eugene Symphony for Iwo spectacular “firsts.” Samuel Barber: First Symphony Gustav Mahler: First Symphony Thursday, May 27, 1993 8:00 P.M. — Silva Concert Hall 1 687-5000 Fra* (Utmrii Preview Wndnuwiiy, May 2B »t Naan if* Studio I f hiftClort4.«rl M Proudly SponMjr«*d by THK BANK OF CALIFORNIA and by Kd and Barbara Aslcr Eugene Symphony OFCHEbTRA Marin Ahoft. Mutt* Dirar lor aad ( nnilm (or