Friday the Thirteenth has happy connotations for Ted Garber. The singer-songwriter, who received the Washington Area Music Association’s 2010 Pop-Rock Recording of the Year award for “American Rail,” hosts a release party on Friday for his latest recording, “Live at Strathmore.” Backed by an all-star band, the vocalist will perform songs composed during a year spent honing his craft in Strathmore’s artist-in-residence program. “Cathy Fink has been my mentor throughout this program that emphasizes creativity, career guidance and training in the business of music,” Garber said. “She heard me play in 2009 and thought I could do with some direction, so she encouraged me to apply for the Strathmore residency.
“After I was selected as one of the six local artists in this year’s program, she cracked the whip and urged me to do a live album. I spent the winter break cranking out songs. Seven on the album are new, and two of the four others are totally reworked from my past albums.”
| Onstage |
| Ted Garber Release Party |
| Where: Strathmore Mansion |
| When: 8 p.m. Friday |
| Tickets: $15 for concert and party, $2 for PBR happy hour; 301-581-5100; strathmore.org or tedgarber.com |
| CDs will be available at the special price of $10 throughout the performance. |
During the past few years Garber has had seven local releases, each building on the career he spent many years developing while playing the bars. For a time, he wanted to do serious music, but the Strathmore program soon confirmed that his own lighthearted approach through blues, rock and Americana is the key to his appeal.
Since he first performed for tips on the streets of New Orleans, he has visited more than 30 countries and learned to speak several foreign languages fluently, but his heart never left Montgomery County. He and his family now live a short distance from his elementary school bus stop, the lot that became Strathmore. As a youngster, he went sledding down the hill where the music center now stands, skated on what is now the parking lot, and played soccer on the field that is soon to become townhouses. His album cover features the house he grew up in as viewed from Strathmore.
“This recording is the most earnest and sincere thing I’ve done to date. I look forward to engaging the Strathmore audience, entertaining them, hearing them sing along to my songs and knowing they’re leaving with a good feeling,” he said.
