Wellfleet singer-songwriter and guitarist Stephen Russell returns to Wellfleet Preservation Hall for an intimate evening of new and old songs on Thursday, June 27 at 7:30pm.
While best known on the Cape as an actor, Stephen has been writing and performing songs since the 1960’s. “I think I wrote my first song in 1968 or thereabouts,” he recalled recently, “so I’ve got over half a century’s worth of material to draw on. And, for some reason, the last few years have been particularly productive, so most of the evening will be showcasing newer stuff.”
“I always struggle to come up with a succinct description of the kind of music I play but probably the best way to express it is that I’m a folkie with pop sensibilities. My influences are all over the map but there have been a few constants over the years: traditional music, particularly the ballads and songs of the British Isles, melodic rock ’n’ roll, Bossa nova,
Western swing, country and gospel. I’m a sucker for a good hook but I’m equally moved by a good story well told. I’ve written songs about trains, oysters, immigration, flying ships, the town’s noon siren and a ton of love songs.”
“One of the things I love about doing these concerts at Prez Hall is that I get to bring together some old friends and wonderful musicians to sweeten these songs and this year is no exception. I’m really pleased to have Tom Leidenfrost, accordionist and singer extraordinaire,
back with me. He’s one of the busiest musicians on Cape Cod and with good reason. Violist and multi-instrumentalist Eleanor Lincoln is back, too, and many people will remember her from her years teaching in the Provincetown school system. And my son, Peter Russell, is
flying in from Portland, Oregon to play some tasty leads on a few numbers. There may be a few surprise guests, too. Should be lots of fun.”