Six Players -- One Night: Songwriters Trade Licks at Crooked Tree

Oct. 20, 2004

Six Michigan singer/songwriters will take the stage at Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey this Thursday, October 21 to share original songs in the round.
The performance will feature all of the musicians on stage together, performing each other’s music as well as their own. The idea is to provide audience members with a window into the songwriter’s creative process. It’s similar to taking a peek into a visual artist’s studio.
Performers include Mary McGuire, J. Oscar and Lauran Bittinger, Michael Crittenden, Jim Bizer and Jeff Bihlman. Concert producer Chenard will be on hand to introduce her songwriting colleagues.
The concert is the brainchild of local musician Michelle Chenard, who says, “My reason for doing these songwriter concerts is to help my fellow artists expand their audiences, and because I get a real kick out of seeing the audience’s reaction to the performers and the camaraderie between the artists themselves.”

The line-up includes:

 Mary McGuire has performed in Canada, the British Isles, Spain, southeast Asia and the U.S. She has performed on radio and in television commercials and has shared the stage with David Crosby, BB King, the Neville Brothers, Mitch Ryder and Mark Farner. McGuire has been awarded several Detroit Music Awards and ASCAP awards.

 J. Oscar Bittenger has been driving the rhythm and leading songs with Celtic band Oxter/Mahone for the past four years. Now “returning contemporary” to singer/songrocker territory after an expedition in traditional based music, new depth and color has been added to his already painterly songs. This new kitbag of material is marked by the plain-spoken poetry of traditional songs dressed up in stylistic threads – folk, rock, world-pop, Celtic and Americana. Lauran Bittinger will add accordion spice.

 Michael Crittenden grew up in Grand Rapids and began playing piano by ear at five years old. Crittenden graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in film scoring, and led a band called The Westmorelands. In 1992 he moved back to Grand Rapids and formed a new band, Troll for Trout in 1994.

 Detroit native Jim Bizer began playing music at 14. His songs are a blend of humor, catchy melodies, and his own view of the essential craziness of being human, served up with monster guitar playing and vocals. Educated on French horn, self-taught on guitar and piano, he was a music theory major at the University of Michigan before embarking as musician, session player, and composer for radio spots and a weekly TV series. Bizer has been a Kerrville “New Folk” finalist three times and was recently awarded the grand prize in the Great American Song contest. He has two CDs to his credit.

 Jeff Bihlman has toured Europe and the United States, citing venues in Chicago, Grand Rapids, Interlochen Center for the Arts, and Kalamazoo, as well as in Portugal, Greece, and France. He’s written and performed music for video, radio, film and award winning TV documentaries, one of which was nominated for an Emmy Award, and has been featured in GIG magazine and on the Musicians Institute website. Jeff is a graduate of Musicians Institute and the Guitar Institute of Technology. He and brother Scot perform together as The Bihlman Brothers and have played with BB King, Ted Nugent and ZZ Top.

Tickets are available at Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey. All seats are $10. Audience members are invited to meet the artists after the performance and enjoy refreshments provided by Garrett’s on Water Street in Boyne City. Call 231-347-4337 for info.