041 – River Train: Crystal Monee Hall
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Singer-songwriter Crystal Monee Hall is perhaps the hardest working person in music. The Virginia-born native came to Oakland by way of New York, where she spent several years singing in the Broadway musical Rent. Her debut album River Train is a mix of folk, soul, gospel, and rock. We talk to Crystal about River Train, her love of church choir, work as a backup singer for stars like Elton John, and we get to hear her perform some of her songs in studio. You can catch Crystal live, and on tour with the Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead) band, the Jazz Mafia, and others.
Credits: “MLR Intro” by “Rob McCann, “Heartbreaker” by “Pat Benitar” performed by “Crystal Monee Hall“, “River Train” by “Crystal Monee Hall“, “One Step Ahead of the Rain” by “Crystal Monee Hall“, “Home” by “Crystal Monee Hall“, “In the Water” by “Crystal Monee Hall“, “Stay” by “Crystal Monee Hall“, “Damsel” by “Crystal Monee Hall” “London Bridge” by “Crystal Monee Hall”
Video: Crystal Monee Hall with band performing “Ophelia”
Dan, this is a nice posting of Crystal, also I loved her song!
Listening right now t o “River Train”, yeah, it opens with the percussion I like…..then, that gifted voice surprised me…It’s just the deep song sound I crave from my mother/sisters, that which grew in all era’s of our hearts….from all soul movement days….It folds right up into the bright heart future she apparently is growing in,…. merging with other styles, learning, working and DOING.
Luckily met Crystal this very moment at an airport hotel and had the rare gift of listening to the song while we both sat in adjacent tables…(not as good as a concert, but with our computers open-me trying to download flash on this new macair)…
Coming to the conclusion…that OF COURSE that my associates would probably like to feature Crystal up north in the Hot Springs region of California…(It is definitely heating up with major artists coming this summer…and beyond, on different properties of beauty. Stay tuned….gotta tell the others……)
On a personal note….She says she likes to write for movement, dance, vocal soundscapes…YEA..there is also a conscious dance movement along with other modalities that we are involved in….that is healing oriented. Hopefully, Crystal will be up there in the coming seasons. Good Sounds!