Oct. 1, 2014

On tour from Portland, Oregon, cellist and folksinger Anna Fritz performs on Whidbey Island at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 20103 Hwy. 525 in Freeland. The event is hosted by Whidbey Island Friends Meeting and there is a suggested donation of $10 – $20, with no one turned away.

Anna Fritz will perform original songs for cello and voice, touching on themes of gender, justice, spirituality, and connection to the natural world. Fritz has the training of a classical player and the experience of a touring rocker, which gives her brand of folksinging a unique flavor. Her performances are disarmingly vulnerable with plenty of direct connection with her audience. Fritz’s powerful, heart-centered songs and her authentic presence move audiences to sing together when she invites them, which she often does.

Although Fritz embraces her folksinger identity, her sound is informed by an eclectic musical career, tracing a path from the conservatory to the dive bar and back to the concert hall. She’s a trained classical cellist, a founding member of Portland Cello Project, and has recorded with bands such as The Decemberists, My Morning Jacket, Blue Cranes and Dirty Projectors. Keeping one foot in the indie rock world, Fritz has devoted her solo career to carrying on the folk tradition in her own classically-bent way.

Her most recent album, The Gospel of Tree Bark, marries her orchestral sensibilities with songs born of the folk rock tradition. Recorded and co-produced by Jason Wells (March Fourth Marching Band, Trashcan Joe) in Portland, OR, the songs are arranged for Fritz’s versatile voice, numerous cellos, percussion, and the occasional french horn and electric guitar. Fritz’s October tour of the Pacific Northwest includes stops in Olympia, Seattle, Whidbey Island, Port Townsend, and Lopez Island.