The Stoltz Listening Room at the Avalon Theatre, in Easton Maryland is one of our very favorites.
Beth McDonald Boger describes herself as “a singer/songwriter from another time, trying to find her place in this one”. I could say something similar about myself, from my own angle of entry into all this. So it is easy (for me, at least) to understand that, when Beth's and my paths intersected, now over 20 years ago, we found and developed a connection, that continues as a musical partnership to this day. Beth began performing publicly, in the mid 2000s, fronting a jazz band, though her heart is not in jazz, per se. Rather, it is in music delivered in melody and meaning, across styles and genres. With that framing, Beth carries on, as a songwriter, in the spirit (though not necessarily the style) of the Great American Songbook composers, in her own, eclectic way. It is probably fair to say that Beth can be a reluctant performer at times, seeing herself as a songwriter more than a singer. It is probably also fair to say that Beth may not be singing publicly at all, if I hadn't (poked, prodded, and) nudged her into it, 20 years or so ago. I was there with, and for her, at the start, and remain invested in her contribution to music, conceived and delivered from the heart. Very much so, in fact.
The first video (above) is a compilation duo sampler, taken from a show in 2023. It's a nice example of the variety of musical styles that Beth covers (including classic Gospel music. Our musical collaboration began in church) In the second video, Beth performs one of her (many) originals, “Making Believe You're Mine” in concert at the Mainstay, in Rock Hall, MD, in 2022. You can easily feel the emotion, and the deep connection that she can make with an audience.
Though Beth would, for the most part, be content living in the recording studio, continuing to document her (extensive) catalog of original music, she also knows that the gifts given to her are given to be shared. And share she does, from her heart.