When it comes to the tale of longtime Valley label Signature Sounds (based in Northampton) and its impending celebration of two decades of delivering quality Americana, folk and roots rock this weekend, the Crawler certainly has plenty of observations on the topic. Including — but not limited to — the fact that in an industry that routinely goes through artists at an astonishing rate, Signature Sounds has gained a well-earned reputation for cultivating its artists and supporting them for the long haul.
The Signature Sounds 20th Anniversary Series features four shows and more than 17 artists at Northampton’s Academy of Music Nov. 28-30. For info, kindly point your browser to signaturesounds.com.
Who better than the men and women who helped build the sonic sanctuary for singer/songwriters at Signature to reflect on this 20-year musical milestone?
Label co-founder Jim Olsen:
We’ve seen a lot of big changes in the music industry since our early days. We are proud and grateful to to be still following our mission two decades later. Our artists share a great sense of camaraderie and mutual admiration, and I know we’ll see some great collaborations and surprises throughout the weekend.
Signature artist Chris Smither (performing Friday, Nov. 28):
I’ve known Jim Olsen for many years now and have a lot of respect for the music Signature Sounds has presented these past 20 years. Jim’s keen sense of good music, honorable business sense, and endless creativity is plenty reason for me to want to be on the Signature label. They’ve got such a great team. It’s been fun so far!
Signature artist Eilen Jewell (performing Saturday, Nov. 29):
When I first signed with Signature Sounds back in 2007, I had some trepidation about what being on a label might entail. I had heard all the familiar horror stories about music labels and all the various ways in which they had cheated and enslaved artists over the decades. When it came time to sign the contract, I realized I had no knowledge of legalese, and frankly just didn’t know what I was getting myself into. ‘You’re a babe in the woods,’ a wise aunt reminded me. Her words of warning kept echoing in my head. To top it off, I had recently realized that I only wanted to perform with my band, and I assumed for some reason that Signature would try to convince me to be a solo artist. None of my fears came true. Not even close.
Signature artist Jeffrey Foucault (performing Friday, Nov. 28):
The people at Signature Sounds are good people. That’s the whole deal right there. I’d do business with Jim Olsen on a handshake any day. They believe in music and they’re honest. Beat that.
In other news, it seems that all of the planets have aligned for area jam notables Electric Blue & The Kozmik Truth to reunite this Thanksgiving Eve at Theodore’s (theodoresbbq.com). The band, which formed in 1995, hasn’t played a show together in years.
“We never really had a ‘last show,’ so it certainly feels good!,” lead singer Callie Katsounakis says of the event. “As for the future, we never really talked about this being more than a one-off, but you know I never say never, either, so who knows?”•
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 394-4262 or email garycarra@aol.com.
