Bonnie O'Donnell's music is characterized by refreshing simplicity, clarity of vision, and power of voice. Her new CD, "You Come Walking In", produced by Scott Petito and Anne Hills (1997 Kerrville Award Winner), features 12 of Bonnie's original works and a list of supporting musicians made up of prominent members of the contemporary folk world. Her talent and presence indicate why she is fast becoming recognized beyond the boundary of her Bethlehem, PA home turf. |
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Bethlehem is, of course, itself a place of legend. Home to the folk venue Godfrey Daniels, Sing Out Magazine, and a thriving singer/songwriter
community, it's natural that Bonnie would find recognition there. In addition to her
appearances at Godfreys, Bonnie has performed at Bethlehem's Musikfest and Allentown's Mayfair, and at the Minstrel
Coffeehouse, Chicory House, Carriage Barn, Landsdowne Folk Club, Perkasie Patchwork Coffeehouse, and Mine Street. Her beautiful voice and songs have carried her into performances with the likes of Anne Hills, Bob Franke, Walt Michael, Bill Hall, and Chris Bauman of Camp Hoboken repute.
Bonnie has also been instrumental in organizing several key cultural
projects in the Bethlehem area; a singer/songwriter concert series presented in the cafe of Touchstone Theater, and the Bethlehem Steel Songwriting Project.
Bonnie, an alumnus of Godfrey's seminal open mic scene, is featured on the "Southside Sunday Nights - The Godfrey Daniels Open Mike Collection, Volume One" performing her song "Path to Heaven." Geoff Gehman, of Allentown's Morning Call, called the song a "moving ballad," and described it as a "refreshingly honest ode to a factory-worker father."
In February of 1996, Bonnie released her debut album, a tape entitled "Woman in a Van". A collection of original and traditional songs, it features musicial support from L.A. Williams on fiddle, Kris Kerhr on bass, and Anne Hills and Otto Bost on harmony vocals.
Bonnie O'Donnell is simply not to be missed. |