Vance Gilbert (born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, Pennsylvania, United States) is an American

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

singer-songwriter. He started as a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

singer, switched to folk music, became a regular on the

open mike An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, usually taking place at night, in which audience members may perform on stage whether the ...

circuit in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

and toured with

Shawn Colvin Shawn Colvin (born Shawna Lee Colvin, January 10, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. While Colvin has been a solo recording artist for decades, she is best known for her 1998 Grammy Award-winning song "Sunny Came Home". Early ...

. He has recorded thirteen albums, including ''Side of the Road'', three of them on Philo/Rounder Records. Raised in

Willingboro Township, New Jersey Willingboro Township is a township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is a suburb of Philadelphia and part of the state's South Jersey region. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,889, an increase of ...

, Gilbert graduated from

Connecticut College Connecticut College (Conn College or Conn) is a private liberal arts college in New London, Connecticut. It is a residential, four-year undergraduate institution with nearly all of its approximately 1,815 students living on campus. The college w ...

.Burns-Fusaro, Nancy
"Friday Night Folk gets ‘voice of an angel’ with Vance Gilbert"
''

The Westerly Sun ''The Westerly Sun'' is a seven-day daily newspaper published in Westerly, Rhode Island, United States, covering portions of Washington County, Rhode Island, and New London County, Connecticut. ''The Sun'' is issued mornings 7 days a week. Unti ...

'', March 26, 2015. Accessed April 23, 2017. "Born and raised in Willingboro, N.J., Gilbert moved to Boston after graduating from Connecticut College." Gilbert is known for his improvisational rapport with audiences during his shows. He speaks, as he sings, with sincerity and depth. He has a wide range, covering Joni Mitchell one moment and doing what sounds like a jazz classic (but is actually his own) the next. Many songs, such as "Old White Men", "Charlene", and (perhaps his personal favorite) "Unfamiliar Moon" tell profound stories and touch on important topics. Many of his other tunes, such as "Goodbye Pluto" and "Waiting For Gilligan" take familiar stories from contemporary headlines and from popular culture and approach them in a whimsical and beautiful way.

Discography

* ''Here I'm Waiting'' (1985) * ''Face to Face'' (1989) * ''Edgewise'' (1994) * ''Fugitives'' (1995) * ''Shaking Off Gravity'' (1998) * ''

Somerville Somerville may refer to: *Somerville College, Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford Places *Somerville, Victoria, Australia * Somerville, Western Australia, a suburb of Kalgoorlie, Australia * Somerville, New Zealand, a subur ...

Live'' (2000) * ''One Thru Fourteen'' (2002) * ''Side of the Road'' (with

Ellis Paul Ellis Paul (born Paul Plissey; January 14, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. Born in Presque Isle, Aroostook County, Maine, Paul is a key figure in what has become known as the Boston school of songwriting, a literate, p ...

) (2003) * ''Unfamiliar Moon'' (2005) * ''Angels, Castles, Covers'' (2006) * ''Up On Rockfield'' (2008) * ''Old White Men'' (2011) * ''BaD Dog Buffet'' (2014) * ''Nearness of You'' (2015) * ''Good Good Man'' (2020)

References

External links

* Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century African-American male singers African-American songwriters Fast Folk artists Musicians from Philadelphia Connecticut College alumni People from Willingboro Township, New Jersey Songwriters from Pennsylvania American male songwriters {{US-folk-singer-stub