Nellie McKay returns to The Shedd for a evening of quintessential, classic Nellie conceived especially for The Shedd, during which, she tells us, she will explain the meaning of life. So what does THAT portend? We shall see...but we are confident it will be an unforgettable evening as only Nellie McKay can create, filled with her original songs and unique take on songbook standards from throughout her career.
Sure to be on the program will be tracks from Sister Orchid, her 7th studio album (Palmetto Records, May 2018), a quietly-exquisite collection of characteristically thoughtful McKay takes on songbook classics, in this case by Rodgers & Hart, Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellingotn, Matt Denis and others. Her description: "Conjuring the image of a lonely all night truck stop along highway 1 on the California coast, all but lost in the fog that comes creeping along the shoreline.. this album speaks of the night, the outsider, the plaintive wail of those lost at sea. Sister Orchid was conceived in solitude, executed in darkness. It comes from a place of quiet, a world of low lights and cool drinks, up against a hard wall. An oasis of hungry eyes and easy promises, warm as a biscuit, the kind of place your mother warned you against."