“We thoroughly enjoyed your fun-loving, inspiring songs. You music fills our hearts and tugs on our emotions. We cherished hearing your debut song ‘When You Come to the End of Your Day’. Thank you again for supporting the arts and enriching the quality of life in the small and very grateful town of Cascade [Idaho].” – Shauna Arnold, Cascade Cultural Arts Center
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“I thoroughly enjoyed your show. The songs, the poetry, the everything.
Sometimes, just sitting there listening I wanted to cry. Maybe you
heard me sniffle a bit. It isn’t often one can hear people connected to
their music. ‘Know what I mean? So many folks want to have a sound or
image or be popular or all the whatever reasons people make music, and
they’re so into, hm. Let me backtrack. It’s easy to get caught up and
lose touch with the source, the heart and soul place where music comes from.
You touched my heart.
I haven’t felt like that in awhile.
Thanks you much.
Best wishes,
Ahoj !
Roy [Douglas, Tacoma, WA]”
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“Hey–
There is always a interplay around wanting to support and encourage my friends and offering honest response to creative work.
In your case, there is no tension for me here.
You are both articulate and accomplished as voices of conscience and your discipline is evident. There is honesty and precision to your performance and this is what reaches people–to be elevated in a way that can’t be written off to entertainment alone.
We live in times where artifice replaces substance and narcissism is rampant in the commercial entertainment world. If you don’t fit into that value system, it probably means that you have stayed true to your gifts.
It is hard to introduce substance in the States, as so much of this society is about avoidance. But you do substance with tone and grace and a professional sound which is not evidence of “wannabees” but of accomplished artists who know themselves and present with clarity and confidence.
I think that is the true success of creative spirits and you are reaching people one listener at a time at a time when our culture tries to distract us with surface noise.
That’s a battle being won by you and no reviewer or lack, thereof, can take that away from you.
Stay true and the professionals that you are. You are impact players on the folk scene and that means a lot.
Love,
Luke [Smiraldo, poet Laureate, Tacoma, WA]”
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Dropping In On
Steve and Kristi Nebel at The Star, Thrussington, U.K.; 7/10/02
“John Montague has been instrumental in bringing a succession of
American troubadours to add freshness and zest to the live acoustic
music of Leicestershire; Tom Paxton, Tim Rose, Neal Casal, Bill Bourne,
Diane Ponzio, Catherine Craig have all delighted us over the last
few years, and they in their turn have, I am sure, savoured their
experience of “Old England”.
Now add to this illustrious list the names of Steve and Kristi Nebel ,
who will no doubt remember their touch on 17th Century England at the
Star on Monday night, as will those at the top room remember their
performance.
This was a joint presentation of love, peace and freedom with nature,
in their own music encapsulated in the title of their latest CD
offering “Bohemian Outback”. Steve`s thoughtful guitar and flowing,
lyrical style, matched by crystal clear vocalising and gentle electric
bass playing from Kristi prove a compelling musical vehicle for
transporting the listener along with them on their journey from Tacoma,
Washington State.
Beautiful stuff ! But somehow it`s also something more.
I was reminded of Paxton`s exuberance, and songs reflecting so vividly
the country he comes from; the heartfelt concerns and perceptions of
nature in “The Crow”, and a sense of how humanity “treats” itself, and
it`s privileged leaseholding on this planet in “Harbor Island” .There
was Paxtonesque fun-poking in “Superman`s Dilema”, and Steve`s
perceptive “Lillian`s World” was for me his strongest writing. Kristi`s
wonderful voice was most powerfully in evidence in “On Fishermen”,
written along with Steve.
And all through the set, Steve`s strong, melodical songs; together with
the great harmonising which seems so natural to our American cousins;
and particularly in “My Home In Washington”.
Somehow a great circle of history drawn at the top room of the Star on
Monday night; the setting from the age when so many of the human roots
came to such a magic, live musical experience in the dawning of the
21st Century; thanks to everyone there, and specially, Steve and Kristi,
and of course, John, who made it all possible.”
Bob Benbow.
bobbow@nildram.co.uk
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