Anke Summerhill
Born in Munich, her international musical journey began with school in England at age 9. Some of her earliest musical influences came from the radio and recordings played by her school housemother. "I grew to love the music of James Taylor even before I learned English," Summerhill said. "His melodies and delivery are so accessible. Of course, the Beatles were a big force, because that irresistible groove they had was in itself a common language."
When the family moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Summerhill finished high school and began serious musical performance, drawing on a background in piano and beginning the guitar. Travels throughout the U.S. eventually led Summerhill to settle in Salt Lake City in 1985. She signed on as a vocalist in an eight-piece ensemble that toured throughout the West. Songwriting was a natural extension of her passion for singing, and her own songs first found expression as part of the duo, Stillwater, which she co-founded in 1988.
Striking out on her own in 1996, Summerhill´s songwriting and performance met with immediate regional success, as she was named a finalist in the Kerrville (TX) New Folk Showcase, selected from a field of more than 800 singer-songwriters nationally. Her CD :"Roots" was produced by Waterbug recording artist, Kate MacLeod, and her vision clearly had a major impact in shaping the package for Summerhill´s excellent writing. It is a mature, fully developed concept that features MacLeod´s talents on fiddle, plus tasteful guest performances by Carla Eskelsen, Matt Flinner, David Grier and David LaMotte. The musical talents of Matt Larson, acoustic bass; Michael VanDam, cello; Christopher Carlson, fiddle; Ray Smith, alto flute; George Grant and Barry Carter, percussion, round out a full sound that doesn´t obscure Summerhill´s performance. It is being distributed nationally by Independent Songwriters Group, Asheville, NC.
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