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Home , Eric Taylor (musician), Nanci Griffith, Robert Earl Keen, Vince Bell

“Denice Franke is a sensitive and compelling singer and .” - DENICE FRANKE

Critics “From those If Mary Chapin Carpenter and An attempt to categorize Denice Franke’s Comfort as Americana, early Kerrville Joni Mitchell had a daughter, this is how she’d sound. folk, or alt/country would simply campfires to not do her or her new record jus- - Entertainment Weekly’s her angelic tice. Franke is as decidedly Alanna Nash harmonizing with Southwestern as and her voice is as folky as Joni A fine Texas singer/songwriter - Mitchell, but this record offers musi- and that classic the kind that seem to come out of cal options as roomy and inviting as unreleased tape the woodwork in the Lonestar State, a Texas landscape. with Mickie but keep proving there’s always - Clay Steakley Merkins . . . to more room in the world for good Performing Songwriter crowded folk songs. venues from - Roni Sarig Franke makes you feel privy to Creative Loafing Texas to every complexity of an intimate Switzerland, Franke’s gorgeous unconventional relationship. - Bob Strauss Denice Franke’s vocal excursions pin me to the wall. Los Angeles Daily News music has - Iain Matthews always moved Comfort is the beautifully crafted me. She’s a These songs are gritty and full of work of a truly original artist... deeply talented true emotion. Franke sits on the threshold of writer, singer, - Samuel Barker greatness. - Roberta Schwartz and guitarist. Rockzone.com Music Matters Review One of Texas’ Comfort is one of the warmest and finest.” winning albums to come from the ...as a chronicler of character and Lone Star State in quite some time. - moment, Franke proves a sure hand. Franke shows the promise and Frontera Music potential that could make her an - Craig Havighurst Canutillo, TX important voice for the decade just The Tennessean begun. Comfort is... a welcome respite and a soothing sojourn. Franke’s sweet, full, fluid voice will beguile you. - Lee Zimmerman - Rich Warren South Florida Entertainment News Sing Out! “I was taken with her voice and the songs she revealed. And I have been a loyal fan ever since.” -

Biography

“Two covers, both If you thought you knew Denice Franke first made waves through extraordinary, and Franke’s music, think again. Franke, her musical affiliation with the who drew tremendous acclaim with Beacon City Band in the late ‘70s. a book of stories her previous release, You Don’t Know She and fellow band member Doug (some whispered, Me, is back with her second solo CD, Hudson later formed the popular duo some strident). Comfort. The differences between the Hudson and Franke. She has shared Comfort is a two CD’s can be heard not only in the the stage with such artists as Lovett, richness and control of her voice, but Taylor, Griffith, Tom Rush, John beautiful album, also in the depth of her lyrics and her Gorka, Tom Russell, Chris Smither marked by crafted delivery of each song. Produced by and Patty Larkin. songs, warmed by renowned singer/songwriter Eric Her appearances with Nanci Griffith Denice Franke’s Taylor, Comfort was released nation- include , Late Night rich alto and ally in the Spring of 2001. With David Letterman, and the TNN Though primarily a collection of Production, One Fair Summer differentiated by her own songs, Franke covers two Evening. Additionally, she appeared instrumental songs, Little Bit Of Poison (David with former partner Doug Hudson on settings as Olney) and 100 Miles From Mexico Texas Connection (also a TNN pro- powerful and (). “When I first started, duction). In 1989, the duo toured unlikely as a I had to play quite a few covers at extensively with Griffith throughout the same time I was developing my the United States, the United Kingdom New York songwriting,” says Franke, who soon and Ireland. hurricane.” caught the attention of well-known Originally from , Franke now Texas like Nanci Griffith calls home. Since the release - Peter Cooper and Lyle Lovett, who marveled not of her debut CD You Don’t Know Me only at her songs but also her inter- in 1998, she has spent most of her The Tennessean pretation of others’ works. time on the road sharing her music For his production of Comfort, with audiences across the United Taylor assembled a dreamteam of States and Europe. notable sidemen, including John Hagen (longtime cellist for Lovett), Eric Demmer (sax for Clarence Gate- mouth Brown), James Gilmer (percus- sionist for Lovett), Tommy Elskes, Mike Sumler, Craig Holden and Gene Elders (violinist for Lovett, ). “She (Franke) is not just another talented Texan, she’ll break your heart and put it back together with sheer performance ability and wit.” - Mark Morgenstern, Rosendale Cafe

Appearances & Performances

Television Venues & Engagements “I first heard about Austin City Limits The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC Denice Franke Texas Connection The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA Late Night with David Letterman The Bottom Line, New York, NY about 20 years Road Kill Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, NY ago when she was Club Passim, Cambridge, MA singing with the R a d i o The Iron Horse Music Hall, WXPN, The World Cafe, Philadelphia, Northampton, MA Beacon City Band PA Club Helsinski, Great Barrington, MA out of San Marcos. WVPN, Mountain Stage, Charleston, Tin Angel, Philadelphia, PA She has the most WV The Point, Bryn Mawr, PA WUMB, Boston, MA Godfrey Daniels, Bethlehem, PA natural singing Rosebud, Pittsburgh, PA WGBH, Folk Heritage, Boston, MA voice I have ever WFMT, Folkstage, Chicago, IL The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI WRVG, Woodsongs, Lexington, KY Sutton’s Bay Theatre, Sutton’s Bay, MI experienced. She KPIG, Please Stand By, Freight and Salvage, Berkeley, CA has the ability to Watsonville, CA Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, KPFA, Singout, Berkeley, CA CA find harmony lines KFAI, The Rose Cafe, Center Stage, , GA that make anyone Minneapolis, MN Eddie’s Attic, Decatur, GA she’s singing with WKNO, Friday Live Lunch, The Bluebird, Nashville, TN Memphis, TN The Handlebar, Greenville, SC sound better. The Grey Eagle, Asheville, NC KUT, LIVE SET, Austin, TX Over the years I WDR 1, Cologne, Germany Anderson Fair, Houston, TX SDR, Zungenschlag, Heidelberg, Cactus Cafe, Austin, TX watched her work Germany hard at her RSW, Bolzano, Italy Songwriter Showcases songwriting and Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, the result has been Festivals Hillsdale, NY , Kerrville, TX Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, some important Old Settlers Bluegrass & Acoustic Lyons, CO Music Festival, Round Rock, TX songs.” Napa Valley Music and Wine Festival, Wildflower Festival, Richardson, TX Jubilee Jam, Jackson, MS Napa, CA - Floralia Festival, Oosterhout, South Florida Folk Festival, Holland Ft. Lauderdale, FL Blue Ruby Music Peer Festival, Peer, Belgium Columbus, TX Herbst Festival, Neusudende, V i d e o Germany Teramo Street Animation Festival, (with Nanci Griffith) MCA Teramo, Italy Discography Denice Franke, Comfort CERTAIN records, DF-003

Denice Franke, You Don’t Know Me dé nICE gIRL Music, DF-002

With Eric Taylor, Scuffletown Eminent Records, EM-26001-2

With Eric Taylor, Resurrect Munich Records, musa 504 KOCH International, KOC CD 8026

With Eric Taylor, Eric Taylor Watermelon Records, WM CD 1040

With Nanci Griffith, One Fair Summer Evening MCA Records, MCA-42255

With Nanci Griffith, Rounder-Philo Records, PH-1096

With , Jr., No Kinda Dancer Rounder-Philo Records, PH-1108

With Hal Ketchum, Threadbare Alibis Sawdust Records Line Music GmbH, SDLP 4.00749 J Photo: C l y t i a F u l l e r

On the Banks of the Guadalupe Fast Folk Magazine Vol. 5, No 5, circa 1990 Contact Information

Texas Summer Nights Potato Satellite Records, PS-1000 C E R T A I N r e c o r d s For bookings: P.O. Box 540682 Sean La Roche Beacon City Band Houston, Texas 77254 505.262.2969 Potato Satellite Records, BCB-1000 [email protected] ph. 713.526.8762 fax 713.526.8702 Visit Denice’s web site at: [email protected] w w w . d e n i c e f r a n k e . c o m

Press contact: Denice Franke uses Elixir Strings Julie Ann Brown exclusively at CERTAIN records