Cheshire's Bonnie Lee Panda...

by Ralph Hohman (Record-Journal)

Bonnie Lee Panda plans to get into the studio next year, backed by a band, to make a fully produced al­bum. For now, she’ll take “Live,” a disc recorded dur­ing her solo set (with a cou­ple of cameo accompani­ments) on April 29 at the Vanilla Bean Café in Pom­fret. “When I first recorded it I thought I might like two or three songs,” she says from her home in Cheshire, “but I ended up liking the whole thing. It had a great live feel.” The sound is smooth and consistent, especially for a live album. Panda and her composing partner, Erik Balkey, wrote most of the songs. They showcase the 27-year-old singer’s distinc­tive, yet classical country/folk singing and guitar playing. Panda has been taking singing lessons for a dozen years, she says, and teaches it, too. Her voice has matured. It’s fuller than it was a couple of years ago — a versatile, strong instrument. “I just like to keep learn­ing,” she says.

Pushing toward the next level, she plays out fre­quently and writes a lot with Balkey (who lives in Philadelphia) and on her own. “I’m in a songwriting cir­cle” in East Haven, Panda says, “where we meet once a month, and write a song a month.” Balkey, she says, also works as a music promoter, and Panda credits him with getting her music on the air in California, Texas, South Carolina and even Ger­many. In 2004, she was a re­gional finalist in the Nashville Star talent com­petition. She didn’t make it onto the TV show, but the contest did get her some notice, and a live perfor­mance on WWYZ, Country 92.5 FM. This year Panda was a fi­nalist in the Plowshare’s songwriting contest in Phoenixville, Pa. She’s played in New York City and throughout the North­east, and sung the national anthem at UConn basket­ball and New Britain Rock Cats baseball games, and for the Connecticut Special Olympics in 2004 and ’05.

The official release of “Live” comes Oct. 27, when Panda performs at 7:30 p.m. in the old train station as part of the Milford Fine Arts Council’s Performance Coffeehouse series. Tickets are $10; for reservations, call (203) 878-6647.

She also hosts open-mike programs on the first Fri­day of each month at the Vanilla Bean, and on Nov. 16 Panda is booked at The Space in Hamden. She has a road trip planned for December, with performances and ra­dio-station interviews in Philadelphia, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and New Jersey. It’s all listed at bonnieleepanda.com, the Web site Panda says will be revamped in a couple of days. Copies of “Live” will also be available on her Web site, and through CD Baby.

Panda, who has a bache­lor’s degree in psychology from UConn, works 20 hours a week at the Con­necticut Mental Health Center in New Haven, do­ing administrative work for a psychiatrist. “I have the best of both worlds,” she says. “I can tour on the weekends, or go for a four-day tour.”