Naomi Sommers at Cafe Nine on a Sunday eve...

It's a good day. The last of the leaves are raked in the early morning chill, the Browns come back from an early deficit to beat the Texans, bringing their record to a very respectable 7-4, one game behind the Pittsburgh Steelers, so, why not go for the trifecta and catch Naomi Sommers' early show at Cafe Nine!

I had not heard of Naomi Sommers before a concert blurb on the Cafe Nine concert schedule and a followup article in the Hartford Courant piqued my curiosity. According to her mySpace page, she "...plays guitar, banjo, flute and sings. She plays in solo and with a few bands: Gray Sky Girls, The Sommers-Rosenthal Family Band, The Broken Dreamers, Phil Rosenthal and Bluegrass Union."

I find a vacant parking space in a dark, eery spot at the end of State Street about a half-block past The Nine and walk back, wondering if my car would be available for my return trip home. My concert buddy, Johnny Gumbo, has left us for the Great Northwest and is unavailable for bodyguard services. The pleasant young man with a red Mohawk and huge nose ring takes my $8 and I sneak past the already performing Ms. Sommers to find a seat against the bar. Kerouac looks down at me as I strain my eyes to order a beer. I quickly point to the green tap and turn my attention to the performance, solo folk guitar stuff. Nice. I love this place. Usually, though, I must invest most of the night to catch a show here. The occasional early Sunday evening shows are appreciated. A different vibe tonight from other gigs here, everyone seated, more of an academic, coffeehouse atmosphere. Lots of family present to lend support.

WHOA! After tasting my brew i squint to read the lettering on the green beer-tap - Woodchuck Draft Cider! Okay, nice job. Naomi's dad, Phil Rosenthal, joins her onstage to accompany her on mandolin/vocals. A few songs later, another guest is introduced (name missed) to play lap slide guitar. The songs range from folk to blues to bluegrass, nothing very uptempo, but quite tasty. She closes the first set with a lovely version of Dylan's You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go from Blood On the Tracks.

After the break, a late-arriving, tall, beret-topped fiddle player, Dan Tressler, joins the crew. His delivery is understated, very tasty. Phil loses his banjo pick and must stay with mandolin to support his daughter's expressive, melodious vocals, but it works out fine. Sommers closes the show with a reluctant encore request from her mom. Mama's House is an unrecorded song written pre-Katrina after visiting a girlfriend in New Orleans. Good request, Mom, it's a wonderful, very moving end to the evening.

I pick up a copy of her Flying Through album on the way out. And my car is still available. Perfect.