California croonin’ cutie Kelly Fitzgerald was actually born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts. It was there that she first would perform with local bands in various nightclubs while still a high school student. Shortly after graduation, Fitzgerald headed out on tour with fast friend and songwriting partner, guitarist Brian Pothier playing gigs across the US and even in the Caribbean.
After years of touring, Fitzgerald and friend relocated to Southern California. It was here they would meet their future collaborator and percussionist pal Adam Nicol Roach. They quickly founded the group Vesica Pisces and recorded and released their 1998 eponymous premiere platter, Vesica Pisces.
The album contained 12 tracks including the lead-in “Pamela” and the appropriate closing cut “Leaving”. Fitzgerald would tour to promote the album. She would also share stages with an impressive assortment of other artists including: Shelby Lynn, Nancy Griffith, Cheap Trick, Eddie Money, The Gin Blossoms, Vonda Shepard and more.
The new millennium would witness more excitement for Fitzgerald as she would score the honor of being named Best Adult Contemporary artist by the LA Music Awards. After more performing and writing, Vesica Pisces would release their sophomore selection, Halfway to Naked, in 2003. Produced by Grammy Award winner Jack Douglas (John Lennon, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick) the album contained 14 cuts including the album opener title track “Halfway to Naked” and the upbeat “Groovy Town”.
Fitzgerald recalls: "It was a great experience working with Jack." Douglas himself praises the material saying: "The songs are well crafted and the girl sings phenomenally." The work earned Fitzgerald and company a nomination for Best Adult Contemporary artist by the LA Music Awards that same year and Fitzgerald herself was also nominated for Best Female Vocalist.
Finally, the disc would give birth to a single, “No Easy Way Out" which took the number 2 slot for “the most added spins” just behind Lucinda William's “Righteously” on the triple A charts. Two years later (2005) the honors would continue as Fitzgerald was nominated for Best Female Vocalist and Best Solo Performer at the 2005 Orange County Music Awards.
More importantly, 2005 was the year Fitzgerald would release So Far. This one would feature 13 songs including the Led Zeppelin tribute track “Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp” and the slightly irreverent but notable “God Hit on Me”. She made the "Music Connection's Hot 100 Unsigned Artists" list the next year (2006) and followed that up with scoring the "Comet Award" for emerging artist by L.A Women In Music in 2007. (Fitzgerald would take 1st place in the 4th Annual GINA/LAWIM Singer Songwriter Contest for her song “Summer Rain” off her most recent solo CD, 2008’s That and Change.)
The 12-track project finds Fitzgerald generally taking the lead on acoustic guitar and vocals. She is backed by Frank Cotinola and Roach on drums, Trent Stroh on bass, Richard Bredice and Pothier on electric guitar. The disc opens with “My Kind of Strange” which was co-written with John Diggins. It’s a fun lead-in that features Andrew Bush on Wurlitzer and acoustic guitar.
The second selection is “Life is Long”. It includes some extra percussion by Fitzgerald as well as some dobro and solo guitar work by Pothier. The mixture of alt-country, blues, country and folk rock continues here with “You’re Gonna Be Safe”. This one was co-written with Marty Axelrod and is highlighted with the addition of Bush on piano, Marty Rifkin on pedal steel and Axelrod on background vocals.
Bush also adds his talents to “I Already Know” which leads into one of the better tracks on the album “I’m Done”. "I'm Done" includes a guitar solo by John Thomas. The message might not be at all new but Fitzgerald pulls off an interesting delivery on this piece she co-wrote with Craig Lackey.
The next number is “Where I’m At” which includes some solo electric guitar work by Bredice to further flesh things out here. “Summer Rain” follows. This features backing vocals by Yvonne Perea. One listens demonstrates why this one was chosen for release as the (first?) single off the disc.
“Happy To See You Go” is marked by Pothier’s touch of mandolin just as the collaborative “Till You” is made unique by Thomas’ piano playing. “All Over The Map”, however, quickly steals the show as a tuneful tale of a relationship that has gone awry. (It’s nice to see that Fitzgerald didn’t demand that the man stop and ask for directions, at least!)
“You’re Getting Close” is the “Critic’s Choice” here. Not only does it have Pothier on both electric guitar and piano on the same track but it’s got a bit of a realistic message as Fitzgerald admits something that many women may never come to acknowledge. There may never be a “Mr. Perfect”.
It’s about time women who sing about being so strong remember that means they don’t NEED a man even if they WANT one. Still, the message has a positive point that a woman may never find nor need a “Mr. Perfect” but they may indeed discover one who is “getting close”. It’s a refreshing break from the old school country attitude that all gals with guitars must whine and complain about how men are so worthless and totally to blame for every bad relationship there ever was.
The closing cut is “Grow Young With You”. This, too, was co-written with Axelrod and again includes the talents of Thomas on piano. It’s a nice song about proposed monogamy free of too much old-fashioned country sap.
Indeed, this CD is an original compilation of largely Fitzgerald’s feelings regarding changes and personal experiences in which she oft’times reveals the influence of such songstresses as Billie Holiday and Ricky Lee Jones. Some critics have even made a case that her work is somewhat similar to that of Bonnie Raitt, Melissa Etheridge and of course Sheryl Crow. Of course, relying too much on such comparisons might lead some to forget that her material is honestly original and fluid enough to fluctuate between raw and gritty and smooth and silky.
Fitzgerald’s music has garnered her fans worldwide as she has toured “all over the map” even played for the U.S. and NATO troops in Bosnia and the Balkan Islands. More recently, Fitzgerald and Pothier co-wrote and recorded the song “Thank You” with Christina Fulton.
It’s the premiere single from Fulton’s upcoming album, Uncaged and has already been used on MTV’s The Jersey Shore. It’s a bit ironic to think that her most recent disc has her singing “I’m Done” when in reality she may very well have just begun.
My name is Phoenix and . . . that’s the bottom line.
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