I’ve done hundreds and hundreds of interviews during my career in music journalism, and I can say without equivocation that my recent conversation with Phoebe Snow was about as intimate and confessional as I’ve ever experienced.
Snow, a singer/songwriter whose first single, the transcendent ballad “Poetry Man” peaked at No. 5 in 1975, had a shot at major stardom. But in December of that year, she gave birth to a daughter, Valerie, who was severely brain-damaged. Snow effectively shelved her career to care for her daughter, refusing to have her institutionalized.
Valerie died suddenly three years ago at age 31. This has left Snow emotionally ravaged. During our hour-long conversation, she made no effort to conceal her grief and dire emotional turmoil. Yet she was also funny and charming and good with an anecdote.
Snow, 56, has returned to performing more or less full-time, and she’s conflicted about it. Her voice is still a marvel, a full, expressive contralto that oozes soul and sensitivity, but can also blow down walls. Her current album, Live (Verve), recorded in performance at a studio in Woodstock, N.Y., shows her full range of brilliance, from the bluster of “Standing on Shaky Ground” to the sublime introspection of “Poetry Man.”
Snow will perform with her band on Wed., Dec. 10 at Tampa Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35.50 and $30.50.
What follows is an edited version of our conversation:
You’re back on a regular tour after so long. What's the response been like?
We’ve been getting some lovely feedback. People tend to be surprised when they hear me in person. I was talking to someone about this just before I called you. There’s this strong perception out there that I am a folk singer, kind of quiet, understated and jazzy. They think that’s what they’re going to get in the live show and they can be very surprised.
What adjustments have you had to make now that you’re back on the road?
Funny you should ask. The travel, you know what — never been a big fan of the travel. It’s exhausting and strenuous. The minute you get on stage you get that shot of epinephren, but the down time, getting to the hotel, the airport, it’s bloody murder. I think country artists are the best at this, with their super-deluxe buses.
They just do the long runs in the bus, and have all the comforts of home. I love to sing, and I’m just getting into a conversation now: How do we refine, streamline make it more efficient. I really love singing, getting out there on stage. You’ll see.
Did you have to do any work to get your voice back in tip-top form, or is it indestructible?
This article appears in Dec 3-9, 2008.