REVIEW: Winterbloom rings in the season in song

By Diana Nollen

CEDAR RAPIDS - Winterbloom hauled out the hippest holly and put up the brightest string of highlights to launch their Christmas tour at CSPS on Friday night.

Every song this indie folk female foursome sang was packed with emotion and memories, perfect for an intimate gathering of family and friends.

Each young singer-songwriter has pursued her own successful musical path, but after joining forces last year for a couple of gigs, they decided to team up and record some traditional tunes with non-traditional twists.

The result is even more fun to see than to merely hear, although the new CD would give a nice snow-globe shake to tired holiday music collections in any household.

Antje Duvekot, Anne Heaton, Meg Hutchinson and Natalia Zukerman bring a variety of musical backgrounds and traditions to the fold.

Duvekot, who was born in Germany and moved to Delaware at age 13, brought us a touch of lovely old-world elegance with “Stille Nacht” (“Silent Night”). The others joined her in angelic four-part harmony in her native tongue, but someone must not have counted the verses. Suddenly, Duvekot started another round and no one joined in, which cracked her up. Soon they all were giggling. The mood was shattered, but the moment was utterly human and utterly charming.

That's part of what made the concert so fun for the 80 people in attendance. Each singer brought an easy conversational style, with a gentle, laid-back delivery that was so enticing.

Zukerman, daughter of acclaimed violinist Pinchas Zukerman and flutist Eugenia Zukerman, grew up in Manhattan amid a swirl of classical music. Despite that immersion, her heart beats with a bluesy country ardor. She lays down a smoking dobro guitar slide under several songs, a few swampy licks here and there and passionate fingerpicking and fiery strums under the others.

With a self-conscious laugh about being “Jew-ish” and singing Christmas carols, she gave the evening a Yiddish flavor with “The Riddle,” putting a new spin on her grandmother's favorite folk song, “Tumbalalaika.”

Heaton, who grew up in the Chicago area, created many lovely moments with her lilting soprano and twinkling piano lines. Her prayer of St. Francis was breathtakingly beautiful. Her most personal offering, however, was the toast she wrote for her best friend's wedding, using sing-speak to recount the teenage crush and awkward angst that eventually led the couple to the altar.

The cynical side of life came with a smile from Massachusetts native Hutchinson, who told the audience, “I like to write cheerful songs about depressing topics. So here's a cheerful song about manic depression for the holidays.”

Don't let her fool you, though. Her smoky alto and superb songwriting skills can wrap the most unsettling topics in a beautiful bow, like the poignant “True North” about her parents' divorce and the wistful “Of the Magi,” based on the O. Henry short story of sacrifices made in the name of love.

How lucky we were to receive Winterbloom's magical gifts of song.