Vance Gilbert
Learning to Fly
by Annette C. Eshleman

For anyone who has ever taken flight, whether a dancer with limbs outstretched, a basketball player completing a slam dunk, or a pilot soaring above the tree line, the feeling is the same. Defying the pull of the earth, even momentarily, holds a magic all its own. Vance Gilbert's ability to express that magic in song is part of what makes him such a unique and exciting artist.

Gilbert's acoustic music, like much of his life, is often occupied with the idea of gaining altitude. From the vocal joyrides he shares with his concert audiences, to flying the model airplanes that he painstakingly builds, his interest in flight is far more than mere curiosity. "The magic is in the flying," he said. "The fact that we are so bound by gravity, and the idea that there are things that we can do to really break that from time to time... just is incredible to me."

Perhaps one of the most incredible things about Gilbert is his voice. The sound is at once fluid and compelling. His voice possesses a rare sweetness few have been able to capture or to convey. Gilbert's tone is warm and genuine, his delivery smooth and soulful. He is capable of utilizing the space between his words as effectively as every syllable that he sings.

Gilbert grew up in the Philadelphia-southern New Jersey area, but moved to Boston in 1979 after completing his degree in biology at Connecticut College. He soon took a job with the Boston public school system. His position as a multicultural arts "gun for hire" enabled him to work with students ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years. A decade of teaching proved to be enough for Gilbert. He'd begun performing in clubs at night, and it became clear that a decision had to be made. As the day job finally gave way, he turned to music full time.

Reflecting on his years in teaching, Gilbert noted an important lesson he brought from the classroom to the stage: "I think one of the big things is just respect for any audience, no matter what size and shape and age they are," he said. Gilbert's appeal transcends the barriers of age, and he relates easily to young people. They are often in evidence waiting after his shows for an autograph or to laugh, talk and trade jokes. He is attentive and has seemingly infinite patience with the very young. Even the occasional rowdy is easily dealt with.

Gilbert began his career in music performing acoustic jazz. He describes his shift into folk as a "very natural evolution." He made the move, he said, "because they would listen to me. I had some things to say. I had some ideas that would get listened to in folk music. I tried jazz. I tried to be the acoustic guy doing jazz. No one was really listening to that."

The acoustic music Gilbert produces contains elements of R&B, jazz, and soul, blurring the edges of several musical genres. He is comfortable performing on the folk circuit and has found the openness of its fans refreshing. "I didn't get the kind of encouragement (in jazz) that I did when I started doing folk music," he said, noting that within one six-day time period he opened shows for both Tom Rush and The Temptations. "I mean, what do you do with that?! I guess you could call it 'folk.'"

An introduction to the music of Shawn Colvin in 1989 proved to be a life-changing experience for Gilbert. He accompanied friends to see the (then up-and-coming) singer/songwriter in concert. He was immediately struck by the wholeness of her performance and her level of communication with the audience, qualities he hoped to emulate. Gilbert eventually opened a show for Colvin, and the two became fast friends. Later, he was invited to open for Colvin's Fat City tour. He gained valuable experience and soon began recording his own music.

This is an excerpt from Dirty Linen #85 (December '99/January '00)