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STORYTELLING THROUGH SONG from page 41
40 Homemade Soups
"When I was a kid," in the late 1960s his parents' religions," he says.
And he's telling some more of his sto-
in Cleveland, "there was a lot of music
ries. After putting out two more albums
that I heard all within a few months of
after his blockbuster freshman effort,
each other, which wasn't easy to do at
with vocal guests ranging from David
that time. If you didn't hear it on the
radio, you weren't going to hear it. It was Crosby and Roseanne Cash to Martin
Sexton, he hasn't released anything since
considered fringe, and didn't come on
1998. And though the deeply private,
until 10 or 11 at night," he says.
somewhat reclusive Cohn has toured
"The Beatles, of course. And I started
sporadically since that time, he's picking
hearing people like Van Morrison, Neil
up the momentum again, at similarly
Young, James Taylor, Jackson Browne,
intimate venues like the Ark.
Simon & Garfunkel. There was some-
thing about it that seemed so
much more powerful than any-
thing else I'd ever heard, except
the Beatles," says Cohn.
'And, eventually, I realized
that the common thread
between all those people was
that they all wrote what they
were singing. They weren't just
interpreters of someone else's
songs. And what really spoke to
me was the authenticity of those
songs. Even now, they're still my
touchstones."
They also provided him with
a history of contemporary music
that he could not, at that time,
have found anywhere else. Van
Morrison, for example, reeled
Cohn in with his voice and
lyrics but kept him entranced
with the influences that were
Marc Cohn: The 1991 Grammy winner for Best
reflected in the music. "This
New Artist is probably best known for his song
whole encyclopedia of music
"Walking in Memphis."
opened up to me. The great
thing about the music that was
"I've played more shows this last year
turned out is what it enables you to go
because I've felt more settled in my per-
back to. He made you want to go back
sonal life," he explains. "I didn't feel that
to the blues and soul, to John Lee
being out on the road would sacrifice
Hooker and Solomon Burke," explains
my ability to be a good father, as it did
Cohn. 'And to storytelling."
earlier, in my first marriage." And, he
Cohn has many stories to tell. His
adds, he's found some "greatinusicians I
mother died when he was very young,
and his father remarried when Cohn was love playing with and being with." As a
12, which may be why he was never bar result, he's been recording some of his
mitzvah, although his father was "deeply live shows over the last couple of
months, which will soon be available on
religious."
iTunes Music Store, Apple's digital juke-
"I went to Sunday school for years
box.
and I was confirmed. And I remember
He's also returning to the studio, with
the rabbi of my temple being a very
the hope of releasing a new record by
inspiring man," says Cohn.
the end of next year. "I'm pretty lucky,"
Now that he has three children of his
admits Cohn. "But the best part is that
own, including a 22-month-old son
with his second wife, television journalist there's still always an audience."
Elizabeth Vargas (Barbara Walters' suc-
cessor on ABC-TV's 20/20) — they
Marc Cohn will appear at the Ark
were introduced by mutual friend Andre
in Ann Arbor 8 p.m. Monday, Jan.
Agassi and married in 2002 — "I'm
3, and 8 p.m. Tuesday (sold out),
starting to come around to reinvestigat-
Jan. 4. $311$46 gold circle seating
ing and trying to find my own authentic
includes a meet-and-greet with
place in the world as a Jew.
Cohn after the show. Info: Log on
"My first wife was Jewish, and my sec-
ond wife is Catholic, and very interested
to www.theark.org or call (734)
in religion. It's almost more important to
761-1800.
her that our son be introduced to both
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