a 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. 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