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By: ROB BECK
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Local singer Sue Witty marks the release of her fifth CD, “Disinherited,” with a party and performance at Red Light Café on Aug. 18.
The singer, whose sound is sometimes compared to Natalie Merchant mixed with the Grateful Dead, says “Disinherited” marks growth in both her music and lyrics.
“I feel like I’ve progressed and grown a lot as a songwriter," Witty says. "The songs are tighter, the choruses are catchier, and the mood that I'm trying to convey on each song comes across more clearly.”
She describes the album as “a full-production CD” with a “rich band sound and lots of nice harmonies,” and says the songs are deeply personal, but at the same time relatable to a wide spectrum of listeners.
“[There’s] kind of a spiritual edge to a lot of the songs,” she says, adding that the title is inspired by author Howard Thurman’s work. “He strove for social justice among all people, and in a way [these songs] kind of address social justice but at a personal level.”
The singer says the album also carries a “jazzy blues” sound, noting among her influences Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Gillian Welch and Indigo Girls.
Witty performs with the band Social Insecurity, with which she began playing a little over a year ago and who backed her during her Atlanta Pride performance this summer.
“It’s been about four years since I released a CD, and I'm really looking forward to having the CD release party,” she says.
Restaurants downtown are set to begin their annual showcase, Downtown Atlanta Restaurant Week, Aug. 13-19. Many high-end participating restaurants offer prix fixe, three-course meals for $25 per person, plus tax and tip.
Lynn Williamson, the senior project manager in marketing for Central Atlanta Progress, the group that organizes the annual promotion, says it provides an opportunity to check out restaurants usually reserved for special occasions.
“I think the best thing is coming back to restaurants that they haven’t been to in a while,” he says. “A lot of people come downtown for a special occasion, so now they’re able to come for a really good price.”
Williamson says the week also offers a chance to try new downtown restaurants like Luckie Food Lounge and Thrive.The 26 participants also include Azio, No Mas! Cantina and the Pleasant Peasant.
In addition to the upscale restaurants, more modest eateries like Mick’s Midtown and O’Terrill’s offer three-course meals for $25 for two people.
Jim Elledge, a local gay poet, was recognized this year with two awards for “A History of My Tattoo,” a poem published in 2006. Elledge was honored in the poetry category for the Georgia Writers Association's Georgia Author of the Year Awards and is the recipient of this year’s Lambda Literary Award for Gay Male Poetry.
"I was very excited to learn about the first, the Georgia Writers award for poetry, and that would've been enough for anyone," Elledge says. "But then I was floored when I found out about the second, the Lambda Award for Gay Male Poetry."
Elledge is also the head of the Master of Arts in Professional Writing Program at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw. “A History of My Tattoo” is a non-linear, book-length poem detailing survival in the era of the Vietnam War and the beginnings of the AIDS epidemic.
This is the 34th year for the Georgia Author of the Year Awards, and Elledge was among 16 authors honored for literary achievements in 2006. Elledge was selected from 102 nominations.
The Lambda Literary Foundation observed its 19th year of awards for achievements in gay, lesbian and transgender literature at an awards ceremony in late May. Elledge was among 25 winners this year, selected from among 381 nominations nationwide.
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