Diane Cluck: A Singular Vision, Sung Sweetly

Diane Cluck writes songs and sings them while she plays guitar. That's true of a million other artists, too, but in Cluck's case there's no telling what will result from her use of these commonplace tools. Cluck herself seems free of presumptions about what a song can or should be, and listening to her singular voice, startling insights, musical invention and unique perspective becomes a liberating and refreshing experience.

Cluck is willing to traverse the frontiers of song and occasionally report back to us what she discovers there. She believes in "taking time with something to explore what it's about," as she says in this interview. Because her receptors are open, her explorations are rewarding. Her music has never been formally publicized, but her performances and recordings have generated a devoted audience anyway.

An unlikely mix of Aaron Neville, the Baka people and Joni Mitchell, Cluck's singing is unaffected yet unusual. She handles her guitar in a distinctive way, often plucking the strings where the neck meets the body of the guitar, producing a harp-like tone.

For this performance and interview session on Spinning On Air, Cluck performs with drummer Anders Griffen (who's similarly open-minded about how he approaches his instrument), accompanies herself on piano for one song, "Draw Me Out," and sings the duet "Ownerless Tree" with Abbey Todras. Grouping some songs into suites and singing others unaccompanied, Cluck takes us on an intimate journey through her insights, concerns and joys.

Click here to see photos from this session.

Click here to download the full session from WNYC.