Miss America by Roberta Chevrette

Also helping Roberta to carve her own path are her distinctive guitar work and a voice that one writer describes as "stunning," saying, "It's clean and clear, and it provides the perfect vehicle to carry her thoughtful lyrics across the landscape created by her melodies." So it is that armed with just her acoustic guitar and her naivete (along with the help of online stores like CD Baby), Roberta's homegrown demo cd, Can You Hear This? (2003), managed to draw attention as far away as Belgium and Germany, and her full-length studio debut,

Woman Mother Earth Sky (2004), led to tours and radio appearances across the US. With the release of her sophomore cd, Miss America, on March 19th, 2005, this

driven and talented 23 year-old has certainly been keeping busy.

Describing the new cd as "fast, fierce, feminist folk," Roberta delivers 13 new songs on the album, which, while continuing in the strong socio-political lyrical focus showcased on her debut cd, also branch out into a newer folkier realm of stringed instruments and bluegrass influenced harmonies. From the flat-picked opening notes of "country girl," to the feminist commentary on body image in the aptly titled, "miss america," to the rollicking sound of "bear tracks" and a couple of the political spoken word pieces that Roberta's audiences have come to know and love, Roberta has created an album with a sound that falls somewhere between the woman-on-her-own style of

influential artists like Ani DiFranco and that of a rowdy boot-stompin' (albeit untraditional) string band.

And that is not all. In the past two years Roberta has shared the stage with Sacramento's rising star, Jackie Greene as well as numerous other local and touring performers; she has performed at folk festivals alongside seasoned veterans such as Utah Phillips and newcomers like Noe Venable; and she has toured near and far, receiving press and airplay while criss-crossing the country. She is a performing member of Indiegrrl and a dedicated activist to feminist/queer/progressive causes, interrupting the stream of coffeehouses, bars and acoustic music venues and festivals to play for diverse causes, from Seattle's Bend-it! Queer Youth Arts Festival to benefits for the West Coast Feminist Health Alliance, NOW (National Organization of Women), the Green Party, Sacramento Peace Action and many others.

But what shines through most, as anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing Roberta perform can attest, are her energetic live performances; and with her colorful presence and outspoken exuberance, she has drawn comparisons to the aforementioned DiFranco, as well as guitarist Leo Kottke

and beat poet Allen Ginsberg. Although she can be found playing many shows solo, she is often accompanied by one or both members of her acoustic band (although they are not always wearing dresses), The Roberta Chevrette Trio, featuring Ken Burnett on mandolin and harmonies and John Bellizia on banjo and percussion.

VISIT WWW.ROBERTACHEVRETTE.COM FOR MORE INFO, MAILING LIST, TOUR SCHEDULE AND MORE.

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