Songbirds Fly in Local Clubs

In the fertile music scene of San Francisco, finding a singer-songwriter like Keeley Valentino in a local club is not surprising. You just have to pay attention to what's available when you travel on business or pleasure to any town. Like Sweetwater Pub, the renowned local live music club in Mill Valley in the Marin County suburbs north of Fog City. Tracy Nelson, Ry Cooder, Marcia Ball and Bonnie Raitt are among the hundreds of name musicians who have performed at Sweetwater in the past 30 years.

And now, if there ever were a womantraveler, it's Keeley. Accompanied by her acoustic musical partner Stan Sonu, her lyrics embrace life's hopeful breaks and hard knocks with the conviction of youthful growth, discovery and wisdom. I've known Nashville-based Keeley, 24, for a few years, so clearly I'm a fan. I've watched her blossom as a womantraveler from Vanderbilt University to her potential as a folk-oriented singer-songwriter of national note. She brings new insights into life's real experiences on her CD "The Mechanics of Leaving" (with songtitles such as "Won't Wait Around" and "Last One Standing").

In these heartfelt local clubs, where musicians like Bonnie Raitt, Emmy Lou Harris, Carly Simon and Norah Jones got their start, we find many young songbirds like Keeley who are pursuing their talent with verve and courage. Wherever we are, we womentravelers should keep checking out such young virtuosos -- they keep our lives rich as we continue to learn.