Belle of the Hall

Roy Thompson Hall has been offering live music at its "patio", an open space next to an underground reflecting pool. On Thursday, I left work early to check out Belle Starr, a female trio doing their own take on well-known country and folk songs. All three took turn singing lead, but it was their warm 3-part harmony that stood out in their set. They could also all play a mean fiddle, as heard on a Don Messer number. But they excelled in other talents too. Miranda Mulholland spun out fiddle solos, Kendal Carson supplied guitar accompaniment, and Stephanie Cadman pounded and tapped complex rhythm with her East Coast tap-dancing.

They covered the gamut from Hank Williams (Tougher Than The Rest) and Dolly Parton (Jolene), to Waylon Jennings (Freedom To Stay) and The Marvelettes (Please Mr. Postman). Curious passer-bys and busy business folks stopped to peered down and listened. Some found their way to the underground entrance. Amid the urban landscape, Belle Starr gave us a bit of country.