Acoustic Sunday Songwriters Hosted by Mike Berman
Sunday, July 13 at 2:30PM
An Afternoon of Blues, Americana, and Folk Music with Rees Shad, Cynthia Brando, Ed Tree, and Mike Berman
Massachusetts-based REES SHAD visits Jeweled Universe in a rare West Coast appearance. In the rich tapestry of Americana music, few artists have woven stories as intricate and compelling as Rees Shad. Since his 1994 debut “Anderson, Ohio”, Shad has been on a relentless quest to push the boundaries of musical storytelling, earning him a reputation as not just a songwriter, but a true architect of narratives in the world of contemporary folk and Americana. His most recent album, Porcelain Angel, has been hovering near the top of the folk music charts since its release earlier this year. In his review in Americana Highways, Bill Bentley wrote “It’s always a great sign when an artist is able to craft an album that sounds so broad-based there’s no way to nail down and identify where their sound absolutely comes from. Rees Shad has been making recordings for 30 years, and still is able to draw in an unlimited range of listeners with each new release. Best of all, PORCELAIN ANGEL has topped them all.”
South Pasadena’s own CYNTHIA BRANDO returns with her “voice that’s ideal for folk music, wonderfully throaty and possessed of authentic backbone” (Music Connection). She brings from her recent “Sidelines” album, as well as a rich repertoire that has received awards from American Songwriter Magazine and the Songdoor International Songwriting Competition, as well as her singing that garnered her a first place in the 2022 Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest. Cynthia has a catalog of moving songs that she delivers with an engaging and polished performance.
Mississippi-bred guitarist and songwriter ED TREE has produced over 150 albums, including 2 top five Billboard Blues chart releases, and has recorded and/or toured the world with Spencer Davis, Rita Coolidge, Al Stewart, Juice Newton, Booker T. Jones and others. He has played the New Orleans Jazz Fest and The Grand Ole Opry (with his band The Bum Steers) and had his songs on the Top 40 Billboard Country chart with a number one song in Europe. Ed keeps up a busy schedule as a producer and studio owner, and continues to write and perform as a member of the Tall Men Group in Los Angeles.
Host and performer MIKE BERMAN writes and performs original songs rooted in the folk and California folk rock traditions. Mike's 2025 album Ghosts contains eight original tracks addressing themes such as growing up amidst gun violence, lost relationships, the dangers of looking back, and the redemption and mercy that love and music can bring to your soul. He has been performing across Southern California and in the Northeast including featured sets at the Cape May Songwriting Festival. Mike’s July 2025 single, La Ciudad del Sol, is a co-write with Rob Waller (I See Hawks in LA).
Sunday, July 13 at 2:30PM
An Afternoon of Blues, Americana, and Folk Music with Rees Shad, Cynthia Brando, Ed Tree, and Mike Berman
Massachusetts-based REES SHAD visits Jeweled Universe in a rare West Coast appearance. In the rich tapestry of Americana music, few artists have woven stories as intricate and compelling as Rees Shad. Since his 1994 debut “Anderson, Ohio”, Shad has been on a relentless quest to push the boundaries of musical storytelling, earning him a reputation as not just a songwriter, but a true architect of narratives in the world of contemporary folk and Americana. His most recent album, Porcelain Angel, has been hovering near the top of the folk music charts since its release earlier this year. In his review in Americana Highways, Bill Bentley wrote “It’s always a great sign when an artist is able to craft an album that sounds so broad-based there’s no way to nail down and identify where their sound absolutely comes from. Rees Shad has been making recordings for 30 years, and still is able to draw in an unlimited range of listeners with each new release. Best of all, PORCELAIN ANGEL has topped them all.”
South Pasadena’s own CYNTHIA BRANDO returns with her “voice that’s ideal for folk music, wonderfully throaty and possessed of authentic backbone” (Music Connection). She brings from her recent “Sidelines” album, as well as a rich repertoire that has received awards from American Songwriter Magazine and the Songdoor International Songwriting Competition, as well as her singing that garnered her a first place in the 2022 Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest. Cynthia has a catalog of moving songs that she delivers with an engaging and polished performance.
Mississippi-bred guitarist and songwriter ED TREE has produced over 150 albums, including 2 top five Billboard Blues chart releases, and has recorded and/or toured the world with Spencer Davis, Rita Coolidge, Al Stewart, Juice Newton, Booker T. Jones and others. He has played the New Orleans Jazz Fest and The Grand Ole Opry (with his band The Bum Steers) and had his songs on the Top 40 Billboard Country chart with a number one song in Europe. Ed keeps up a busy schedule as a producer and studio owner, and continues to write and perform as a member of the Tall Men Group in Los Angeles.
Host and performer MIKE BERMAN writes and performs original songs rooted in the folk and California folk rock traditions. Mike's 2025 album Ghosts contains eight original tracks addressing themes such as growing up amidst gun violence, lost relationships, the dangers of looking back, and the redemption and mercy that love and music can bring to your soul. He has been performing across Southern California and in the Northeast including featured sets at the Cape May Songwriting Festival. Mike’s July 2025 single, La Ciudad del Sol, is a co-write with Rob Waller (I See Hawks in LA).
Sunday, July 13 at 2:30PM
An Afternoon of Blues, Americana, and Folk Music with Rees Shad, Cynthia Brando, Ed Tree, and Mike Berman
Massachusetts-based REES SHAD visits Jeweled Universe in a rare West Coast appearance. In the rich tapestry of Americana music, few artists have woven stories as intricate and compelling as Rees Shad. Since his 1994 debut “Anderson, Ohio”, Shad has been on a relentless quest to push the boundaries of musical storytelling, earning him a reputation as not just a songwriter, but a true architect of narratives in the world of contemporary folk and Americana. His most recent album, Porcelain Angel, has been hovering near the top of the folk music charts since its release earlier this year. In his review in Americana Highways, Bill Bentley wrote “It’s always a great sign when an artist is able to craft an album that sounds so broad-based there’s no way to nail down and identify where their sound absolutely comes from. Rees Shad has been making recordings for 30 years, and still is able to draw in an unlimited range of listeners with each new release. Best of all, PORCELAIN ANGEL has topped them all.”
South Pasadena’s own CYNTHIA BRANDO returns with her “voice that’s ideal for folk music, wonderfully throaty and possessed of authentic backbone” (Music Connection). She brings from her recent “Sidelines” album, as well as a rich repertoire that has received awards from American Songwriter Magazine and the Songdoor International Songwriting Competition, as well as her singing that garnered her a first place in the 2022 Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest. Cynthia has a catalog of moving songs that she delivers with an engaging and polished performance.
Mississippi-bred guitarist and songwriter ED TREE has produced over 150 albums, including 2 top five Billboard Blues chart releases, and has recorded and/or toured the world with Spencer Davis, Rita Coolidge, Al Stewart, Juice Newton, Booker T. Jones and others. He has played the New Orleans Jazz Fest and The Grand Ole Opry (with his band The Bum Steers) and had his songs on the Top 40 Billboard Country chart with a number one song in Europe. Ed keeps up a busy schedule as a producer and studio owner, and continues to write and perform as a member of the Tall Men Group in Los Angeles.
Host and performer MIKE BERMAN writes and performs original songs rooted in the folk and California folk rock traditions. Mike's 2025 album Ghosts contains eight original tracks addressing themes such as growing up amidst gun violence, lost relationships, the dangers of looking back, and the redemption and mercy that love and music can bring to your soul. He has been performing across Southern California and in the Northeast including featured sets at the Cape May Songwriting Festival. Mike’s July 2025 single, La Ciudad del Sol, is a co-write with Rob Waller (I See Hawks in LA).