COVER STORY .

Jacqui Cunliffe


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Published: Sep 16, 2009

Each salon operator interviewed for this story spent time and lent devotion to my slew of questions — much like they do at their salons. Below are some of their thoughtful answers not included in our feature.

City Paper: Other than running a salon and being a psychologist, what keeps you busy?

JC: I am a supporter of the arts and an amateur poet. I am also studying for my certification in energy psychology, a true union of Western psychotherapy with Eastern Chinese medicine.

CP: What's your salon schedule like?

JC: I host my events sporadically, as the spirit moves me and when artists wish to do them. I have some personal, philosophical connection to all the artists I host and, I suppose, that is a quality typical of the nature of salons. ... I probably host at least five salons a year. The future of my salons lie in the hands of those who wish to participate. As long as there are interesting artists or worthy causes, I probably could be persuaded into continuing.

CP: Why did you start in the first place?

JC: I attended a house concert and thought, "What a fun idea — I wish I could do something like this." At that particular time, I was getting daily reports through various alternative news sources about the horrors in Darfur, before there was any major media coverage of the tragic events being played out half a world away. A friend and I talked about how we could go about raising some money for humanitarian aid, and we thought about hosting a house concert. Since I had the perfect space, I agreed to host the event and we asked a musician friend, Jim Boggia, if he would be interested in playing. We barely got the question out and he immediately volunteered his services as well as the sale of his CDs.

CP: Any problems afoot?

JC: I love people and I obviously enjoy the music/musicians hosted at my salons. I am not a musician, but my brother is a fine musician and has been featured at two house concerts. I find that I am not overly conscious about the traffic of so many people going to my house. I am more concerned that the lighting is right, the sound is the best possible, everyone feels comfortable and welcomed, and that I have done a good enough job of promotion. I love parties, and each one of my salons is a house party.

CP: Do you consider it your calling?

JC: It could never be considered a job. There is a lot of work to be done by show time and there is no monetary compensation. This is a passion. There is a great deal of personal satisfaction and there is nothing like having your house filled with the joyful sounds of great music, laughter and the chatter of friends.

CP: Any particularly meaningful shows come to mind?

JC: When John Francis performs, he always comes over early to set up and then takes about 30 minutes in seclusion, cloistered in his designated "dressing room," writing a brand-new song spontaneously, using the moment and the setting as his muse. He then debuts his new creation at the salon.

CP: What's hardest about having the public in your space?

JC: The toughest thing is getting the house in shape before the concert and moving all the furniture around to accommodate the seating. THAT is the most work. And I must confess, there have been times when the concert-hall arrangement of chairs remained in place for a few weeks! Obviously there is more motivation for the setup than the breakdown.

CP: What's coming up?

JC: On Sept. 19 I have a return performance of John Francis, fresh from his experience in Nashville with John Carter Cash. On Oct. 17, I have Wynne Alexander; and upcoming shows are planned for performances by Fontaine-Cooley, Gary Yerkins and my brother, Joseph Cunliffe.

CP: What else do you got for me? What's the magic?

JC: Well, I do believe there is a little element of magic that goes on in these gatherings; my house seems to generate that feeling. In the morning before the concert ,all seems pretty normal. Then all kinds of chaos starts, furniture gets moved, folding chairs are brought in, sometimes video and recording equipment needs to be set up. In a single day the house is transformed; by concert time, the room is buzzing and the music starts and magic happens. My partner Julian (a Grammy-nominated recording engineer) often records and mixes the performance for the artists as a memento of their performance.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)