Performing at Singer Spotlight Unplugged at Uncommon Ground on Thursday, November 6.

Michael Strenning, Jr.
Michael Strening, Jr. is going to catch you off guard. His music had restaurateurs in Italy,who initially denied Michael the opportunity to play, throwing open the doors and windows of their restaurants and inviting people on the street to come in and hear his music. Michael’s live performances explode with energy; he unleashes the passion and beauty of his music on the piano,while pausing in between pieces to share the stories about the people and places that inspire his music. A natural storyteller, Michael can tell you about leaves on a tree in a way that has you picture the tree you climbed in your youth, or make you laugh as only your best friend can make you laugh. Michael’s music comes from having been a student of life. Michael spent 3 years living in Italy, and he has journeyed across Europe and the United States. His music emerges from the understanding and empathy of having shared his love of life and music with people of many backgrounds. As a result, his music crosses boundaries to create compassion and community; reaching across culture and language to create understanding.

John Hasbrouck
John Hasbrouck's highly personal style of fingerstyle and bottleneck guitar playing - played on a variety of 6- and 12-string instruments - takes its inspiration from traditional, roots and contemporary American and world music. His engaging performances incorporate everything from moody bottleneck instrumentals to up-tempo ragtime vocal tunes and film music arranged for solo guitar. Having played everything from country to punk to reggae and ska in his early days, Hasbrouck paid his dues logging over 100,000 miles of roadwork by 1985, by which time he had completely immersed himself in the art of fingerstyle guitar. Over the next decade he met and studied with numerous master players, and by the mid 1990s was an established artist performing regularly in and around Chicago. His recent critically acclaimed release, Ice Cream , is the product of these many years of performance and study. He currently performs throughout the midwest and teaches fingerstyle guitar privately and at The Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago.

Euguenia Elliott and Alan Dawson
Alan Dawson and Eugenia Elliott are pleased to be performing tonight at Singer Spotlight Unplugged. They have been seen together at the Vocal Venue in Naperville and most recently on the Singer Spotlight stage at Fitzgerald's. Both individually are veteran performers. Alan recorded his first song, "How much is that Doggie in the Window" at age 3 and has been performing ever since. First as a drummer for local bands in high school then as a drummer/singer for the Chicago based band the Cryan Shames on their 1968 "Synthesis" album. He has sung on a multitude of commercial jingles. After taking time off from performing and touring, to raise 2 sons, he is now back at work singing, recording and producing; focusing on his favorite musical styles, ballads and being from Chicago, the blues. When Alan was 3 singing about doggies in windows, Eugenia was barely a twinkle in her parents' eyes. She has matured since then and has explored a variety of musical styles including jazz, pop, country and most recently bluegrass. She has a jazz cd of big band standards out on Southport records, entitled "Where or When." She was most recently seen performing on the main stage of the Folk and Roots Festival with her bluegrass band Charming Axe. Alan and Eugenia met through their mutual friend and producer Bobby Schiff, a man well known in the Singer Spotlight circuit and discovered a shared love for moving lyrics and the compelling power of vocal harmonies. They hope to continue performing together beyond the confines of Alan's living room and appreciate the opportunity to continue their musical journey together with Singer Spotlight Unplugged tonight.

Fannie Floros
Fannie is elated and quite nervous to be performing at Singer Spotlight Unplugged for the first time. Although she has sung back-up, and in her church choir growing up, this is her first time singing solo. She would like to thank the band and everyone at Singer Spotlight for this opportunity. She would especially like to thank Becca Kaufman for "encouraging" her to take part inSinger Spotlight Unplugged and perform some of her own material. Thanks also go out to her gifted writing partner Rich Rankin, her wonderful family and amazing friends and her loving and supportive husband Lou. Peace!