Ark: Vance Gilbert.
Singer-songwriter from Cambridge (MA), a veteran of the Boston folk scene who, according to Boston Globe reviewer Craig Harris, sings “in a soulful, Al Jarreau-like voice, accompanying himself with heavily syncopated acoustic guitar melodies.” Gilbert’s songs address a range of topics from the experience of being black in America to the hard inner life of single parents, and they are distinguished by a subtle sense of rhythm and a trenchant sense of humor. His 2023 album, The Mother of Trouble, mixes both straight-ahead ballads with more adventurous folk tunes tinged with funk, jazz, and R&B. $20.