Elaine Summers

Elaine Summers first wielded her distinctive alto in the public sphere as a backup vocalist for singer-songwriter Pete Droge, who would become Summers' partner both on and off the stage. She stepped out on her own with her solo debut, Transplanting, in 1997. Droge produced, engineered and mixed the effort. Summers is also a visual artist. (A sample of the her mosaic work can be seen on the cover of her 2002 album, Sparkler.) Summers, a Virginia native, was first inspired to become a musical performer when she witnessed a 1978 Bruce Springsteen concert. She was living in Portland and pursuing her dream in the early '90s when she first ran into Droge, another solo performer on the scene. Shortly thereafter, Summers began singing backup for him, and when Droge landed a record deal, Summers stuck with him as a member of his group, the Sinners. The unit toured the world as an opener for such marquee acts as Neil Young and Tom Petty. During a hiatus from the hectic tour schedule, Summers, with the help of Droge, recorded some demos of her own material. Loosegroove Records proprietor (and Pearl Jam member) Stone Gossard heard Summers' demo and encouraged her to make a record with the label. The result was 1997's Transplanting. Droge also played a key role in Summers' sophomore effort, Sparkler, but this time around the two enlisted members of the Sinners to provide instrumentation. (Droge and Summers had split playing duties on the debut.) The result was a more layered and polished Americana effort than Transplanting, with folk and country flourishes and occasional nods to the kind of cosmopolitan roots-music produced by stalwarts such as Sheryl Crow and Tom Petty. The album also featured a cover of the obscure Gram Parsons nugget "Just Can't Take It Anymore." The album...