Common Ground

The greatest artist you've never heard of

     

I first stumbled onto David Ippolito playing barefoot in Central Park on a honeymoon trip to NYC in 2006, and to say I was mightily impressed is an understatement. I live hundreds of miles away, but I now make pilgrimages at least twice per summer to join the "people on the hill" to hear him play. David and his music have redefined the New York experience for me, and I describe him to others as being the true heart of the city. No CD can ever quite equal the experience of seeing David play live in the park, but his recordings do capture that crystal clear voice and all of the emotion and honesty he brings to his music, and this album is no exception. In his live shows he covers songs by greats like Harry Chapin, Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, John Denver, REM, Bob Dylan and others, but in my opinion his own songs, his own charisma, and his own voice are on par with any one of them.