In an intimate and friendly garden event at Janet Goodwin’s and Karl Lisovsky’s house in Venice, Kai Landauer (aka Karl Lisovsky) and Lesley Kernochan hosted a short concert of Kai’s original songs, accompanied by guitarist Barrett Tagliarino and percussionist Diana Perkins. This was also a Facebook Live Event, where people from as far away as Chicago and Seattle tuned in, as well as UUSM members. This summer’s event was one of many items in our Spring 2021 Dining for Dollars auction, which together raised over $7,000 to support the work of our church community. Thank you to all who bid in our auction!
The concert also celebrated Kai and Lesley’s CD “I Believe in You,” which is available to anyone who would like it. Just email kflsongs@icloud.com with your mailing address and you will receive the CD promptly.
Amazingly, you can enjoy this concert right now.
The title song on the album also has its own inspiring video.
Kai Landauer notes: I started writing songs seriously as a teenager, modeling my work mostly on the Beatles, but influenced by Harry Belafonte, Simon and Garfunkel and Dylan. Some of my songs originated a long time ago, like in the 1970s, but have lain dormant in one state or another for years. This is particularly true of melodies, which were born years ago but found their lyrics much later. For example, Rainy Day Lover as a tune and as a title originated in 1974, but I finally figured out that it was to be a “spiritual autobiography” in the 1990s. 
Recently, I have come to rely more and more on professional talent like Lesley, as well as people like Barrett and Diana, the guitarist and percussionist in our concert, to produce a quality that I as a musician simply can’t match. I owe the commercial-grade quality in my most recent songs to the guitar, piano, violin, percussion that these musicians offer. Kai’s website.
Lesley Kernochan is an Americana folk singer/songwriter with prayerful lyrics and occasional bursts of jazzy mouth trumpet. Within each song Lesley’s versatile voice brings music to life that is “uniquely beautiful…[with] lively and sharp intelligence.” [No Depression] Lesley has an eclectic background as a saxophonist, contemporary classical composer, operatically trained coloratura, and musical saw player. Currently she primarily performs on guitar, ukulele, and piano. She has five albums of original music including the a cappella creation Undulating, her indie folk/rock sensation The Pickle Jar, the surprise twist children’s book and album A Day in the Life of a Boogaleeboo, Americana country/folk record A Calm Sun, and the eclectic Americana album The Hummingbird Revolution. Lesley’s website.
And keep an eye out for the next fun UUSM auction!
