National Public Radio christened Susan Werner with the revered title of “Empress of the Unpredictable,” and the Iowa native/Chicago resident has clearly earned the complimentary sobriquet.
Werner transformed her youthful interest in music into degrees in voice from the University of Iowa and Temple University with an ear toward an operatic career, but she was converted to acoustic guitar and Folk by a Nanci Griffith concert.
Over the past six years, Werner has explored a Gospel direction (The Gospel Truth and Live at Club Passim), Chamber Pop (Classics, covers of ’60s and ’70s songs in a chamber setting) and contemporary Folk/Rock (Kicking the Beehive, produced by the inimitable Rodney Crowell).
Werner’s next studio album, Hayseed, will see release later this year and, according to her website, will concern “farms, farmers and the people who love them.” What will it sound like? Like every other proclamation from the Empress of the Unpredictable, which by definition would be like no other proclamation from the Empress of the Unpredictable, which by definition means it will sound exactly like Susan Werner.
Susan Werner performs 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 13 at Miami University Hamilton in the Parish Auditorium with David Wilcox. $22. Details here.