On Memorial Day, Jami and I drove south to spend the day in Boston. We had a great time walking around the shops on Newbury Street, The Commons, and Downtown Crossing, then we headed to Quincy Market to end our Bean-town jaunt in our favorite way. He likes to shop, and I like to grab a double-shot espresso and a decadent chocolate dessert (this time a chocolate cannoli) and sit outside behind dark sun-glasses to people-watch.

As we headed outside the building to go our own ways, I found a perfect seat in the shade and settled in for some serious people-watching. Here's what I saw:

• A woman I worked with at a restaurant in Portland in the mid-80's
• Tourists, adorned with cameras and "Hello, my name is...how do I get back to my bus?" stickers
• Young couples in love
• Old couples in love
• People absorbed so much in their conversation that their Quincy Market location was a mere backdrop
• People who were together in silence - I saw several couples who slowly walked around, taking it all in, while saying nothing and everything, as if they were communicating on a different level
• and many, many more people, every one of them interesting in their own way

(Cheryl B. Engelhardt enters stage right)

While I sat there observing the passersby, a woman began setting up some equipment about fifteen feet away from me. First a chair, then a stand, then a keyboard, and a microphone, amplifier, and bottled water. (I'm extremely grateful that she also set up a small display of CDs.)

While she was setting up, a mother and her young son walked by, and the son went up to the keyboard and played a few keys. The musician smiled, and let him harmlessly play the notes as he kept walking, and the mother yelled at him about "not touching things that don't belong to you". It was a good motherly message, although it was delivered a bit over the top, and it was so gently balanced with the musician's smile. It was such a micro-event, but it said so much.

A few minutes later, Cheryl B. Engelhardt began to sing. She immediately blew me away! Her voice was beautifully melodic, crystal-clear, and genuine, and her lyrics painted impressionist paintings of love lost, day dreaming, storybook characters, overcoming barriers, and moving forward. I was not expecting such perfection and art from a sidewalk performance. Between songs I ran up and bought a CD - the best $10 I ever spent on music.

As soon as we got back to the car for the drive north I popped the CD in. I was amazed again, at her vocals, her mastery of the keyboard, her incredible band, and the orchestration of each song. I did what I often do when I hear new music - "she sounds sort of like this singer meets that singer meets the other singer combined with that band, with a little bit of this other band thrown in". That method of categorization quickly failed, because the whole package was so unique. Unique, and extremely enjoyable.

Do yourself a favor and check her out at www.cbemusic.com or www.myspace.com/cherylbengelhardt.

Paul