Biography - Carrie FitzGibbon and the Foundation

In a single performance Carrie FitzGibbon and the Foundation blow away a host of musical preconceptions and stereotypes, proving that one doesn't always have to compromise, that sometimes you really can have it all. FitzGibbon and the Foundation are an aural delight because they deliver such a complete package: great voice, interesting musical constructs, riveting songwriting, ripping guitars and more. This is the result of an unusually rewarding musical marriage between FitzGibbon and her dexterous duo of backing musicians, who provide much more than their namesake foundation. "Carrie FitzGibbon is one of the most radiant artists I have ever seen," says Bob Leone, project director for the Songwriters Hall of Fame. "Her beautiful melodies and moving lyrics capture your heart, your mind and your soul and set them to soaring." Leone is intimately familiar with FitzGibbon's work as the Songwriters Hall of Fame honored her last year with the Abe Olman Scholarship, their award for up and coming songwriters. Influenced by the folk, bluegrass and country music listened to during her childhood in Atlanta, GA, she is indeed both a fantastic songwriter and a performer of unusual warmth and subtle charisma, traits that are amplified and enhanced but never overwhelmed by David Gomberg and Jules Rosaly. Each plays both guitar and bass and both offer a deep and rich musical perspective which helps elevate FitzGibbon's music beyond normal folkie fare. Texas native Gomberg was profoundly inspired by the roots music and thriving blues scene of his native state. He earned his spurs playing around the campfires at the legendary Kerrville Folk Festival. Rosaly, meanwhile, is a native New Yorker who has spent years playing both bass and guitar in a wide range of Latin and rock bands. Together, they have an intuitive grasp of how to back FitzGibbon's trenchant songs. "The Foundation is a great band, with two guitarists injecting the music with a great mixture of rock and blues stylings without ever overwhelming the delicate beauty of FitzGibbon's music," says Guitar World's Alan Paul. "That is a rare and very welcome trait in such fine musicians." The trio gets as much inspiration from one another as others do from them jointly. "Carrie's songs establish in the listener an optimistic personal connection both to the music and within (the listener)," says Gomberg, a clinical psychologist by trade. "It's a pleasure to assist her in doing so."