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Singer-Songwriter Develops Following

Cheryl Bentley/SUNCOAST NEWS

Louie Palma, left, and Ronnie Ray perform original music Thursdays on Live Original Music Nights at Colorama Music, in the Hudson area.

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By Cheryl  Bentley | The Suncoast News

Published: August 20, 2008

With previous membership in two bands under his musical belt, Louie Palma is no stranger to cover songs. But he has gotten little chance to develop original music until recently.

These days, Palma shows off his song writing talents at Colorama Music's Live Original Music Night, in Hudson. His inspiration appears to be everyday life, with both its school of hard knocks and its moments of grace.

Palma and his accompanist, guitar player Ronnie Ray, are regulars at the event and have developed a local following. "The audience has begun to request particular songs," Palma noted.

His most requested number, "My Wallet's Talking to Me," a gentle, ironic tale of times in which cash is not flush, comes from a phrase his father often said when his children asked for money when funds were low, Palma explained.

In "My Dear LaVerne," Palma paints a picture of love's everyday, low-key sweetness. "Hey, LaVerne, 20 years together, you're still putting up with me," he sings.

Palma believes singing his own songs adds another level to his performance. "You get bored by doing cover tunes. It's much better when the song is yours."

His style, Palma says, is "a cross between folk, country and rock." Fans have likened his sound to that of singer-songwriter Neil Young.

Guitarist Ray is also a veteran of area bands and was on the road four years touring nationally in Rhodes Brothers band. "He can go from really hard rock guitar to some of the most beautiful acoustic stuff you've ever heard," Palma said.

Palma works on the songs several weeks before debuting them at Colorama. Lead guitarist Ray has not heard the song before they perform it.

"Part of the fun is playing live and coming up with an original song and letting the audience watch us work it out on the stage," Palma said. "It's really cool."

Colorama's owner, Leslie Payne, created the Thursday night event because he had observed that artists often had few chances to perform original material.

Newcomers to performing also use the venue. "They can test their skills and the audience reaction without extreme pressure," Payne said.

The lowdown

Louie Palma and Ronnie Ray will perform 7:30 - 10 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 21, at Colorama Music, 9302 Denton Ave., Hudson. Cover charge is $5.

Cheryl Bentley can be reached at 727-815-1069 cbentley@suncoastnews.com.

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