Island singer and songwriter Sarah Christine will launch her third album, “Time to Shine,” at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 27, at Snapdragon’s Black Cat Cabaret.
Christine’s music features the interwoven flavors of soul, reggae, rhythm and blues and gospel.
In an interview, Christine said she defines her sound as “conscious soul music,” saying it comes from her soul and that she hopes it reaches the souls of others as well.
“My intention is to plant a seed of love and connection within someone else that can inspire them to take a chance or shine brighter or put themselves out there in a bigger way,” she said.
The album features 11 original compositions with Christine performing lead vocals, stacked harmonies, acoustic guitar, piano and synthesizer, backed by a cast of 13 local area musicians. The album was engineered, produced, mixed and mastered by Martin Feveyear at his studio on Vashon Island.
At Saturday’s concert, Christine and her band will perform the new album in its entirety as well as selected songs from her other recorded music. Band members are Alex George on bass, Raoul Hardin on drums, Richie Audino on guitar and percussion and Andon Hiltner on keys and vocals.
Another local favorite, Jacob Bain, will open the concert. Bain is the founder of the island bands Publish the Quest and Troll’s Cottage. He has collaborated with Christine on several music projects — most recently, he shot and edited a music video for “Time to Shine.” The video features picture-postcard footage of Christine singing “Coming Alive,” a cut from her album, surrounded by the natural beauty of Vashon’s forests and beaches.
Christine has lived on Vashon for more than 20 years. In addition to making music, she is an avid gardener, a vegan and a food and human rights activist. She also worked as labor support doula, welcoming more than 50 babies into the world with song. Her love of travel and music has led her up and down the West Coast, as well as to Hawaii, Jamaica, China and Bali, where she teamed up with Michael Franti at his retreat center, Soulshine.
Closer to home, she has played at Northwest Folklife Festival, Conscious Culture Festival, True Nature Yoga Fest, Northwest Roots Festival, Wealthy Goddess Live, Jazzbones, Nectar Lounge, Columbia City Theater, Breitenbush Retreat Center and Triple Door’s main stage.
She has also sent other travelers off into the world through her regular gig as a performer at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
One of her favorite memories as a musician came from one of her SeaTac appearances, when three years ago, she looked up to see Stevie Wonder making his way, with two escorts, across the terminal to talk to her.
One of Wonder’s handlers told her that the famed musician had heard her from all the way across the terminal and wanted to know “who that voice was.”
After meeting Wonder and listening to him praise her music — which Christine described as an out-of-body experience — she picked up her guitar and started playing again, as Wonder sat in the terminal and listened to her songs for another 30 minutes.
“It was so affirming,” Christine said, describing her lifelong respect and admiration for Wonder’s music.
Advance tickets to Christine’s show, $15, are on sale at brownpapertickets.org. At the door, admission is $20. For more information about Christine and to sample her music, visit sarahchristinemusic.com.
