Live at Sellersville Theater

This engaging snapshot of Philadelphia-bred singer/songwriter/guitarist Craig Bickhardt captures the reflective grace and rugged energy he puts into his shows, as well as the poetic skill and disarming heart of his songwriting. Michael Ronstadt (Linda’s nephew) on cello, Tommy Geddes on percussion, and Tom Hampton on mandolin and lap steel guitar flesh out Bickhardt’s tunes with nuanced, sympathetic playing. On tracks like “Sugarcane Street” and “Life with the Sound Turned Down,” the combo’s acoustic-based sound recalls the country-rock sparkle of vintage Poco and Pure Prairie League. Bickhardt’s vocals—burly, with a sweet undertone—bring out the Celtic melancholy of “Crazy Nightingale” (a toast to poet Dylan Thomas) and the wry humor of “Donald and June” (a skewed portrait of parenthood). The previously unrecorded “Men and Rivers” invokes the grand sweep of American history with flashes of Mark Twain-esque imagery. Throughout, Bickhardt holds the stage with a veteran’s confidence while projecting a sense of hard-tested idealism and faith.