Fred Small

The political insight and human compassion that inspired Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Fred Small to seek a law degree continues to be expressed in his folk-rooted songs. Over the past two decades, Small has musically addressed everything from homosexuality in the military and the unnecessary difficulties of the disabled to radioactive frogs and a moose's infatuation with a cow. Pete Seeger, Rosalie Sorrels, The Flirtations, Steve Gillette and Priscilla Herdman are only some of the many musicians who have covered Small's songs. Small's tune, "Everything Possible" was used for the finale of the AIDS benefit musical, Heart Strings, in 1992. The grandnephew of famed painter Thomas Hart Benton, Small was primed for intellectual pursuits. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Yale University, he went on to study for a law degree and a masters degree in natural resources policy from the University of Michigan. Although he grew up listening to his parent's record collection, which included several Kingston Trio albums, Small didn't become serious about music until his early-twenties. He composed his first song a few hours before taking his first law school exam. After finishing school, Small accepted a staff attorney position for the Conservation Law Foundation in Boston. Although it appeared his future was secure, Small became increasingly absorbed by his songwriting. Appearing in local folk music clubs and coffeehouses, he soon attracted acclaim for his witty, politically-tinged, tunes. Small's views made him a popular performer at political and anti-nuclear demonstrations including the nationally-broadcast M.U.S.E. Concert at New York's Battery Park in 1978. The enthusiastic response he received inspired Small to resign from his law position and seek his fame as a singer-songwriter. Small's debut album, Love Will Carry Us, was released in 1981. Although the album centered around his acoustic guitar and vocals, Small's subsequent recordings have been increasingly produced with instrumental and vocal support by New England's best folk performers. Accompanied by fiddler Johnny Cunningham, guitar and mandolin player John Curtis (The Pousette-Dart Band) and background vocalist Catherine David, Small recorded a live album, Everything Possible: Fred Small In Concert, at the Old Cambridge Baptist Church on March 26, 1993.
— Craig Harris , All Music Guide