“Simon Says,” written only days after the devastation of September 11, conveys the feeling of hope rising from a country’s somber world. Shaber wrote the song on September 23 sitting on a perch outside her New York City apartment, just 15 blocks from where the twin towers once stood. I have heard many songs about September 11 but have yet to find one whose beautiful lyrics capture the moment as well as this song with such emotive phrases as “how many times can a flag twist around its pole” and “how many times will hate burn a hole.”

The lyrics of Shaber’s song “Eldorado” were also quite stirring. She wrote the song for her mother who was terribly sick at that time. Words like “the world could end if I don’t keep up my space” reminded me of troubled times in my own life.

Shaber draws her songwriting influences from growing up in a rough area of New York City. “I didn’t practice much, but boy did I love walking around New York with a guitar in a gig bag slung over my shoulder,” she noted on her website.

In addition to her excellent songwriting talents, Shaber has an outstandingly harmonic voice, a strong grasp of musical dynamics, and a unique ability to flawlessly play the guitar while performing fast-paced songs. It has been years since I’ve seen an artist stroke a guitar during a live concert as well as she did that night, while continuing to sing on key . She even used the side of the guitar as a drum at certain points.

Shaber earned the John Lennon Award for her songwriting in 2001 and has been named Best Independent Female Artist of the Year by the website Femusic.com. Shaber has recorded four CDs during her musical career under the direction of producer Shawn Mullins, including Eighty Numbered Streets, Sam*pler, Perfect, and In the Bunker.