Photos by Sanjeev Naikawadi

Carmel Helene, LA indie singer/songwriter, has made music videos before but Easter Sunday 2006 marked a notable change in her career. Her prior offerings featured the music of Helene’s full band with amped-up production. This time out, Club Carmel offered the Unplugged version.

One room of a private art institute near the 134 Freeway was transformed into a cabaret type setting, featuring small tables, an upholstered chair, a couch, hangings, pillows and candles, evoking an atmosphere that was part college coffee house and part Rick's American Cafe à la Casablanca. The audience consisted of invitees, among whom were singer/songwriters in their own right. Video director Ted Prescott and his able assistant Sanjeev Naikawadi had the space prepared for the audience’s arrival. The total number present might have been 15, but no more.

The object was to provide as much video footage as possible of one composition—Carmel's signature tune “No Strings”—from different angles and focal points, so the director had plenty of material with which to build up that tune to a visually as well as aurally interesting presentation. The completed product will be one segment of a DVD expected to be in retail outlets by summer, the rest being material already in the can.

The musicians were stationary, sitting on stools. Those who have seen Carmel play would be perplexed at the notion of her not dancing while singing. Carmel held a microphone as a prop, but sang without amplification or any kind of PA. Accompaniment was by Janet Robin on Taylor acoustic guitar. Janet has been a Taylor endorser since her Lindsey Buckingham tour a decade ago. Robin is an accomplished guitarist and singer/songwriter as well as Carmel’s instructor. Carmel isn’t wielding her own axe on stage yet. This was an experiment and a first time for the artist in this acoustic mode. Coupled with the intimate atmosphere this provided a very low key experience.

Hearing the same song ten or eleven times would ordinarily not be so interesting, but the experimental nature of the project, the director's candor and finesse, and Carmel's bouncy good spirits kept the thing flowing. Her assistant refreshed her makeup between takes. The director was not unaware of the strain on a voice, so the series of takes was not endless. Ms. Robin had one take where she simply played the guitar, with no vocals. The session closed with a series of close-ups and it was over.

This venture toward the realm of stand-alone troubadour as well as band leader should add variety to and enhance the vitality of the artist's career. After the wrap there was much exchanging of cards among the musicians present, and identifying of mutually interesting websites. Now all is in the hands of the editor!