December 1, 2005
Morning Call, Bethlehem, PA
Get Into The Act: Trevor Exter
Trevor Exter has taken on the mantle of a traveling troubadour, living the hard-scrabble life on the road that millionaires such as Bob Dylan and Neil Young still sing about.
Even as you read this, you can be certain Exter, an Ithaca, N.Y., native who a couple of years ago made southeastern Pennsylvania his home base, has been driving his aging Honda all day to reach a new venue.
‘‘I had a near-death experience,’‘ says Exter, 32, referring to an accident in London in 2003, when his bicycle collided with a cement truck, crushing his foot. ‘‘I realized then that music makes me feel really happy and makes me feel most alive.’‘
And his music deserves to be heard. Live, it becomes apparent that Exter has developed his own musical voice by combining the soul of an ancient bluesman with the rich tonal palette afforded by a cello. It’s only a raggedy working-class cello, and sometimes Exter beats on it like a $40 Sears guitar, but then sometimes he bows it with all the tenderness of Pablo Casals caressing a romantic passage.
This broad-ranging technique, so apparent on his new album, ‘‘637 Sounds,’‘ easily can distract from Trevor’s storytelling ability that can call to mind James Taylor discussing the meaning of happiness with Tom Waits at the neighborhood bar.
Exter is pleased he can make a career doing what he does. ‘‘I’ve never been very successful getting a normal day job,’‘ says the three-time college dropout.
Bill Medei