Press / Reviews

Reviews of Remembering Butterflies / Released 2020

“The term I always come up with for Donna’s music is “beauty”. That beauty is on full display in her latest album “Remembering Butterflies”. Her voice is always a joy to listen to, the production is top notch.”

Al Kniola, The Back Porch, 88.1 WVPE Public Radio

 

“Excellent new CD. Love the way you put lyrics to music! ‘When the Song Writes You’ is a treasure!”

Jim Fisher, Acoustic Crossings – WGCS Globe Radio

 

“Very vivid believable song – so lyrically engaging”

Re: Dollar Lake from Remembering Butterflies, – Music City Song Star

 

General Comments:

“Donna Adler has an amazing voice and is a talented guitarist and songwriter. She has a very straightforward style a lot of the time, and a strong, rich, confident, beautiful voice. Perhaps a cross between Karen Carpenter and Iris Dement. Every time I see her she gets better and better.”

Mike Mendelson
The Ectophile’s Guide to Good Music
http://ectoguide.org/

 

“The first time I heard Donna was at an open mic at Bill’s where I was doing sound; she took my breath away with the creative “Invisible Light”. The next time I heard her was at a house concert where she sang with Buddy Mondlock. I attended her CD release party at Lilly’s. Her range of styles and sounds, her writing and her very organic approach to her artistry is a bright light in an otherwise fairly dim world of contemporary music. Pure voice, pure artistry and pure fun with ‘Bob the Dogwalker!'”

Norm “MadDawg” Siegel, Chicago Singer-Songwriter

 

Reviews of Stories to Keep / Released 2012

“It’s apparent Donna Adler spent some serious time studying female folk heroes like Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, and a pre-pop crossover Linda Ronstadt, though she still interjects plenty of originality throughout the easygoing Stories to Keep…”

Andy Argyrakis – The Illinois Entertainer
www.illinoisentertainer.com

 

“Donna Adler steps comfortably into the shoes of the men and women who have bared their souls with only a guitar as backup. Donna Adler is your guide on self-discovery (“Why Do I Believe”), advice “Marry Me (Before I Marry Him), and a look into how others have navigated their lives and found inspiration (“Visions of Pontito”), (“Poor Lewis Schroeder”). She carries a story with delicacy. She captures thoughts and themes with the care of holding a butterfly.”

Danny McClosky – The Alternate Root
www.thealternateroot.com

“The pure-voiced Donna Adler has a good way with songs on this folksy, country-tinged album. Here she covers a few songs by Tom Dundee and Emmylou Harris and writes her own about Dorian Gray and other intriguing topics. Whatever she sings sounds credible and warm. She’s made a wonderful album.”

Anna Maria Stjarnell – The Ectophile’s Guide to Good Music
ectoguide.org/

 

Reviews of Violets and Blues / Released 2007

“This singer songwriter has a voice that sounds like a combination of the (younger) Linda Ronstadt and Trisha Yearwood. This is an album of strong material kicking off with the title track which sounds like old style country and western, but then moves seamlessly to the modern pop country sound so currently popular with “In Chicago”. However, what hit me the most was the original lyrical material. “Bob the Dogwalker” is particularly amusing and interesting as haven’t we all fancied people we have seen doing daily routine chores! I know I have! “Don’t Forget Your Angel” is the standout track for me and I feel is a big country hit in the making.”

Steve O. – Leicester Bangs, U.K.

 

“More country-flavoured than the previous album of hers I’ve heard, this is a collection of lively Nashville-style country folk. The instrumentation is relatively simple, which complements the beautiful clarity of Adler’s gorgeous voice and the songs’ emotions. Smooth and pretty music. I highly recommend this to fans of ballads and smooth country/folk pop.”

Sophia Gurley – The Ectophile’s Guide to Good Music
http://ectoguide.org/

 

Reviews of Alta Vista Sky / Released 2001

“Some young singer songwriters leap into recording a CD when they’re far from ready. Donna Adler spent a decade learning the form and refining her abilities before releasing Alta Vista Sky…and the wait was worth it. She has crafted a completely professional CD. With a stronger voice than I remember from a decade ago, joined by a crew of musicians, she recorded 11 songs for this self-produced release. Donna exhibits surprisingly good production skills for a novice, and she knows how to express the ideas and feelings she has written into her songs. The production finds the happy medium between folk and pop. Her songs are catchy and mostly personal…the exception being “Nadia,” offering deep insight about a child prodigy violinist in a brief three minutes. You can tell Adler has put her heart and soul into this CD.”

Rich Warren – WFMT’s The Midnight Special
http://www.midnightspecial.org/

 

“This is a great album. It has always amazed me when someone can take simple, straightforward chords and guitar notes, and yet come up with songs and are original and hooky enough to be fresh and new….After a few listens, I was convinced that at least one of the songs (“My Dog’s Eyes”) was a Tom Waits cover, or a cover of something that I had heard before. Not the case. Every song on this CD is original. Adler’s voice is almost wrenchingly pure.”

Mike Mendelson – The Ectophile’s Guide to Good Music
http://ectoguide.org/

Reviews of All The Riches of the World / Released 1997

“Many people have grabbed the cloak of urban folk. So many in fact that the cloak has become threadbare. Donna Adler mends the clothing and turns the cloak into a tapestry. All The Riches of the World is a soft and gentle set with vocals reminiscent of early Joan Baez and Judy Collins, backed by hypnotic world beat instruments. The works, collected from 1988-96 were released in 1997 and show a well crafted set that was cared for as well as played. With a host of musicians and recording talents, it is a wonder that this recording is seamless and every part fits to the whole. In a different decade, this would have been an anthem – now it is a theme of grace and love. All of the songs are beautiful, with some of the finest being “Otsmon,” All The Riches of the World,” “September’s Coming,” and “Bird Upon the Water.”

Michael Finnegan – In The Mix, July 1998

 

“This is an album of graceful pop-flavoured folk songs. The instrumentation is fairly simple and acoustic, and Donna Adler has a lovely voice and does some charming self-harmonies. This is sure to be a popular album amongst those looking for something mellow and relaxing but that is not simply background music. There’s a wonderful purity of vision and clarity of sound here.”

Sophia Gurley – The Ectophile’s Guide to Good Music
http://ectoguide.org/