Elaine Summers first wielded her distinctive alto in the public sphere as a backup vocalist for singer-songwriter Pete Droge, who would become Summers' partner both on and off the stage. She stepped out on her own with her solo debut, Transplanting, in 1997. Droge produced, engineered and mixed the effort. Summers is also a visual artist. (A sample of the her mosaic work can be seen on the cover of her 2002 album, Sparkler.)
Summers, a Virginia native, was first inspired to become a musical performer when she witnessed a 1978 Bruce Springsteen concert. She was living in P...