AM2 at Choga

Alan Merrill (nee Allan Sachs) is the son of jazz singer Helen Merrill and saxophonist/clarinetist Aaron Sachs of Earl "Fatha" Hines' band. Alan moved to Japan as a teenager and became a teen idol, singing in bands and acting in a soap opera. In 1974, he relocated to London, England, where he wrote and sang in the Arrows. The Arrows hit big in the United Kingdom with "Touch Too Much," "My Last Night With You" and "I Love Rock 'N Roll." (That last song became an international hit when it was covered in 1982 by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.) The Arrows had a weekly television series and even a cartoon strip. Moving back to the states, Merrill performed and recorded solo and played with Rick Derringer and Meat Loaf in the 1980s. Merrill's most recent album is 2013's Songer Singwriter.

Songwriter and bassist Amy Madden has played in New York bands since the 1980s. As a writer/poet, she maintains a website of essays, is completing her fourth novel, and plans to publish a compilation of her poetry. Her most recent album is 2012's Discarded Angels, written as an indie film soundtrack.

AM² is a clever name for a duo when both members share the same initials. Performing tonight to a small audience at Choga, a relatively new nightspot in Greenwich Village, Merrill sang and played acoustic guitar and Madden played electric bass. The set highlighted Merrill originals, particularly the songs he sang in the Arrows, as well as classic covers (i.e. Beatles). Hearing these pop songs stripped down to basic arrangements was curious and engaging.

Visit Alan Merrill at www.alanmerrill.com and Amy Madden at www.amymaddenmusic.com.