Last Friday, February 18, the Barge Canal Coffee Co. held a release party celebrating the release of the non-profit CD Treasures in the Heart of New York. The CD, produced by Sean Nevison, features various tunes by local musicians and bands from the Hamilton and Central New York area. Some of the musicians include (but are not limited to): Pamme Swanne, Brendan O’Connor, Brian Rose and P.J. Will.

“The CD is a mix of local musicians from around here,” says Nevison. “The music is an eclectic blend of jazz, acoustic, folk and rock music. It really represents the music that represents Hamilton, New York.”

From 8:00 to 10:00 p.m., the open-mic style night featured almost all of the artists perform­ing songs that were featured on the CD, as well as other local musicians. Songs performed were mostly ones on the CD, with a few extra tunes written by the groups. A few artists, such as Chris Eve and Kim Monroe, performed covers, as they ended their set with George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” The performances attracted a decently large, lively and eclec­tic crowd of townspeople and Colgate students alike. Listeners seemed very pleased with what they heard.

“I had no idea there were so many talented musicians in the Hamilton Area,” claimed Bruce Bern, a townsperson and fan of the local music scene.

Nevison was selling copies of the CD at a stand inside the Barge. One hundred percent of the profits were dedicated to the Hamilton Food Bank, and each CD sold earned the cus­tomer one raffle ticket towards a basket of locally grown Hamilton foods, such as local honey and Irish Soda Bread.