The kids are all right in L.A.

by Chris Riemenschneider

Published Dec 21 2001 

Sixteen might seem like a tender age for a young woman to be living on her own in Los Angeles, but Shannon Curfman doesn't think so. The Fargo-born, Twin Cities-reared blues wunderkind moved out there in September to spur the creative process for her next album. She's returning home for the holidays and will play her first gig in almost a year tonight at the Cabooze. 

"If anyone spent a day with me, they would think I was too boring for L.A., not too young," Curfman said earlier this week, talking on her cell phone from the Los Angeles airport. "All I've been doing is writing songs."

She hasn't written alone, either. Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who is expected to join her at the Cabooze, has co-written some tracks. She also is planning to work with Doyle Bramhall II and Meshell Ndegeocello.

Curfman's record-label situation improved considerably over the past year. She jumped from the floundering Arista Records roster to J Records, the new company run by ousted Arista boss Clive Davis. J has landed hits with Alicia Keys and O-Town. While the deal was being hammered out, Curfman saw to more pressing matters: getting her high school diploma.

She wound up living about three blocks from Jonny Lang and his new wife in La La Land. The original Fargo/Twin Cities teen blues star, who turns 21 next month, also is working on a new record. He has snagged a big-name producer, too: Marti Frederickson, the guy behind Mick Jagger's and Aerosmith's new albums. A source at Lang's management company said the record probably will feature less blues and more straight-ahead rock songs than his two previous albums. Lang is still signed to Interscope/

A&M; he's one of the few acts the label has retained over the past year.

Of the two young stars' similar paths to L.A., Curfman said, "I personally never pictured myself living out here. It's just not my thing. But it helps having friends like Jonny here."