Grab any typical music enthusiast and ask them to describe folk music and you are likely to get a range of responses starting with Guy Clark and ending with the ultra-contemporary punk-folk of Son Volt.

It is a genre of music that has spanned generations and includes icons like Joan Baez and Bob Dylan.

For local folk artist Joey Errigo, folk is a little bit of all those things, plus a big dose of bluegrass and what she calls, simply, "Americana."

Errigo recently finished production of "Paradise Motel," a 13-song effort put out independently by the artist.

On just the first listen of the disc, it's easy to see that both lyrically and musically, Errigo covers a lot of ground, from traditional to contemporary folk.

The subject matter of her songs follows the same path, making "Paradise Motel" a journey through ideals and space as much as through time. It's an ambitious effort to go from tunes and themes like those in "Storm of the Century" to the more sombre elements of "Our Little Town."

Fans of contemperary or traditional music would likely be at home with this CD, which features a rich bluegrass influence on many tracks and some outstanding picking both on banjo by Burton Sampson, and on guitar by Michael Cole. Cole's picking on the throwback tune "Same Old Blues," should have listeners of all ages tapping their toes.

The real star of the show, however, is Errigo. Her vocals range from whimsical to soulful, and she conjures memories of folk icons like Baez (especially in "Little Sparrow") while retaining an independent voice and style of her own.

The range dispalyed in the songwriting of the album is also Errigo's.

She authored every song on the disc, with the exception of "Emily," which she co-authored. "Paradise Motel" seems to deliberately change directions with almost every track, like an unplanned trip.

The disc opens with the traditional "Storm of the Century," only to go on to a more contemporary sound on the next track, "Fly Away," which is in no way to be confused with the Lenny Kravitz tune of the same name.

If a journey is what this CD was supposed to feel like, it is likely because Errigo herself has been on the road since 1997 when she left New York and began what would become her self-professed "Open Mic Tour." After gaining respect and some acclaim among the folk community with a series of awards at folk festivals, Errigo began compiling "Paradise Motel," her first solo recording.

Errigo never falls into the trap of getting stuck in a singular sound or lyrical rut. With "Down the Mountain," she offers a haunting tune with a pace far different than the upbeat tempo and lightning-fast picking on "Hey, Driver."

Lyrically, Errigo stretches out, too. With songs like "The Killing Box" and "Our Little Town," she takes on issues such as violence in society, television and the widening impact of well-known events such as the recent rash of school shooting sprees.

Even in those tunes, Errigo sticks with her theme of a journey. She reminds the listener in "Killing Box" that television started out as "cowboy heroes riding high" only to become a "virtual reality," viewed from within the safe confines of home, while an increasingly dangerous world waits outside the front door.

Overall, the tone of the disc is upbeat. "Killing Box" and "Our Little Town" serve as warnings, while tunes like "Hey, Driver" and "Same Old Blues" celebrate good fun and good music.

The recording quality of the disc is very high for a self-produced CD. Errigo's vocals and all of the musical tracks blend nicely, and there is a clean refined sound to the CD that isn't always found even on releases from major record labels.

Fans of country music, bluegrass and good ole' folk will probably embrace this CD, but those who are firmly entrenched in rock and roll or more contemporary sounds will probably not warm up to this disc quickly.

While Errigo's CD is probably not for the masses, its down-home style and quality music would fit in nicely with most true music lovers' collections.

This review appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the November 30, 2000 edition of the Statesboro Herald, a daily newspaper in Statesboro, Ga. published by the Morris Newspaper Corp.

Music critic Scott Garner can be reached by email at Scott Garner