JEREMY GLOFF PRESS ARCHIVE
Musicians Rally For Anna O. In Concert
by Curtis Ross - appeared in The Tampa Tribune
Published April 28, 2005

Colleen Beckman is known as much for her unflagging support of the Tampa area music scene as she is for her own songs and performances.

Tampa area musicians will show their support for Beckman, who records and performs as Anna O., with a benefit concert tonight at Pegasus Lounge.

Fellow singer-songwriter Jeremy Gloff organized “Gloff Fest 4 Anna” to help raise funs for Beckman, who suffered a series of medical setbacks and a personal tragedy over the Christmas holidays.

Nine days before Christmas, Beckman was rushed to the hospital suffering from anaphylactic shock, a severe allergic reaction that can result in death, as well as a kidney infection.  While in the hospital, she was diagnosed with a non cancerous brain tumor.

All of this was compounded by the death Christmas day of her husband of 20 years, artist Richard Beckman.

The events have left Beckman physically depleted and financially strapped.  But musician friends are rallying around to offer emotional and financial support.

“She tries to support other local musicians so I wanted to give back to her a little bit,” Gloff says.

Singer-songwriter Michele Ari met Beckman when both were on the bill of a WMNF 88.5 FM, benefit.  Ari was new in town and, as she writes in an e-mail, “Anna was quick to befriend me and made me feel extremely welcome and as though I already belonged.”

Beckman has not performed since December, although she is still able to earn an income by giving piano lessons.  It’s a rare downtime for the active artist, who once recorded two full-length albums and an EP within a year.

“I have sort of grand visions,” Beckman told the Tribune in 2003.  “I don’t know how to do anything in a small way.  I’ve always thought big.”

She earns praise from her fellow musicians for the quality of her work.

“She’s one of the more experienced singer-songwriters in the Tampa area,” says Gloff, whose 2003 album “Romantico,” featured Beckman on vocals.  “Her songs are really well-crafted.”

“Anna is a leader in the music scene here and is at the top of the list of local original acts,” Ari writes. “Anna is a highly skilled and prolific musician that could easily be at the top of any market’s list.”

Among the releases in Anna O.’s catalog are “Horses, god, and the Perfect Kiss,” the EP , “Sugar Pop,” released in 2002, and “Pink Heart, Blue Tattoo,” released in 2003.

“I’ve had to go out there and make a lot of sacrifices,” Beckman said in 2003.  “I’ve worked really hard and gone without other things to pursue this.”

Beckman also has worked hard to promote local musicians, using her own funds to stage and promote multi-artist shows at Ybor City’s New World Brewery, as well as offering encouragement and support.

“I hope we can lend enough help to give Anna a break so that she…can be out there again doing what she does best,” Ari writes.