If there was one place to be on that chilly Friday night (besides the Priestess rock-o-rama at the Victory Lounge), it was in the warmth of the Blue Chair Café.

Awash in hushed lighting and sweet, six-stringed melodies, the low-key venue became, if only for a few hours, something akin to New York City’s singer-songwriter circle as Lane Arndt (well-known for his experimental guitar work with various local jazz/folk outfits), Krista Hartman (one of the most heart-warming songwriters to have graced an Edmonton stage in a while) and Ayla Brook (of AA Soundsystem fame) took it upon themselves to re-invent the solo aspect of their work–exposing pure song craftsmanship in the process.

For Arndt, it was a strange rebirth of sorts. Never having played any of his own original compositions alone in an Edmonton spotlight before, he gambled by having experimental beat tracks accompany him on his laptop as he sang his delicate melodies to a laid-back crowd of sophisticated types who shared the experience while sipping a glass of red wine or a cup of dark coffee.

The gamble paid off (despite the odd rhythmic miss here and there–but let’s give the guy a break, shall we?); his quiet sense of humour kept the small crowd satiated–especially on such heart-warming pieces as "Snowed In," a beautiful piece about our long, cold winters. The evening quickly became a good way to discover the hidden stories behind the composers work as they told the tales that brought their songs to life between each number.

There is absolutely no doubt that Krista Hartman’s work needs to be discovered by someone in the majors, pronto. Her sandy voice carried so much emotion and energy, it sent electric, tingling shivers up one’s spine–from the first lines of the majestic swirl of "’Til The Air Comes Through" until the final notes of the lovesick "Tornado." The young vocalist’s songs were majestic in a stripped-down way that took a step back from her record (the excellent Passport), revealing an artist deeply in command of her thoughts and emotions.

Completing the experience was the delicate precision of Ayla Brook’s songcraft as he re-visited material written for/with AA Soundsystem ("The Woods" and "40 Ounces To 40 Days" from the brilliant Lily Plain, You’re Hardly Poor) and the brand new–and extremely promising–"Vermillion," a touching tale about meeting a girl on the bus. His perfect balance between acoustic melodies and lightly affected pedal tinkering proved that he is more than one step ahead of the urban-folk game. As he wrapped up every song with a polite "thank you" and a complicit grin, you got the sense that Brook is confident with his talent without being grating–he simply enjoyed being there as much as his audience did.

Far from being another "open mic" session, the Blue Chair Café felt abuzz with an otherworldly melodic atmosphere–an urban acoustic night full of promise for three extremely self-aware musicians whose songs of experience managed to connect with everyone in attendance.