Many years ago, Gordon Kramer of Leverett, a singer, guitarist, and leader of the Leonard Cohen tribute band, The Secret Chord, first heard the music of the Canadian singer-songwriter. “I first saw Leonard perform when I was a teenager, early in both of our careers, and it was an incredibly transformative experience,” said Kramer in a recent phone conversation. “There was a healing presence that he just gave off as a performer, which affected me greatly at the time.”

But years passed, and Kramer didn’t follow Cohen’s career, focusing on his own, which includes a history in music theater and performing his original material throughout the northeast, most recently as a member of the local band River Rhapsody. And now he’s on a new musical path, leading the Secret Chord, who will perform at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield on Friday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m.

It’s easy to understand how he could lose sight of Cohen’s career as it has followed an unusual trajectory. Now, eight years after his death, Cohen, who was also a poet and spiritual teacher, is viewed as a legendary songwriter, perhaps one of the finest of his generation. He is best known for his song “Hallelujah,” which has been covered by countless artists and is the subject of both a book and a documentary film.

But Cohen’s deep, husky voice and poetic songs that explored complex ideas and emotions were hardly the stuff of radio hits. For most of his career, he was a favorite with critics and maintained a small but devoted audience. Many listeners were first exposed to some of his most well-known songs — “Suzanne,” “Bird on a Wire,” and “Everybody Knows” — when they were covered by other artists.

This includes the coveted “Hallelujah,” which many know from the late Jeff Buckley’s version, or its inclusion in the movie “Shrek.”

“It was Hallelujah” that rekindled Kramer’s love of Leonard Cohen. Kramer watched the documentary “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song,” which charts the song’s slow rise to popularity and how it went on to be covered by so many.

“A great deal of the documentary was about that song, but what I really got from seeing it was a lot of footage of concerts from the later years of his performing,” said Kramer. “It brought back to me how much magic was in the music, and part of it was what he and his band brought to the music, but a lot of it was inherently in the music, too.”

Kramer was so moved by the music that he decided to see if other musicians were interested in playing it. He thought it was a long shot but posted this request on Craigslist.

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To his surprise, a group of musicians responded to his ad; some didn’t even know Cohen’s music, but Kramer recalled, ”these musicians found themselves moved by the music in significant ways, and they wanted people to hear it.”

The Secret Chord officially came together in the spring of 2023. It is a group of valley-based musicians with diverse musical backgrounds who are drawn together by Cohen’s music. The group consists of Ray Grigonis on bass, Jesse Sprole on keyboards, and Patrick Kelly on drums. The group enlists two female vocalists, as Cohen always had female backing singers: Ruth Critcher and Jody Spitz.

Cohen’s catalog is vast, so the group settled on a repertoire of about 20 to 25 songs, keeping it manageable to deepen their relationship to the songs.

“I was looking to recreate the feel of his performing group without trying to be slavish about it. We are not a reenactment. There are cover bands that are reenactments; that was never our intention. We are really paying tribute to Leonard and the music,” explained Kramer.

The Secret Chord played at Hawks & Reed last spring, opening for Eric Phelps. This is the group’s first headlining show at the venue, and they hope that listeners, even those unfamiliar with Cohen’s music, will come out. The vocal group After the Rain will open the show.

“We really like to encourage people to come and be exposed to this music ... It’s such stressful times right now, and I don’t think there is anyone who is not feeling it,” said Kramer. “I think this music really speaks to … how safe and how loved we all are.”

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the show. They are available at hawksandreed.com or by calling 413.774.0150. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show will be held upstairs at the Perch.

Last week, the initial lineup for the Green River Festival was announced. The headliners for the 2025 festival that will take place on June 20-22 at the Franklin County Fairgrounds will be indie rockers Mt. Joy, Australian singer/songwriter/guitarist Courtney Barnett, and Katie Crutchfield, who performs under the moniker Waxahatchee. Also participating in the three days festival are MJ Lenderman & the Wind, Julien Baker & TORRES, LA LOM, Kabaka Pyramid, BALTHVS, Ocie Elliott, Kathleen Edwards, Futurebirds, Mo Lowda & the Humble, Grace Bowers & the Hodge Podge, Chaparelle, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Olive Klug, and Merce Lemon. More acts will be added in the coming months.

A limited number of specially priced “Plan Ahead” three-day passes, plus camping, parking, and VIP add-ons, are on sale now at greenriverfestival.com.

Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at Soundslocal@yahoo.com.