In the 1970s heydey of the singer-songwriter, southern Californian Karla Bonoff emerged as one of the genre’s brightest lights. A gifted songwriter, whose melodic and well-structured tunes were often made more famous by other artists, Bonoff also produced a string of memorable albums and toured with her own band extensively.

She never achieved the kind of recongition some of the artists who covered her material did —  Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Aaron Neville, among many others — but her interpretations of her songs often struck home much more profoundly, as she displayed a beautifully crystal clear voice that could handle all of the demands her compositions make of a singer.

Although she has toured frequently, I never remember her coming to Connecticut. Happily, she stopped in Norfolk Thursday night at the Infinity Music Hall, and along with longtime collaborator Kenny Edwards and the remarkable guitarist Nina Gerber, Bonoff presented about an hour-and-a-half of truly inspired performances of some of her most well-known songs and some even her most avid followers were probably not that familar with.

I always associate piano with Karla Bonoff’s songs, but for most of the night she played one of two acoustic guitars and used the baby grand on about five or six tunes. Edwards alternated among mandolin, acoustic guitar and electric bass and Gerber played a white Fender Strat, often bringing to mind the style of the late Clarence White, from one of the last incarnations of The Byrds, who made his Tele sound like a pedal steel much as Gerber does with her Strat.

Edwards also provides high and low harmonies to Bonoff’s leads, making for an excellent vocal blend, which they’ve been perfecting since the days of their first group together in the 1960s, Bryndle, with Wendy Waldman and Andrew Gold. Bryndle has released two albums in the past 15 years and Bonoff played two of the group’s songs Thursday.

The highlights were many in a show of gorgeous songcraft. She touched on many of her best-known songs such as Isn’t It Only Love, Tell Me Why, Goodbye My Friend, Trouble Again, New World, the tender Falling Star, on which Bonoff’s high register shined particularly brightly, Personally, her only true hit, not written by her and a peculiar tune she had fun with as one of two encores and the traditional folk tune and closer The Water Is Wide, among others.

Two showstoppers though were All My Life, for which Ronstadt and Neville won a Grammy, as Bonoff watched on TV at home, she joked; and the closer and perhaps her most easily recognized song, Someone To Lay Down Beside Me, another hit for Ronstadt. From the opening piano figure to the familiar chorus, Bonoff’s performance sent goosebumps through this listener.

Bonoff is also quite entertaining between songs as she and Edwards frequently retune their guitars. She has a number of very funny stories she relates in a polished delivery, for instance her recalling of lip-synching on the ’80s music show Solid Gold and the bad luck associated with the tune All My Life — written for a soundtrack, it was later dropped; and placed on an album, whose record company shortly after went out of business — before finding a home with Ronstadt and Neville.

Edwards played an opening 30-minute set that was very impressive, opening with Resurrection Road from his most recent album, and also included the Lowell George tune Roll Um Easy before finishing with his interpretation of Blind Willie McTell’s Statesboro Blues. Edwards has proficient vocal range, very pleasing on the top end and is adept at all the instruments he plays.

Some of Gerber’s solos and backing parts were absolutely breathtaking, perfectly complementing song arrangements and then standing out when called for on several stunning leads. Although the trio plays without a drummer, it was hardly missed as tempos and grooves were comfortable and steady, imbued with folk- and country-laced feels.

I had always wanted to see Bonoff live and received my chance last night. It was all I expected and more from one of our truly skilled and lasting songwriters.