Morgan Bracy - The End Of Cinderella

Morgan Bracy - The End Of Cinderella
2011, Morgan Bracy

Morgan Bracy grew up in a small town in Tennessee, singing in church and writing songs from a young age.  It wasn’t until she left home for Middle Tennessee State University that Bracy truly bloomed as an artist, however.  Working with the group Broken Pottery, Bracy found her own voice as a songwriter.  She released her debut album, Dirty Laundry, in 2007, and was introduced to producer John Merchant (Barbra Streisand, The Bee Gees, Celine Dion).   Merchant liked what he heard, and wanted to help Bracy find the full potential of her sound.  The two began working on the album The End Of Cinderella, a song cycle centering on tales of fairy tales gone awry.  It is in this emotional wellspring where Bracy shines brightest, portraying each story and character as if it were somehow her own.

"The End Of Cinderella" is a coming of age song; a heartbreaking realization that real life is not a fairytale. Bracy's performance here is fully committed, and here powerful, sometimes tinny voice (ala Susanna Hoffs or Jess Klein) is compelling. "She Believes" is a middle of the road pop/country number about domestic violence, and how the belief in fairytales can keep someone in a bad relationship. Bracy concocts a solid melody and a memorable chorus here, in a song with moderate commercial appeal. "Silence" decries someone who is absent even when he is there. It's a self-realization that things aren't going to change, wrapped up in an edgy pop arrangement that gets your toes tapping. Bracy's lyrics flow like water, and her voice punches the melody line with conviction.

"The Looking Glass" examines self worth and insecurity in a powerful, musically dense ballad that walks the line between pop and country in style and sound. Bracy continues to show vocal power, but also shows a subtlety of phrasing that contrasts well with her pure force as a singer. Bracy's interpretation of Randy Newman's "When She Loved Me" (from Toy Story #?) is lovely and lush, full of strings and a wonderful counter-melody in the piano part. Bracy ventures into full soprano range at one point in the song, and it sounds, at first, if things might fall apart, but she holds it together and turns in a nice performance. "When The Spell Is Broken" has a more soulful feel, with Bracy's soulful alto getting more exposure. The verses are solid, but the chorus is very memorable - the type you don't shake right away.

"Real Life Fairytale" is a buoyant little love song with distinct pop sensibilities. When Bracy sings about the quiet ecstasy of falling in love, it's as if she's experiencing it all right in the moment. This is a brilliant tune. "Between The Covers" is about the anticipation of what is to come in life and the transformation from looking ahead to living in the moment. Bracy closes with "Love, Believe In Me" is a song of longing from one who sees love all around here but hasn't found it herself. The simple, guitar-based arrangement is simple and lovely, playing the perfect complement to Bracy’s voice and to that of her vocal counterpart.

The End Of Cinderella is the musical portrait of an artist who deserves much more exposure than she's gained to date. Bracy's songwriting is compact and polished, but full of heart. She performs each song as if the ideas and emotions within are occurring at that very moment.  If Bracy carries this kind of presence to the stage, then concert goers will never want her shows to end. Morgan Bracy is the real deal, and The End Of Cinderella is an essential album

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.morganbracy.com or www.myspace.com/morganbracy. 

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Isabel Rose - Swingin' From The Hip

Isabel Rose - Swingin' From The Hip
2010, The Jubilee Recording Company

Isabel Rose is a lady who makes things happen, both onstage and off. Screenwriter, novelist, movie star, off-Broadway star... none of these callings has proven too much for Isabel Rose. It should be no surprise that her debut album, Swingin' From The Hip looks poised to prove another facet of this versatile and prolific performer. Born on Manhattan's Upper East Side, Isabel Rose has steeped in New York's culture almost from her birth, and her love of both jazz, Broadway and pop music shines through on Swingin' From The Hip.

Rose opens with the bossa nova swing of "Aquarius", adapted from the rock musical hair. Rose has a fine voice, a bit reserved but full of warm tone and a bit of Vegas swagger here (that sophisticated Rat Pack swing). Rose swings up Irving Berlin's "Lovely Day" (Call Me Madam) in fine fashion, keeping the Broadway feel of the original while updating it for hep cats everywhere. Rose goes big band for Rodgers & Hammerstein's "I Enjoy Being A Girl" (Flower Drum Song). The arrangement fits Isabel Rose nicely. "Temptation" is well done, and leads into the slinky nightclub arrangement of Pat Benetar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", injecting burlesque undertones into a generally torch-styled interpretation.

One of the highlights of the album is Rose's version of "Haven't We Met", where her voice takes on a slightly darker aspect that's nothing short of breath-taking. The clarity of vocal tone and warmth of Isabel Rose's voice is a real treat. Rose plays it straight on the Harry Noble-penned "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me", which originally spent 18 weeks on the Billboard pop charts for singer Karen Noble in 1952. Rose seems to have a special connection with this one, and makes it her own without substantially changing the song. Rose gives listeners a lighter moment with her cover of "I Only Wanna Be With You", the first single Dusty Springfield ever released. Perhaps Rose's only misstep on the entire album comes on the George Ira Gershwin tune "Boy Wanted". Perhaps it's just the chemistry of the song, but Rose never really sounds like she connects with this one (and its tough trying to stand in the shoes of Ella Fitzgerald, even for a performer of Isabel Rose's talent).

Rose rebounds nicely on Lerner & Lowe's "On The Street Where You Live" (My Fair Lady), an amazing swing version of the Broadway classic. Rose is inspired here, as will you be. Johnny Mercer's "Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive" gets the royal treatment from Rose. Vocally the song is well performed, although the tempo, and therefore Rose, do sound a bit rushed at times. Rose closes with Cy Coleman's "The Best Is Yet To Come" in a stripped down arrangement that shows off Rose's voice and also features some tremendous guitar work.

Isabel Rose is now officially a quintuple threat. Swingin' From The Hip should establish Rose as a vocal force to be reckoned with, and you can't help but have respect for the highly professional and accomplished band she has behind her on the album. Rose recalls the days when great performers would tackle almost any style and make it their own. It's not just a matter of having a voice or a band; there's a cult of personality that surrounds great performers. Sinatra. Babs. Bette. Torme. Bennett. Newton. It wouldn't be entirely surprising if twenty years down the road people were adding Rose to that list.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Isabel Rose at http://www.isabelrose.com/. Swingin' From The Hip drops in the digital world on September 14, 2010, with a CD release planned for October 19, 2010.  You can pre-order the digital release from Amazon.com.

Review: Bunmi Adeoye - Paper Dolls, Glass Houses

Bunmi Adeoye - Paper Dolls, Glass Houses
2008, Bunmi Adeoye

Bunmi Adeoye (Boo-mee A-Day-Oh-Yeh) is a hopeless romantic, and one who has been scorned judging by the songs on her debut CD, Paper Dolls, Glass Houses. With the melodic sense of Carole King, the gritty truth-to-tell nature of Tracy Chapman and the vitriol of Ani DiFranco, Adeoye spins a web of tales that will hit home with anyone who's even been on the bad side of a breakup. The Toronto-based Adeoye lists influences as disparate as KT Tunstall, Damien Rice, Barbara Streisand, Judy Garland, WHAM!, Sade, and Harlequin romance novels.

The first thing you’ll notice about Adeoye is that she has a magnificently unaffected voice. I don’t know what sort of vocal training she’s had, but Adeoye sounds like a natural singer. There’s an earthy quality to her singing that sets the listener immediately at ease, and her tone is gorgeous without ever sounding garish. She is the sort of singer you could literally listen to all day long. Adeoye kicks of Paper Dolls, Glass Houses with Stop Lying, an emotionally, lyrically and melodically intense song representing one half of an argument in a relationship that’s going nowhere. The emotional edge here is palpable, and Adeoye’s voice makes it all the more believable. The song has a theatrical quality to it, almost as if you could build a show around it, but retains the Folk/Pop sense it was written in. Unbreakable Heart is a dance song that sounds like it might have come chronologically before Stop Lying, the urgent refrain of someone who will do anything to make a bad relationship work. Long Time Coming is an empowering song about throwing the bum out and works as a perfect prologue to the first two tracks.

Player Hate turns the tables on the players, in one of the hottest songs to emerge from the cauldron of 2008. Player Hate is blunt enough to make Ani DiFranco blush, and is the sort of song that could really break out on Pop/Urban radio. Tell Me is a Reggae-flavored pop song with a melody that just won’t stay out of your noggin. The harmonies here are downright gorgeous in their own right; this is another potential pop hit. Adeoye takes on the Barenaked Ladies’ What A Good Boy next, in an amazing cover of one of the band’s best non-singles. The song itself is about expectations and pre-conceived notions we grow up with around gender and the limitations they can place on us as we grow. It’s not an issue so much of overt sexism but the ideas so ingrained in our consciousness that we never think about them. Adeoye makes the most of a great song. Sad But True is a dark and beautiful song of detached mourning about a relationship the narrator could never win at. Adeoye’s vocal line here is striking and the harmonies are angelic. Adeoye closes out the album with a cover of Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl. It’s a beautiful rendition, much slower and more contemplative than the original. Adeoye takes one last to shine on the vocals; a real pleasure to hear.

When I first listened to this album I was somewhat blown away; each successive listen has made that sense of “Whoa!” grow a bit. Bunmi Adeoye is a distinctive talent. She joins a cadre of strong, intelligent female singer songwriters (Tori Amos, Ani DiFranco, Tina Turner, Tracy Chapman, etc.) willing to, in turns, be tough, speak their mind, be vulnerable… just be themselves. Paper Dolls, Glass Houses is the sort of disc that grabs you on the first listen and tightens its grip a little on each successive play. Adeoye is a gem who should not stay hidden; she’s ready for the grand stage. Paper Dolls, Glass Houses is a distinctive find, a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc, and an absolute must for your music collection. Make sure you check it out today!

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Bumni Adeoye at http://www.bunmisings.com/, www.myspace.com/bunmisings or www.twitter.com/bunmisings. You can purchase a copy of Paper Dolls, Glass Houses at CDBaby.com.

Review: Ray Charles - Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music Volume 1 & 2

Ray Charles - Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music Volume 1 & 2
2009, Concord Records

We're only publishing one review because we want you to pay special attention to this one. Regardless of what genre of music piques your interest, there occasionally comes along a recording that crosses so many boundaries, and is so original or unique that it eventually becomes recognized as a master work. These are the sort of albums that can be re-released multiple times across generations (in this case 47 years later), and still have enough commercial oomph to make significant noise on the album charts. In this case, we have an album that not only retains strong commercial punch nearly 50 years later, but was also the beginning of a revolution in music that has helped father (or grandfather) genres such as Americana while foreshadowing the marriage of Country to genres such as Blues, Rock and Pop. Aside from all of that, Ray Charles also spoke of great changes in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's.

On June 2, 2009, Concord Records re-released two of Ray Charles’ classic albums on one CD. Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music Volume 1 & 2. The two albums were recorded in 1962 (February and September, respectively). Volume 1 was released in April of 1962, and is considered by many critics and fans to be Charles’ greatest recorded work. Not only was the album a commercial success (#1 album, 1 #1 single, 2 Gold singles), but it also bent social barriers with the fusion of R&B and Country during the height of the Civil Rights movement. The album also helped Charles to gain wide exposure on R&B, Rock and Country stations, turning the talented performer into a superstar. Volume 2 was rushed to release in October of 1962 based on the success of the first album, featuring 2 top-10 singles and a #1 single (You Are My Sunshine).

Volume 1, in particular, has been lauded by publications after publication as one of the top albums ever created. Blender magazine ranked it #16 on its list of The 100 Greatest American Albums Of All Time. Rolling Stone placed it on the list of its essential Rock Albums in 1997. Stereophile magazine lists Volume 1 on its 40 Essential Albums list, while Time magazine included Volume 1 on its 100 Greatest Albums of All Time. It’s easy to see why. Charles turned his inimitable talents on songs like Bye Bye Love, I Can’t Stop Loving You (#1 single), You Don’t Know Me (Top 10 single) and Hank Williams’ Hey Good Lookin’. With production by Sid Feller (Dean Martin, Peggy Lee, Paul Anka, etc.) and string arrangements by Marty Paich (Sinatra, Streisand, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Tormé, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, etc.), no stone was left unturned in creating perfect Ray Charles versions of each song.

In response to the tremendous success of Volume 1, Volume 2 was quickly recorded and released in October of 1962, using the same formula that had driven the success of Volume 1. The album included such hits as You Are My Sunshine (#1 single), Take These Chains From My Heart (Top 10 single), and Hank Williams’ Your Cheatin’ Heart (Top 40 single), as well as takes on Don Gibson’s Oh, Lonesome Me and the Chet Artkins/Boudleaux Bryant song Midnight.

Concord Records has done a great job handling these two releases, bringing them together for the first time outside of a box set and in an affordable form. The remaster on both is flawless, and give a great picture of the man, the artist, and the ground-breaking music he was creating at the time. The music is timeless and stands on its own as one of Charles’ greatest legacies, for both its artistic and social impacts. If you want to understand where today’s Americana styles started, with blends of country, rock and blues, look no further than Ray Charles. Without these two albums and the many that followed, the music you’d be hearing today might sound very different. Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music Volume 1 & 2 is a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc, and practically defines the concept.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Ray Charles at http://www.raycharles.com/. You can purchase Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music Volume 1 & 2 at Amazon.com or download it through iTunes.

Review: Kat Edmonson - Take To The Sky

Kat Edmonson - Take To The Sky
2009, Convivium Records

Austin, Texas-based Jazz siren Kat Edmonson makes an exciting debut with Take To The Sky, an album of 9 reinterpretations of jazz standards and pop hits. Released digitally earlier this year, the album is available on CD for the first time on June 2, 2009. Mixed by super Engineer Al Schmitt (19 Grammy’s), Edmonson has an extremely talented band to back her up. Drummer J.J. Johnson (John Mayer, Charlie Sexton); bassist Eric Revis (Branford Marsalis Quartet) and pianist Kevin Lovejoy (Spoon, John Mayer) are joined by guests John Ellis (Charlie Hunter) and Ron Westray (Wynton Marsalis) in providing a tight and original tapestry in support of Edmonson's stunning vocals. Engineer Schmitt, who's worked with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand and Sam Cooke, describes Edmonson as "the best new jazz singer I have heard in years".

Kat Edmonson is a once-in-a-generation voice. With a sound reminiscent of the great female jazz vocalists of the 1920’s and 1930’s, Edmonson is a treat for traditionalists, yet has just enough quirky pop sensibility to traverse the generations in between. Take To The Sky opens with Gershwin’s Summertime. The arrangement here is unusually dark, allowing Edmonson to be the only light you hear for the first two minutes of the song; she shines in a gritty and nuanced performance. The Cure’s Just Like Heaven gets a jazz/samba treatment here. I have to admit it took a few listens for me to really get this song, but it’s probably one of the finest covers I’ve heard. Edmonson is seraphic on Cole Porter’s Night And Day and turns in an incredible performance on Henry Mancini’s Charade.

Edmonson plays chameleon on the Cardigans’ Love Fool, sounding so much like Nina Persson that even fans of the band may be fooled. Edmonson projects a steely vulnerability on this song that is engaging. Angel Eyes (Brent/Dennis) is a popular selection that’s been covered by the likes of Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Willie Nelson and Ray Charles and even Sting. Edmonson gives it all she’s got and comes up with a terrific reading of the song. My personal favorite song on the disc is Cole Porter’s Just One Of Those Things. If Porter were able, he would give Edmonson a standing ovation for a modern reading that never loses sight of the spirit of the original. Carole King’s One Fine Day becomes a slinky, taunting song much more fitting to the song’s intent than the bouncy Chiffons version. The album closes out with John Lennon’s (Just Like) Starting Over. Edmonson has recreated the song as a contemplative love song; a true jazz standard. It’s so good you’ll wonder how you ever heard it differently.

Kat Edmonson has a passion for Jazz, and the sort of vocal talent that would rise to the top of most any set of contemporaries of any era since Jazz music was born. The ironically quirky nature of her sound also practically guarantees that if Edmonson ever crosses over to the Rock and Pop worlds she’ll have success as well. The pure creativity and vision on Take To The Sky is stunning; its one thing to be able to cover songs well without sounding like a karaoke performer, but it’s something else again to be able to recreate well known songs in a way that makes them your own without losing connection to the spirit of the original. Kat Edmonson is a vital talent, and Take To The Sky is a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Kat Edmonson at http://www.katedmonson.com/ or www.myspace.com/katedmonson. You can purchase a copy of Take To The Sky at Waterloo Records or as a download on iTunes.

Review: Barbra Streisand - The Concerts

Barbra Streisand – The Concerts
2009, Hip-O Records

Barbra Streisand is the top selling female artist of all time, with over 71 million albums sold in the US alone. Her 50 gold albums, 30 platinum albums and 13 multi-platinum albums rival artists like The Beatles, Elton John and Neil Diamond. Streisand started out in her high school choir with fellow future legend Neil Diamond, also rubbing elbows with Bobby Fischer. Streisand started out as a nightclub singer, working her way up through Off-Broadway productions and regular gigs at gay bars in New York City on her way to landing an appearance on Jack Parr’s The Tonight Show in 1961. Streisand made her Broadway debut in 1962 in I Can Get It For You Wholesale, and won her first two Grammy Awards in 1963 for The Barbra Streisand Album. More Broadway shows would come, as would movies and a string of highly successful recordings. Streisand has received 10 Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Legend Award (1992) and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1994).

The Concerts features two full shows from this legendary performer. Included is the full set list from a show in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida from Streisand’s 2006 North American tour. This concert includes some firsts from Streisand, including My Shining Hour, A Cockeyed Optimist and Unusual Way. A guest appearance by Il Divo is just dressing for this concert experience. The set also includes a show from her 1994 tour recorded at Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California that includes the Yentl Medley. This tour was Streisand’s first return to the stage in a quarter century; it’s apparent from the energy Streisand brings to the stage as well as from the response from the crowd. The third disc in the set is a cornucopia of goodies for hard core Streisand fans, featuring video clips from television performances over the years and the documentary Putting It Together: The Making of the Broadway Album.

There are a lot of compilations and retreads out there that come out of the major music labels these days. No one at the majors wants to invest in developing artists anymore, but they are more than willing to slice and dice long established artists’ catalogs to create “new” releases ever other year to keep up their income levels. I tend to be very skeptical of such tactics, but this collection is very much worthwhile if you’re a Streisand fan. If you don’t know much about Streisand, come out from under that rock and check out The Concerts. Streisand is iconic in a way that artists like Sinatra, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Neil Diamond are or were. The Concerts is worthy of that reputation.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Barbra Streisand at http://www.barbrastreisand.com/. You can purchase The Concerts at Amazon.com or wherever DVDs are sold.