Blossom Dearie -- My Gentleman Friend. And Stacey Kent -- the boy next door. |
Ellen McIlwaine is a damn fine musician. She possesses a strong contralto voice with great power in both the highest and lowest parts of her range. She also plays a wicked slide guitar. I think the reason she never became a known quantity is the eclectic nature of her recorded output. Blues, rock, old timey, carribean were all handled with genuine feeling and authenticity. My favorite of her albums is "We The People", but all of her work is worthy of your attention. Her stuff is hard to find but well worth every erg of effort. |
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Alice Spencer, sings for Victrola, "Live as you like" (on other posts too). This is REALLY GOOD!
Tiff Merritt - "Tiff Merritt" |
To stir up the pot just a bit you might give the following 3 female vocalists a try. Try the sample sound-clips at Amzon.com first to see if this is your cup of tea or not.
1. Ceraria Evora's "Cabo Verde".
2. Chavela Vergas's "Sentimiento de Mexico,Volume 1 and/or Volume 2"
3. Mercedes Sosa's "30 Años".
FYI - most of the tracks in the movie "Frida" with Selma Hayek and Geofrey Rush are by Chavela Vergas. All three of these of women are excellent alternatives to the status quo.
Happy Weekend Listining to All! Songbird is up next.
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Some very good listens mentioned above. I would like to toss out Ute Lemper's "Crimes Of The Heart",the Happy Rhodes disc "Many Worlds Are Born Tonight", Heidi Berry's self titled disc from '93 and Won Ton Ton's "Home" as well as Anita Baker's discs. Not for all but Bel Canto's music is worth a listen.
Cheers, Lee |
Also Sarah McLachlan (The Freedom Sessions & Surfacing), Jane Siberry (When I Was A Boy) and Lisa Gerrard (Duality & Immortal Memory). The common thread in these singers is their purity and the ability to seemingly just open their mouths and the sound rushes out (in contrast to someone like Celine Dion, who, after about mid-volume, always sounds like she's straining, to my ears).
Good luck & have fun! Hey, maybe report back on your search! |
Give a listen to the Cowboy Junkies, many find Margo's voice to be sublime. You might also want to check out Loreena McKinnett (sp?), she has a very large body of work and is quite the looker, too. Also, take a listen to Liona Boyd, the gal can sing and is a very accomplished guitarist and songwriter...
-rw- |
Try Patty Griffin (Flaqming Red or 1000 Kisses) or Roseann Cash's new one (Rules of Travel). Very tasty. |
Woofer15, I get this sinking feeling that much damage is soon to be done to your monthly budget. By the time you get done, the "floundering" music industry may not be "floundering" any longer.
In fact, they may see a banner year.
Happy Listening, Ed. |
Thanks for your suggestions. I can't wait for the record store to open this morning. I will do what I can to help the floundering music industry. Again, you don't know how much I appreciate your input. |
Agree on Eva Cassidy. Songbird, Blues Alley, and Time after Time. Also, Ricky Lee Jones' Flying Cowboys along with Pirates, Magazine, and Ricky Lee Jones.
Patricia Barber: Modern Cool. All -- excellent! |
I second all of Buscis2's Ricky Lee recommendations. You should really just go out and buy Damien Rice "O". It is right up your alley and amazing to boot. |
Eva Cassidy's "Live at Blues Alley" is a remarkable record. For me, Eva's live record is the cream of the crop and is actually the only one I listen to regularly.
Interestingly, I can say the same about Patricia Barber's Live "Companion" set. It is the only one of Patricia's records that I listen to regularly. It is also a remarkable record, but her studio albums don't really work for me.
Enjoy,
TIC |
"Is Eva Cassidy a possibility?" - Emphatically YES. Get her compilation album Songbird as a starter. She has a hugh voice and sings Blues, Gospel & Pop. Her death was a tragedy. I agree with Buscis2 re Shirley Horn, except I'd recommend that you try her before Krall. |
Woofer15, How about the more melodic albums from Ricki Lee Jones such as her first album, "Ricki Lee Jones", "The Magazine", and "Pirates". All are also excellent recording quality and feature guest musicians like Steve Gadd, Victor Feldman, Jeff Porcaro, Tom Scott, James Newton Howard.......The list goes on and on.
Diana Krall also did some great releases such as "All For You", "When I Look In Your Eyes", "The Look Of Love", "Live In Paris".
Annie Lenox, "Diva", "Medusa", and her newest, "Bare".
And one of my all time favorites: Shirley Horn, "You Wont Forget Me". Her voice is like liquid velvet and she plays piano beautifully.
Happy Listening, ED. |
