Streetwise singer Beth Duncan leads a team of Joe Gilman/p, Steve Homan/g, Matt Robinson/b, Rick Lotter/dr, Jacam Manricks/woodwinds-synth, Brian Kendrick-Guy Kowarsh/perc and Tom Peron-Joe Mazzaferro/tp to interpret tunes from the pen of Martine Tabilio. The moods range from an intimate and personal voice and bass teaming on “While You Decide” to a New Orleans beat on “Kit & Kaboodle Blues”. Duncan can wisp to Manricks’ flute on the breathy “It All Begins With You” or get assertive and soulful to his tenor on the back beat of “Breakup Funk”. Homan’s nylon strings sway to Manricks’ soprano sax on a lithe “Marika’s Melody” and gets languid with Duncan along with Peron’s muted trumpet during a bluesy “Serves Me Right”. Duncan and company serve the stories well.
Rachel Brooke sounds like she’s walkin’ after midnight as her Patsy Cline’d voice on this retro feeling session as she sings, plays guitar and banjo alongside Aaron Graham/dr, Michael Cullen/g, Dave Feeny/stg, TJ Rankin/b, Louis Osborn/keys-eg, Nick Carnes/g, Liz Sloan/fi, and various guests. Some poppish Nashville sounds are brushed out on “Great Mistake” and some slow C&W strings of steel twang along on “Lucky and Alone”. You got lots of tunes akin to a tear in her beer for the waltzing “The Hard Way” and the blue “It Ain’t Over ‘Til You’re Crying” as well as “Ghost Of You”. She carries the lonesome dove patch well on “I Miss It Like It’s Gone” and goes a bit rockabilly on “It Won’t Be Long”. We gotta fix her up with someone!
Earth-toned Maggie Herron shows her composing prowess as well on this personal album with support by David Enos/b, Larry Goldings-Larry Cunliffe/p, John Ferarro-Jake Reed/dr, Bob Sheppard/ts-ss, John Chiodini/g and various guests with many of the songs co-composed with her dearly departed daughter Dawn. The intimacy of the moods is palpable, with reflective lyrics ranging in moods to a hip Basie-ish “I Can’t Seem To Find My Man” to a funky New Orleans beat on “He Can’t Even Lay An Egg”. Tender guitar strings by Chiodini add for a graceful “Touch” and parlor-room strings enhance Herron’s vibrato on “Your Refrain”. Harmonies by Gillian Margot and Brandon Winbush make for a Take 6-ish “In Case Of Love” and a spartan take of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” is gloriously self-examining. She has a lot to say, and says it in a lot of ways.