Hope Waits

Review Emerging on her debut disc with a voice from heaven and a crystalline creative vision, the artistry of Hope Waits sounds effortless. Whether she's referencing Billie Holiday on Yesterdays or Bonnie Raitt on the sassy You Crossed The Line, Waits is stylistically perfect and every note is delivered with a confidence that belies the fact this is a first release by the Louisiana native. Blessed with a mature, charismatic voice and impeccable taste in songs, Waits transcends genre. Tracks like The Ballad of Judith Anne or the dirty blues of Mother In Law Blues come across almost cocky, so impressive is her ability to move beyond cocktail jazz or generic blues workouts into something more. She even has the confidence to cover the stately Bob Dylan song Ring Them Bells, and freshen it up without losing the original dignity that is the tune's hallmark. Peter Malick, a veteran bluesman who has worked with Norah Jones, gives Hope Waits pristine production that never distracts from the singer's soulful delivery. --Rod Lockwood, The Toledo Blade, September 30, 2007 No relation to Tom (although she does perform a killer version of his Get Behind the Mule), Hope Waits wraps her deep, slinky, sultry voice around a dozen bluesy/jazzy tracks on this striking debut. Although her styling and singing hint at a combination of Joan Osborne and Maria Muldaur, Waits is no mere imitator. She shifts from torchy originals (the languid Fortune Teller) to innovative singer/songwriter covers (the Waits song, Dylan's Ring Them Bells) and gripping, stripped-down versions of standards (an eerie, somewhat menacing Come Rain or Come Shine). Most of the album's four originals are assisted or written by Peter Malick, who also produced and plays guitar. Her take on the Ray Charles chestnut Drown in My Own Tears, accompanied by the horns that appear on a handful of selections, is a tour de force as she slows the song's tempo to a crawl and wrings every last drop of emotion out of the lyrics. Like the finest interpreters, Waits brings a fresh perspective to this material through her rearrangements. The opening cover of Jackie Wilson's I'll Be Satisfied keeps the soul while adding a dollop of jazz and bluesy swing. She digs into Cigarettes and Coffee with nearly as much intensity as Otis Redding, no easy task, and makes the standard her own. She's somewhat less successful on a shuffle blues reading of Mother-in-Law Blues, best known through Bobby 'Blue' Bland, even with an accordion added to twist the approach and add a touch of Louisiana R&B. There are obvious comparisons to Norah Jones' similar style (Malick has also worked with Jones), but Waits' technique is less easy listening, far more dark and edgy. Malick and Waits create a classic sound, very sparse but not quite stark, that highlights her gripping vocals. Atmospheric, intense, and often hypnotic, Waits' debut is a delight and a real find for those who walk down the more ominous side of the jazz/blues boulevard. --Hal Horowitz, AllMusic.com - The All Music Guide Product Description Debut album for spectacular vocalist Hope Waits. Born in the Louisiana Delta, her voice was strong from the beginning. She grew up singing in baptist choirs, writing love songs underneath her bed and learning how to pull a tune out of her bizarre home home life.
ASIN: B000TP5TEI
VSKU: DBV.B000TP5TEI.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Hope Waits|Bob Dylan|Tyran Carlo|Johnny Mercer|Berry Gordy, Jr.|Harold Arlen|Dave Marsh|David Woodford|Jeff Big Dad Turmes|Marco Godoy|Marco Antonio Godoy|Butch Norton|Peter Malick|Phil Parlapiano|Ducky Carlisle|Lee Thornberg
Binding: Audio cd
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Condition Notes: Individually inspected: Guaranteed to play perfectly or your money back. Case may show wear and may be in library packaging. Ships Fast!