| Jeannie Kendall - Jeannie Kendall | |
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Reviewed by Jolene Downs
Jeannie Kendall has just released her first solo album on Rounder Records. For many years, Jeannie and her father, Royce, made up the award winning country duo The Kendalls. Her distinctive vocals made me a fan of The Kendalls as a child when I fell in love with "Heaven's Just A Sin Away." She has a very pure sound that just seems to soothe your soul when she starts to sing. Although Royce passed away a few years ago, before he died he had recorded two tracks with Jeannie that are included on this album. She also recruited a little help from the members of Union Station, Allison Krauss, Alan Jackson, Rhonda Vincent, Ricky Skaggs, Allison Moorer and Steve Gully. Alan Jackson submitted the song they did as a duet and told her, "I've been singing with you for years, you just didn't know it." This is a sentiment that is no doubt shared by all the guests that stepped forward to be a part of Jeannie's project. Although Jeannie's favorite contributor would have to be her father for the two songs they were able to finish before his death.
As I listened to the album through for the first time, my first reaction is that it was very easy on the ears. All of the songs are well chosen and flow very well all the way through. It was hard to pick favorites from this CD because I enjoyed the whole thing. It is an overall acoustic album, which further showcases Jeannie's voice.
It starts with the Michael Johnson song, "That's What Your Love Does to Me." It is a very up-tempo and positive song. It is definitely one of my favorites on the album. She used to be a free spirit and now all she can think about is settling down.
"Timeless and True Love" is beautiful love song. Alan Jackson joins Jeannie on this one, and their voices blend very well. They compare their love to things that remain unchanged through time, like the mountains and the rivers.
"I Wonder Where You Are Tonight" is one of the two songs that Royce Kendall was able to finish recording. He left her and she sits by her window in the rain wondering where he is tonight. It has a haunting sound to it.
"Old Friends" has Alison Krauss as a guest vocalist. I think these two women have two of the purest voices in the country/bluegrass field. Friendship endures time and distance. This song could be talking about old friends or old lovers.
"Just A Memory" touches on different things in your life that you will never forget. And through it all, all you call them are "just" a memory. It draws attention to the fact that even though they are "just" memories, they combine to make up your entire life and they are what you make of them. This was another favorite song of mine.
"The Color of Her Eyes" is a ballad with a haunting sound. It starts out with a baby being left on a church pew with a note asking them to love her baby. She searches throughout her life for her natural parents. Meanwhile, her birth father has found out he has a child and is searching for her. They finally meet and there is a happy ending with a surprise twist.
Bottom line is that Jeannie Kendall has more than proven her abilities as a solo artist. All the songs are well chosen to match her voice. The back up from Union Station just adds to the quality of the overall finished product. This would make a great addition to anyone's music library.
Song List:
Album cover and audio clips courtesy of Rounder.
Sound clips courtesy of Barnes & Noble.
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