Jessi Colter - Out of the Ashes

Jessi Colter has always been a driving force in country music; not just in her own career, but as the woman behind Waylon Jennings. Now, three years after Waylon's passing, Jessi comes "out of the ashes" to prove she remains a solid, vibrant performer in her own right, a strong woman with a powerful message of survival, love, and spirituality.

Jessi Colter has spent most of her career as the woman behind Waylon Jennings, as wife and partner, nursing him through his problems and illnesses to the end. She charted only one major single herself, the memorable "I'm Not Lisa," in 1975, and performed with Waylon and the rest of the "Outlaws" on the phenomenally successful 1976 "Wanted! The Outlaws" album, which helped change the face of mainstream country music (at least for a while). But Jessi herself never did emerge into the spotlight much, letting Waylon and then son Shooter take most of the accolades. But now Jessi proves she is very much more than just a supportive wife and mother.

With twelve new recordings, including "Out of the Rain," which was recorded with Waylon and Tony Joe White, Jessi does indeed rise like the Phoenix from the ashes. She wrote (or co-wrote) all the songs with the exception of the lovely hymn "His Eye Is On The Sparrow," Tony Joe's "Out of the Rain," and a surprising cover of Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" (better known to many people as "Everybody Must Get Stoned").

Through it all, Jessi sounds like a woman who has emerged from grief into a renewed life; there is grief and sorrow, but there is also joy and a spiritual completeness. The performances are bluesy, and Jessi's gentle soprano has gained a great deal of strength and more fullness than was in the tremulous "I'm Not Lisa." "Out of the Ashes" is a beautiful record, and a new classic by a true legend.