 | News
Thursday,
April 24, 2003
Women Singers Light Up the Night
This Week
In a tribute to the great jazz/blues singer
Nina Simone, who died earlier this week at age 70 at her home in France, this
week's column is dedicated to women singers who are performing around town
this week.
> First up is a band called Trusting Lucy, which features singer/songwriters
Linda Arceo and Lisa Long.
The group is celebrating the release of its debut CD "It'll be Fine" (which
comes in both an acoustic and band versions) this Sunday afternoon at Doc's
Nightclub in Monterey.
"It'll be fine" features 14 songs written by Long (seven) and Arceo (five) or
co-written by the duo (two). The duo's music (the band version) can be roughly
described as straight-ahead rock with touches of folk, pop and country.
"Maybe" for example, would feel comfortable right up there on the country
charts with Shania, the Chicks and Martina McBride, while "Feed My soul" is a
rocker that opens with a Jimi-style flourish on guitar.
You get the sense that Long's rocker tendencies influence Arceo's softer,
folkier side while Arceo tempers Long's aggressive side to produce a
harmonious whole.
Hey, but what do I know? The two collaborative songs are both all-out rockers,
while some of Long's songs (such as the delicate ballad "Pieces") are soft and
sensitive and a couple of Arceo's ("People Are Talking" and "Yes I Do Bleed")
are as hard-edged as some of Long's rockers. What the duo have going for them
is two gorgeous voices that play off and complement each other, whether on
ballads or or tough rockers. I kept getting flashes of the Wilson sisters from
Heart, the Indigo Girls and a dream duo of Grace Slick and Melissa Etheridge.
The rest of the group includes versatile lead guitarist Jason Ruggles,
keyboardist Paul Grove (partner in Octagon Records), drummer James Findlay
(who many rock fans around here may know for his excellent bass guitar
playing) and bassist/singer Cheryl Tibbetts formerly of the Santa Cruz
all-woman band Riverpoets.
Judge for yourself from 4-6 p.m. Sunday or log on the band's website
www.trustinglucy.com (where you can purchase the CD). You won't be
disappointed.
> More
News and Reviews
|
