Just a Stone's Throw Away
VALERIE CARTER
(Sony)
Her credits as a background singer run in the dozens and dozens (James Taylor, Lowell George, Linda Ronstadt, Aaron Neville, to name a handful), but Carter has only four solo albums to her credit. She was one of the California "mellow mafia" artists that sort of fell between the cracks. Her debut, Just a Stone's Throw Away, showcased a vocalist with a powerful set of pipes imbued with a lot of sensitivity. Her "Ooh Child," the lead track here, is among my favorite versions of that ubiquitous tune. Elsewhere, Carter touches on blues, gospel, Appalachian and more, and closes with the gorgeous torch song "Back to Blue Some More." —ES
This article appears in Sep 24-30, 2008.