New Rickie Lee Jones CD

I just finished listening, (twice) to the new Rickie Lee Jones CD "Balm in Gilead" and it is quite impressive.

Even though this is a wonderfully smooth, intimate recording, on my system, it throws a wide and deep soundstage when called upon. The recording is clean with excellent placement of vocals and instruments within the soundstage.

Rickie Lee is helped on this album by guests Allison Krauss, Ben Harper, Victoria Williams, Bill Frisell, Jon Brion and Vic Chestnut. Listen to "Old Enough" with Ben Harper or "Remember Me" with Allison Krauss and Vic Chestnut. She also does a song from long ago, written by her father Richard L. Jones called "The Moon Is Made Of Gold" that is just mesmerizing.

Her voice seems stronger on this album, than on the last few that she has done. She has always been known to sing some pretty obscure and "different" kind of material, but the songs here are down to earth and organic.

This is one album to just sit back, take the music in, let it flow through you and soak it up. It really is very breathtakingly real and vivid.

I consider this release one her best to date and ranks right up there with her first, (Rickie Lee Jones).