Totally worth a longer review and more glowing words than I am physically capable of providing, Carla Hall’s "Front & Center" spotlights her voice to wonderful effect. Recorded in what seems to be a series of small recording studio gatherings (friends & family audience?), her voice is mixed in the title position and left alone to be flawed or even awkward, never fixed, processed and made "better". She may be better as an interpreter than composer but The Voice is her selling point and this is its showcase. Wowzah! Get her with some real musicians and this girl is going to the top someday. Someday soon.
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Carla Hall celebrates the release of her debut CD, Front & Center on Moxie Entertainment. Hall's a folkie with a voice even more interesting than the lyrics it gets to deliver. The album's a mix of studio and live tracks (such as CB's Gallery and The Bitter End).
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Wow. 
That about sums up Carla Hall's release of Front & Center. It's intense, musically sound, and takes the listener for a ride, but not a ride into fantasyland. Hall pulls her own situations from deep within her soul and lays them out bare for the listener to poke and prod and examine and digest. The listener can't help but take a bite.

Thanks to Hall's soulful, emotive voice, she forces you to listen, since the musical accompaniment is present, but not to the point of overpowering. Musically, the CD is fine, but you can put Carla Hall on a fence full of alley cats and she would shine. Dig up this CD and give a listen if you want to be moved by a talented lady indeed.
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Sparse, with usually just a guitar and maybe a conga accompanying her, Hall's velvet voice and heartbreaking songs draw you in with their richness. Front & Center is a strong mix of folk, blues, and jazz all taken down to the bare minimum, allowing the best of Hall and her accompanying musicians to shine through. Indeed, every piece seems very carefully placed. It's like eating nouvelle cuisine at a fancy restaurant: when your meal arrives, the small amount of food is carefully arranged on the plate like a painting. Every bite stands on its own but each item complements the others beautifully, and when you are finished you are completely satisfied. I will certainly be looking for Carla Hall to be appearing in a smoky lounge in my town, or during my next visit to NYC.
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