Artists can take a real chance when they switch categories. It is not always the best of ideas and they can sometimes get lost in a world they may like, but not really do very well. That however is not a problem for Dyann Woody, as evidenced on her CD My Softer Side from Dynamike Records. Originally a country singer, Woody made the switch from "yee haw" to "ooh la la" after hearing Norah Jones and she makes the transition with a singular grace and style. The composer of ten out of the 13 selections on the recording, she displays a wide range of emotion and shows that she is a musical force to be reckoned with.

"Someone Who's Real," the opening track, starts out with a real honky-tonk-type piano riff and Woody does the song with a semi-lighthearted style. Her vocals compliment the piano playing of Barry Walsh perfectly. She has one of those voices that have a very distinct sound to it. It floats on the music created by her band mates, but do not be deceived. It has a depth and a bite to it that makes the selections resonant with the listener.

"To Get Over Me" has a bossa nova feel to it and it gently flows back and forth and when layered with Woody's heartfelt vocals it is a warm and passionate number. "Crazy 'Round Here" is an emotional ballad that again features Walsh on piano and you can hear every moment of the heartbreak. It is also one of those numbers where her country training pays off. Her voice soars with just the right amount of feeling. "Will You Ever Come Home" and "Broken Hearts Make Beautiful Songs" are two selections that go together well and tell of the price of a broken heart. You can hear the rough edges of a lover's frayed heart in every note.

The blues get a representation here on "My Softer Side." This number is the other side of hurt, the side that we all have after going through an emotional breakup. It is one that everybody can relate to. "All You Gotta Say" has a gentle swing to it. A nice 40's-era sound, the kind that the big bands of the day would have played.

There is still a bit of the country girl here especially on "All That Love Can Do," an up tempo song that is a nod to her roots in the award winning country band the Woodys. The album closes out with the inspirational "On The Horizon." Here Woody really gives her voice a chance to take flight, bringing to close an album you will find yourself listening to time and time again.
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On hearing their first album, The London Times described the Woodys as “The Everly Brothers in heaven.”  Flattering for sure, but a more appropriate description of this husband-wife duo might be Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris reborn.  Three albums on, they continue to delight with their impeccable harmonies and songs that sound like instant standards.  Each is unequivocally recommended – the self-titled debut, its follow-up Teardrops & Diamonds, and their most recent, Telluride To Tennessee with its irresistibly evocative title track – and provide proof positive that Dyann and Michael Woody have all the makings of superstardom.  Dyann recently released her self-penned debut solo effort, My Softer Side, and while it veers away from the Woodys’ traditional Americana sound and more towards easy pop and light jazz, it further reveals just how capable and accomplished a singer she actually is, even on her own.
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Smooth Jazz Therapy
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October 04, 2005
Dyann Woody - My Softer Side

Readers of these pages may not instantly recognize the name of Dyann Woody but lovers of country music most certainly will. Dyann, with her husband Michael, is part of the Country Music group The Woodys, a band that enjoyed early success when their debut album on Rounder Records climbed to first place on the Americana Charts. They followed this up with a number of other critically acclaimed releases but now Dyann has a solo CD, ‘My Softer Side’. It represents a considerable shift for her both in genre and in style.

Inspired by the emergence of Norah Jones, Dyann began to compose a set of tracks that formed the basis for ‘My Softer Side’. In fact she writes or co-writes eleven of the tunes that make up this collection and complements her own work by the selection of two choice covers.

All this said ‘My Softer Side’ is not a smooth jazz recording as such. It reaches across many genres and includes snippets of jazz, pop and blues. With the consistent thread of carefully crafted lyrics she never fail to tell a story and in so doing confirms her true country origins.

With ‘My Softer Side’, Dyann covers the whole musical spectrum. Spanning romantic tunes like ‘That’s When I Saw Stars’, ‘Broken Hearts Make Beautiful Songs’ and ‘Crazy Round Here’ (where Barry Walsh contributes delightful piano) through to out ands out cabaret numbers such as ‘My Softer Side’ she makes every track a surprise. As one would expect, on the memorable ‘All That Love Can Do’ Dyann proves she is a great country rocker and she reprises these country vibes with ‘All You Gotta Say’.

One of the albums notables is ‘Will You Ever Come Home’ with a bluesy backing and a Van Morrison ‘Moondance’ kind of thing going on. It shows a more soulful side of Dyann but just as good is ‘On The Horizon’, held together with a good chorus and strong backing it is reminiscent of 70’s Joni Mitchell but with Woodys hallmark crystal clear sound. Best track on the CD is ‘To Get Over Me’, a romantic mid temp tune that benefits from a cool Hammond organ solo.

Dyann Woody has a voice with a tone and a resonance that is as clear as a bell and perfect for the live stage. With ‘My Softer Side’ she has created a vehicle capable of taking in her in whatever direction she chooses to go.

For more on The Woodys and where to see them perform check out www.thewoodysmusic.com

October 04, 2005 in CD Reviews | Permalink 
Highly Recommended
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Dyann Woody offers her listeners My Softer Side. I have to admit, I loved this album, every single song. Now how often do you hear someone say that? I would be willing to bet not nearly enough.

Dyann does more than get by with a little help from her friends, she makes this album a complete triumph by mixing it up with blues, jazz, pop, and some of the tracks have all three aspects happening in one song. It sounds so wonderful! She has a great voice and utilizes it like the main instrument of the entire project while the music evolves around her heartfelt vocals. 

Oh yes, the friends by the way are folks like the amazing guitar player Rick Vito (Bonnie Raitt, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Seeger) and her husband Michael on trumpet. Before I started this process of listening and writing, Dyann sent me an MP3 to sample what was in store. I e-mailed her back and said “Do you listen to Patsy Cline?” and her response was “I love Patsy Cline!” Bingo! I already have the feel for this. Speaking of feeling, that is what this woman is all about, you can hear it in her voice, she gets down with the blues, rocks, swings, you name it, Dyann Woody has got it covered in her songs.

Dyann is all women and she sings about the loves of her life, her partner, and she does it with joy, sadness, sexiness, the entire array of human emotions gets put through the paces with her songs. “Broken Hearts Make Beautiful Songs” is right on target and so darn true, the beauty of sadness and despair was never so obvious in a song. Each track delves into another chapter of a relationship. Like the first track, “Someone Who’s Real,” this CD is the most down to earth and real expression of artistry you will ever find in recorded music. Count on this, once you hear this CD-you will be hooked and want more, even as I write this, I am on my fourth listen. Do yourself a favor, go to her website or CD Baby, listen to some samples, and tell me if I am wrong.
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