Album Notes

(4 out of 5) Idiosyncratic vocalist and multi instrumentalist Denio shows her diversity.

The "greatest hits" title is the usual joke, of course, 'cause Denio is a proudly independent fringe artist who will probably never crack the Top 40 - or even the Top 100. But she is also a very busy fringe artists, and much in demand, both as singer and musician, so this satisfying package is able to showcase her work with seven different groups, and as a solo artist. Denio's lyrics occasionally reveal a feminist orientation ("Birthing Chair Blues"), and she is capable of mordant observations about politics and the human condition, somewhat in the style of Laurie Anderson. But her specialty is an oblique kind of art song in which sound is as important as sense, and several of her vocals are in other languages.

Denio has an impressive three-octave vocal range and flaunts her technique on tunes such as "Salvatore" and "You Never Call Me Anymore," but most of her vocal work on this CD is more restrained, and sometimes almost sweet. She is a founding member of the Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet, and plays a mean sax, but also contributes accordion, bass, 12-string guitar and bamboo flute on several tracks. As the 19 pieces on Greatest Hits ultimately demonstrate, Denio is very difficult to categorize, but she always has something significant to say. - Bill Tilland (Alternative Press - November 1999)