Those of us in Upstate New York can count ourselves especially lucky to have such a wide array of musical talent. Whether it's our proximity to "the City" or (in my own area anyway) our even closer proximity to Woodstock, I can't say for sure. But we are musically blessed in this region. Regionally based singer-songwriter Vickie Russell is certainly a welcome addition to the roster of talented artists who make their homes in this part of the country. Ms Rusell is a strong singer and a fine keyboardist. Her songs range from the ethereal, somewhat Nyro-esque "Angel" to the sassy blues-inflected "Manville." Like many of our better contemporary singer-songwriters, Ms Russell achieves a nice balance between the introspective and the playful. And while a number of her composition might fall into the "confessional" vein of songwriting (your "break up" and "make up" numbers), Ms Russell does not just limit her themes to the romantic sphere. One of the best songs on the album, for example, is the moving tribute to her father--who became a Kindertransport refugee to this country at age 10--that is a sublime mix of the personal and the political. An equally moving tribute, this one to the late Rick Danko formerly of the Band and until his untimely death, a regular fixture of the Upstate New York music scene, is offered up in the song "Take Care of You." In a plain spoken narrative, Ms Russell describes the generosity of spirit and concern toward younger up-and-coming performers this celebrated musician exhibited right up until the time of his death. Vickie is joined by Danko's fellow "Band-mate" Garth Hudson on this track--who is excellent as always--but the level of overall musicianship displayed by Ms Russell and her accompanists on this CD is stellar.

Of course there are any number of musical hotbeds around the country, but those of us in Upstate New York can count ourselves especially lucky to have such a wide array of musical talent. Whether it's our proximity to "the City" or (in my own area anyway) our even closer proximity to Woodstock, I can't say for sure. But I can tell you that as someone who co-sponsors musical events at a regional library, we have benefitted greatly from having such an extensive pool of musical talent. One act that we were fortunate enough to have play for us recently was regional singer-songwriter Vickie Russell. Ms Rusell is a strong singer and a fine keyboardist. Her songs ranged from the ethereal, somewhat Nyro-esque "Angel" to the sassy blues-inflected "Manville." (Both of which appear on this--her second--CD). Like many of our better contemporary singer-songwriters, Ms Russell achieves a nice balance between the introspective and the playful. And while a number of her composition might fall into the "confessional" vein of songwriting (your "break up" and "make up" numbers), Ms Russell does not just limit her themes to the romantic sphere. One of the best songs on the album, for example, is the moving tribute to her father--who became a Kindertransport refugee to this country at age 10--that is a sublime mix of the personal and the political (in the broadest sense of the word). An equally moving tribute, this one to the late Rick Danko formerly of the Band and until his untimely death, a regular fixture of the Upstate New York music scene, is offered up in the song "Take Care of You." In a plain spoken narrative, Ms Russell describes the generosity of spirit and concern toward younger up-and-coming performers this celebrated musician exhibited right up until the time of his death. Vickie is joined by Danko's fellow "Band-mate" Garth Hudson on this track--who is excellent as always--but the level of overall musicianship displayed by Ms Russell and her accompanists on this CD is stellar. In her concert here, Ms. Russell was accompanied on guitar and bass by her husband David Michael Peters, an accomplished musician and recording artist in his own right. In a small concert venue, such as ours, the arrangements were a bit more spartan--but equally as effective as the studio arrangements found on the CD. Live or on record, Vickie Russell is an impressive performer and songwriter. She deserves to be heard by a larger audience. Until then, we in the Northeast can consider her our little secret.

With WELCOME HOME, Vickie Russell will slip right past all your defenses...and you'll be SO glad she did! There's a trick to turning one's life experiences into universally embrasable tunes, and Russell knows that trick inside and out. "Angel" will move you. "Sunset in Aberdeen" (My personal favorite!) will carry you away, "Take Care of You" will guide you home, and "Hell or High Water" will give you the hope and the courage to keep on keepin' on with your own life journey.

One of the best CD's I've heard all year! This CD sounds like what would happen if you combined Tapestry and Maria Muldaur's debut CD - but with stark originality that I haven't heard since." Fred Migliore - FM Odyssey