LISA MEDNICK POWELL
BLUE BOOK
CICADA SOUNDS
SMOKE OVER CAROLINA–PIECES OF YOUR SOUL–CHECKPOINT–COLD COFFEE–I AM NOT GOLD–BLUE BOOK–TO THE WILDERNESS–GIVE THE GUNS TO THE GIRLS–CROW–HIGHWAY PRAYER
Lisa Mednick Powell’s recording career goes back to her debut solo release in 1994, “Artifacts Of Love.” It would be 2002 before she would release “Semaphore,” and now, sixteen years on, she graces us her latest, “Blue Book.” These ten cuts were recorded in both the California High Desert country and deep down in New Orleans. She and her husband and co-writer, Kip Powell, were joined by the likes of Tommy Malone, Victoria Williams, Alison Young, Danny Frankel and Greg Leisz to create a powerful set of love songs, songs of empowerment, and songs with a historical background, done in her beautiful, lilting style.
The set begins with “Smoke Over Carolina,” a song which becomes the final piece of a trilogy of Civil War songs that began in 1994 with “Harper’s Ferry,” and continued with “Chickamauga” from 2002. This song also has a cool counter-meaning, dealing with the civil wars between workers and bosses. Next up is a song to which we can all relate, at least to a certain degree. It’s all about letting go, and getting rid of individual baggage. If you “lose pieces of your heart, you might find Pieces Of Your Soul.” Lisa puts her accordion skills to work on the lovelorn “Cold Coffee,” and plays the keyboard parts on the set-closing “Highway Prayer,” which features Tommy Malone on guitar and the duet vocal.
Our favorite was simple. A song originally written in response to the Boko Haram kidnapping of the Nigerian schoolgirls easily rings true throughout this country today, in the wake of the recent tragedies in Parkland, Florida and Las Vegas. Hey, Mr. President—how ’bout we “Give The Guns To The Girls” and see if that can make a change for the better?
Lisa Mednick Powell is a rare artist these days. She’s a woman who follows her own internal clock, as far as writing songs and putting together an album goes. For her, the songs have to convey emotion and tell the truth to the listener, and that task cannot be rushed. Please enjoy her latest collection of emotionally-charged music, written down in her “Blue Book!” Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues Society.
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