Pieta Brown - Mercury - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

The full-length follow-up to her Americana-charting EP Shimmer, produced by Don Was (Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan). a captivating voice and unmistakable talent, Pieta is being called Inchone of the best modern songwritersInch (Sonic Boomers) - a fact that is proven with this compelling collection of original songs. Using guitars, keys, and pedal steel, Pieta creates a colourful soundscape where Americana, indie-rock and raw folk come together in one distinctive package. With artful storytelling, hypnotic melodies and raw, soul-tinged grooves, One and All captures both the beautiful and complicated parts of the human experience, blurring the lines between love and loneliness with recurring images of flowers and Inchfallers,Inch lovers and strangers. Pieta brings these bittersweet songs to life with an all-star cast of musicians that includes Joey Burns (Calexico), Brian Wilkie (Alison Krauss) and frequent collaborator Bo Ramsey (Lucinda Williams, Greg Brown).

Since the of last year's to Fly to Steal (their debut on Intakt), the members of the Sylvie Courvoisier - Mark Feldman Quartet forged an even deeper chemistry on the bandstand through a series of European tours. The results of that heightened sensitivity now manifest on this superb second album showcasing an uncanny group-think among the four outstanding musicians. The flexibility and expressive range that violinist Feldman, pianist Courvoisier, bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Gerry Hemingway achieve together on Hotel Du Nord shows how much the quartet has grown in just over a year.

Shimmer is Pieta's most recent recording (and debut on acclaimed US tag Red House Records). Featuring 7 stripped-down tracks, Shimmer was recorded by legendary producer Don Was (Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan). Don first heard Pieta doing a live solo slot on an L.A. radio station, and was immediately smitten by her voice and material. His vision for Shimmer was to capture Pieta as he heard her that day on the radio, with her songs and voice, InchunadornedInch and full centre. Recorded live over two afternoons and mixed as it went down, Shimmer feels like Pieta is right there in the room, singing just for you. From the lilting lonesome InchLovin' You StillInch to the mesmerizing InchYou're My Lover NowInch, she delivers truly poetic story-songs with subtle textures added by Bo Ramsey (electric guitar, harmony vocals) and Don Was (string bass).