Gina Lee
Where Ya Been? (Glee Club) One thing you can’t say about Gina Lee is that the Austin twanger’s a one-trick pony. Eschewing the Wanda Jackson/Janis Martin rockabilly routine for a more varied palette of styles and influences, Lee pulls together top-notch local talent (Cindy Cashdollar, Redd Volkaert, Floyd Domino, Slim Richey) for her debut disc. Her smoky jazz (“Layer of Frost”), weepy honky-tonk (“Crying Steel Guitar Waltz”), upbeat country (“Who Said So Long”), and even a stab at “St. James Avenue,” with a clarinet kicking the song off, all jell nicely. Produced by Lee and Maryann Price, who adds harmony vocals, Where Ya Been? bears Price’s influence in the arrangements, particularly on the lushness of “Layer of Frost” (remember Price’s stint with Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks?). The production is a little thin at times, but there’s plenty of slap-back echo on the vocals for the proper retro feel, and this isn’t the type of stuff that should be too “produced” anyway. The only gripe is that Lee needs to put a little more sass and confidence into her delivery. Don’t dismiss Lee as a retro act or pigeonhole her with the other rockabilly cowgirls that the roots scene’s awash in. There’s a lot more than that going on here, and she’s worth a listen.
This article appears in May 23 • 2003.