Shelby Lynne
Just a Little Lovin’ (Lost Highway)With Shelby Lynne’s career at a stalling point eight years after the breakthrough success of I Am Shelby Lynne, her digging deep into her Southern roots on a Lovin’ tribute to Dusty Springfield makes perfect sense. Springfield may have been British, but her interpretations of classic soul via Dusty in Memphis remain an all-time great listen. Lynne doesn’t mimic though, taking nine tunes Springfield sang, along with one original in the spirit, and interprets them in a manner that’s elegant, if not always satisfying. Legendary producer Phil Ramone keeps the leash loose with minimal backing of drums, bass, piano, and the guitar of Dean Parks. Lynne’s sultry voice out front means hearing tunes like “The Look of Love” and “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” for the first time. Her ice-cool reimagining of the Rascals’ “How Can I Be Sure” is a perfect exhibition of Lynne’s vocal ability and this project as a whole: bright and sunny one moment, sexy as hell the next. (Friday, March 14, Austin Music Hall, 9:30pm.)
This article appears in March 14 • 2008.