MUSIC SCENE

Just a Little Lovin' - Lost Highway Records

Traditional country music and classic R&B music have always been cousins embracing themes of loneliness, love and heartache. Just a Little Lovin' is country music vocalist Shelby Lynn's tribute to the British blue eyed soul singer Dusty Springfield. It could very well be her best record to date. Wisely avoiding Springfield's signature song "Son of a Preacherman" Lynn has recorded a record of Springfield songs, many of which are now considered classics like "I Only Want To Be With You," "Breakfast In Bed" and "Willie And Lauramae Jones." Recorded in Capitol Records building Studio A and stepping up to the same microphone that Frank Sinatra and others used, Shelby Lynn could have easily been intimidated and made a record that fell flat but thanks to producer Phil Ramone who recently produced Rod Stewart's jazz ballad album It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook the new Lynn album shines like a new dime. The title track that Shelby Lynn did write herself with her eye on Springfield "Just A Little Lovin'" is one of the strongest cuts on the disc both in delivery as well as strength of the song itself. Early in her carrier Lynn tried to embrace the Nashville music mill but soon discovered that it restrained her creativity so she left it behind and has been blazing her own path, if more artists were brave enough to do the same, music played on commercial radio stations might not be so bland.
Bob Jones is founder of Silver Platter CDs EST1998 in Fort Myers.
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