Search - Becky Schlegel :: Red Leaf

Red Leaf
Becky Schlegel
Red Leaf
Genres: Country, Pop
 
"I don't think anybody would be surprised if Becky became a national act. RED LEAF has that kind of crossover, singer-songwriter production quality that'll appeal to more than bluegrass fans -- if enough people hear the CD...  more »

     

CD Details

All Artists: Becky Schlegel
Title: Red Leaf
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: The Orchard
Release Date: 3/26/2002
Genres: Country, Pop
Style:
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 803680194829

Synopsis

Product Description
"I don't think anybody would be surprised if Becky became a national act. RED LEAF has that kind of crossover, singer-songwriter production quality that'll appeal to more than bluegrass fans -- if enough people hear the CD, I don't see any way it wouldn't make her a star." --Minneapolis StarTribune RED LEAF is the new album from recently signed Peppermint artist Becky Schlegel. Her previous CD, This Lonesome Song (1998), established Becky and her band True Blue as one of the Midwest's most accomplished and acclaimed bluegrass groups. RED LEAF takes off where Lonesome left off: in a new musical direction blending bluegrass, folk and pop in a style that's all her own. Becky was raised in the central South Dakota town of Kimball (pop 700). She has been making music as long as she can remember, from piano lessons starting in kindergarten to joining her mother's professional country band, The Country Benders, to forming True Blue in 1997. Living in the Twin Cities has definitely influenced her music: RED LEAF could easily be described as bluegrass for the adult contemporary set, with Becky's angelic Alison Krauss-like voice rising above her band's skillful picking. The first track, "Alabama Sun" is a heartbreaking memoir of a farmer so elderly that no one in his hometown even remembers him. "Little Janie," about a mother who kills her daughter during a flu epidemic, is as morbid as a bluegrass song can get. Becky's songs run the gamut from personal and heart-achey to sweet and homey. RED LEAF was recorded at the renowned MasterMix studios in Minnesota. It features the talents of acoustic luminaries Peter Ostroushko, Marc Anderson, and John Niemann.

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CD Reviews

The new Alison Krauss?
12/02/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is an enjoyable recording of very pretty almost-bluegrass songs, all written by the singer with the Alison Krauss-like voice, Becky Schlegel. The lyrics are generally passable but unremarkable, with subjects ranging from sappy love songs - and her sweet voice goes well with these - to the joy of country life. On occasion they're remarkably touching ("Red Leaf") or remarkably annoying ("Sister Sam", which seems to be written from the point of view of someone who approves of the petty conflicts often arising between siblings about who's the favorite or who's not doing their share of taking care of the aging parents). But you wouldn't buy this for the lyrics; it's the gorgeous sound that takes liberties with traditional bluegrass, either by being more spare or by occasionally adding a forbidden instrument like an electric or pedal steel guitar. All in all, while comparisons with Alison Krauss are inevitable, and to my taste Ms. Schlegel is a tiny notch below Ms. Krauss as a vocalist, this is an enjoyable CD that should appeal to fans of modern bluegrass. If you like Alison Krauss, it's certainly worth a listen."
Brilliant compositions with a gifted voice
Lee Thielee | Fort Collins, CO | 05/03/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am stunned by the brilliance of this CD. Although it is a little dark,( especially Little Janie about a family caught in a flu epidemic, according to the Minneapolis Tribune) it really showcases the talent that Becky Schlegel shows as a composer and as a singer. Her voice is absolutely hauntingly beautiful. I would recommend it to anyone, and I have given it as a gift to several friends."