Shelby Lynne - Live at Mccabe's (2012)

I have loved Shelby Lynne since I first heard her, having bought her album, "Temptation" purely on instinct and intuition in 1993. I believe she is perhaps the single most under-appreciated artist in her genre, and perhaps in contemporary popular music as a whole. "Live At McCabe's" is a jewel, a rare find and a superb display of SL's talent. She is a singer/songwriter and plays acoustic guitar very well indeed. This CD consists of Ms Lynne performing by herself, with only her guitar as accompaniment. It is a very intimate recording. I have no idea how big a venue McCabe's is, but it sounds small with the audience very close to the stage and Ms Lynne. Her banter, storytelling, and sharing of song backstories are just a delicious icing on a gourmet cake.
It is hard to single out a "favorite" track, since my answer would be, "which one is playing?" The song list can be considered as a live version of the best of Shelby Lynne. Through her career, she has expressed herself in many formats, including country swing with a large group including trumpet, saxophone and piano. I have to say that her rendition of "Your Lies", which was on her 2000 album, "I Am Shelby Lynne," and had a full band backing her, is a sweet surprise. Just her gorgeous, powerful voice and her guitar give a whole new appreciation of that song, which has always been one of my favorites.
Other tracks which I will give mention to include "Ten Rocks", "Tarpolean Napolean," which is a song about her father, "Johnny Met June," and the opening track, "Revelation Road."
In truth, there is not a weak track on this recording. If you are already a fan, this is a must-have. If you have not heard her before, this album is a great place to start. Highest recommendation.