Joan Crowe - Bird on the Wire (2005)

Joan Crowe’s debut album “Bird on a Wire” walks an electrifying line, fusing jazz with a nest of musical styles. Whether putting a gospe l groove to Leonard Cohen’s song for the title track or a Reggae beat to the obscure Beatles’ tune, I’m Only Sleeping; this album exemplifies her creative flights of fancy. She puts her sensual, soldering iron to work when she melds Peggy Lee’s Fever with Diane Shure’s I Caught a Touch of your Love. Her jazzy renditions of Never Never Land and Everything will make you believe that this lullaby and pop tune were always meant to swing. She will seduce you with her sexy, soulful voice on the country ballad Every Night I Sleep with an Angel, then have you tapping your feet to her original tune, Petite Southern Woman. Her smokey voice feels almost translucent on the sentimental The Way You Look Tonight and aches with longing on the haunting I Cover the Waterfront. This MAC award winner for comedy allows her wry sense of humor to enchant you throughout, but it comes through particularly strong on the whimsical Boom Boom, and Twisted. Joan weaves a unique artistic home by building her musical nest with a little jazz, a little country and a dose of whimsy all held together with an honest voice, and a genuine joy of singing. This lovely Crowe walks a fine line indeed balancing on this wire!