Jessie Lee Miller - Waiting (2006)

On her 2006 album, Now You’re Gonna Be Loved, Austin-based singer Jessie Lee Miller proved she had perfected the poised pose and pitch of mid-1950s western-swing. So faithful was her sound that she inevitably drew comparisons to Patsy Cline.
On Waiting, Miller again recalls the stars of country’s golden era, but this time she widens her stylistic palette to include rhythm and blues, big band jazz, rockabilly, and even a few little touches of Tejano, as well. Perhaps as a result of her decision to self-produce this album, her voice, too, is more varied. Though still possessing that depth, strength, and haunting quality associated most closely in popular consciousness with Cline, there is clear evidence of Miller’s other probable vocal influences. Texas Ruby springs to mind on several tracks, as do country pioneer Jean Shepard, honky-tonk hell-raiser Charline Arthur, and hillbilly queen Rose Maddox. Whether she’s the sultry chanteuse or the feisty firecracker, it’s obvious that Jessie Lee Miller knows her musical history. (Review by Christel Loar)