Jan Smith - Tin Heart (2002)

Tin Heart is a collection of 11 original Americana tunes rooted in country, folk, bluegrass, and pop. These plainly, richly sung renditions are arranged with the tasteful playing of mandolin, guitar, upright bass, percussion, cello, fiddle, and pedal steel. Players include the Jan Smith Band (Tom Proutt, Jeff Vogelgesang, and Gerald Soriano) and well-respected songwriters Terri Allard and Danny Schmidt on harmony vocals. The recording focuses equally on Smith's lyric writing, her singing voice, and the seasoned musicianship of the players accompanying her.

Smiths songwriting has been inspired by the work of artists such as Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, and Townes Van Zant, and her style is comparable to that of Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss, Natalie Merchant, Michelle Shocked, and Emmylou Harris, among others.