Sunday, April 6, 2008

Shelby Lynne does Bacharach

I've been listening to Shelby Lynne's Dusty Springfield tribute, "Just A Little Lovin" quite a bit the last few days. It's a great sounding record, beautifully under-produced by Phil Ramone.

I keep returning to her version of the Bacharach/David tune 'Anyone Who Had A Heart'. This is a very hip tune. The harmonic structure travels through distinct sections, supporting the emotion of the lyrics perfectly. It has been recorded many times but I have never felt the essence of the song quite as directly. Shelby doesn't try to emulate Springfield but approaches the track with a soulful intimacy and passion that is her own...and the band sounds great.