Corinne West
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Corinne West

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"AMERICANA ROOTS.COM"

It doesn't suck to be Corinne West. She writes great songs, plays with top flight musicians, sports a killer voice and oh yes, has sultry good looks- she could easily be cast as a princess in a "Lord of the Rings"-type movie (hopefully a singing part). The recently released Second Sight is Corinne's second CD, both of which have been released on her own label, Make Records.

Corinne grew up in Northern California, but caught the wandering bug early on, dropping out of school at 15 to travel with a group of wandering artists and activists in a bus. Her grandfather helped instill a love for music even earlier than this, teaching a young Corinne the two-step in honkeytonks before she was even a teenager. Busking and bands followed the bus trips, but eventually she wanted the freedom of running her own show.

She is joined on the CD by a stellar group. Mike Marshall plays mandolin, Tony Furtado on slide guitar, Darol Anger on fiddle and Jerry Douglas on dobro to name some of them. I don't own every album Jerry Douglas has played on (who could?), but I can say I've liked every album I've heard that he is on. If I'm considering a CD and I see his name on it- deal done. I don't think he would let himself be associated with bad music. For Corinne to get him to play on just her second CD said a lot to me before I even gave the disc a spin.

The CD is a great collection of songs that range from frenetically paced bluegrass tunes to beautiful soft songs such as the closer Writing on the Wall. The other side of the Atlantic has already discovered West, and she toured England and Ireland earlier in 2007. She says this trip influenced her writing which is evident in the song All Good Things which definitely has a bit o' the Irish feel to it. Other highlights of the CD are the opener and title track "Second Sight," "Diamonds to the Wind" and "Gandy Dancer," all three of which are uptempo with some great playing, yet Corinne's voice never sounds strained or rushed. There is not a bad song on the CD. With this much talent and drive, I imagaine Corinne West will be an important artist on the music scene for some time. I hope to be able to review another CD of hers in the future here! - AMERICANA ROOTS.COM


"STRICTLY COUNTRY"

Talent. Pure talent. Corinne's style is a mix of bluegrass, traditional country and folk. A great combination. Her vocals are best described as a folksy Loretta Lynn mixed with Tanya Tucker. A perfect example of this style is included in "Lost & Found." Other songs included on this unique album are "Eye of The Storm," "Hell Yes," "Hand Full of Gold," and the title track. However, the best song would have to be "Cabin Door." This is a beautiful song with a strong message. A message of hope and kindness, of a time gone by. West extends her vocal talents in a bluegrass Irish diddy with "All Good Things." Through this album, Corinne West takes the listener through a journey of life filled with wisdom. This album is an acoustic album filled with extraordinary talent. - STRICTLY COUNTRY


"JAMBASE"

The album ignites from the speakers like the burst of a flame, immediately sending one back to the simpler times of campfire tales, rocking chairs and horse drawn carriages. Corinne West's voice glides effortlessly over the bed of expert musicianship, powerfully crafting interwoven melodies to rest your weary thoughts on. The songs are uplifting yet possess a calming comfort, giving the album the energy of a refreshing breeze.

"Hand Full of Gold" stands out as a crafted masterpiece, painting the picture of an unwelcome sunrise to a confessing soul dreading an overwhelmed day. While we can all relate to such pressures, the message of the song is a balm for lost love and dented aspirations - a beautiful, poetic tribute to finding one's way where the crescendo interlude wins praise for the space between the notes and its ability to guide one on their path towards the mountainous horizon ahead.

West has assembled an all-star cast of legends for this studio effort including producer Mike Marshall, Jerry Douglas, Tony Furtado, Darol Anger, Todd Phillips, Chris Webster, John Burr, Scott Amendola, Anne Bacon and Charlie Edsal. It's clear from the output that this ensemble has clicked on many levels, and one can only hope that this grouping will meet again for encore performances with West in the live setting.

If you didn't know her name before, Second Sight is sure to put Corinne West on the map and garner repeated listens as you settle down from that hectic day, kick up your feet and dream of better times. - Andy Gadiel


"MONTROSE DAILY PRESS, COLORADO"

I'm guessing you've never heard of Corinne West. I sure wasn't familiar with her when i received her new CD, Second Sight , in the mail. West, who took to the road at the tender age of fifteen is a masterful songwriter, winning awards at Kerrville Folk Festival. She has a distinct voice with echoes of another Californian, the late Kate Wolf. Educated on the streets West has a raw sincerity in her lyrics and her singing. For her second disc she chose Mike Marshall, a perennial performer at Telluride Bluegrass, to produce it which gave Corinne access to an A list of bluegrass musicians for the sessions.

Jerry Douglas is hot on his Dobro and Tony Furtado takes the banjo licks on the title track, a hot contemporary bluegrass tune. The autobiographical "Hell Yes" features Darol Anger on fiddle with Furtado on slide and Marshall on the mandolin. It's a get up and dance number. Celebrating a mountain top retreat where the "Cabin Door" is open welcoming friends and neighbors West makes you feel like you are sitting on the porch. It's a bluegrass breakdown on the toe tapping "Gandy Dancer". A heartbreak ballad, "Roses to Rust" is an old time blues song until the organ kicks in updating the sound. Bouncing to a two step beat, Marshall leads on guitar on "Lost & Found. Douglas's Dobro lends that high lonesome sound to the melancholy of West's voice on "Eye Of The Storm". Smoking bluegrass, "Diamonds To The Wind" with solos passed around brings in the whole band behind West's sharp phrasing.

Corinne West is on her way up. Great songs and powerful singing are going to take her far. Being able to collect a razor quick band for accompaniment on Second Sight is icing on the cake. - Dave Bowman


Discography

Bound For The Living - 2004
Second Sight - 2007

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Bio

Hailing from California's Sierra Mountains, Corinne West spins tales with a voice part velvet and part grit that is both achingly penetrating and highly addictive. Her music has a cool, layered, yet seriously kickin' sound and has been referred to as "utterly spellbinding", "radiant" and "extraordinarily beautiful" by reviewers worldwide.

Her style combines the energy of rippin' bluegrass, the nostalgia of American roots, the backbone of hard Country, and the smooth silky richness of traditional Folk. Her debut record, "Bound for the Living", has resulted in international acclaim. On her newest recording, "Second Sight," Corinne proves she has a rare gift as an artist that can sing as eloquently and as powerfully as she writes.

Second Sight showcases a singer and songwriter hitting her creative stride. She recorded the album with producer Mike Marshall, known for his work with David Grisman, Mark O'Connor, Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer. West's collaboration with an outside producer (she herself produced her ciritically acclaimed debut, Bound for the Living) kicked open the creative floodgates.

"Mike was brilliant and easy to work with," says Corinne. "He was so focused on making sure we served the songs well. It took the recording process to a whole new level." That included bringing in the world-class talent of Jerry Douglas, Darol Anger and Tony Furtado to join Marshall in fleshing out West's potent songs. The secret weapon turned out to be West's incredibly emotive voice. It leaves an indelible stamp on the heart as it twines through her subtle yet sophisticated songs. Few songwriters deliver both the artistic integrity and popular commercial appeal that are the hallmarks of West's music. It's a one-two punch that solidified her reputation as on the the most successful songwriters to emerge on the Americana scene in the past few years.

Corinne has toured relentlessly, building her reputation the most authentic way - one fan at a time. On her travels, she's also won such top honors as finalist in the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival songwriting concest. That launched her onto the national festival circuit and helped kick her touring career into overdrive, including tours of England and Ireland. Her overseas tour became possible when BBC legend Bob Harris began featuring her on his radio show. Fans acrss the ocean fell in love with West's eclectic mix of folk, rock, bluegrass and Americana.

The emotional power, raw soulfullness and understated beauty of Corinne West's music has her on the brink of stardom. It's a rare gift to witness the birth of an important new creative force in American music, but that's what you'll discover with Second Sight. It's essential listening for anyone who keeps a finger on the pulse of great music.