by Bambi Weavil

We recently sat down with the charming and gorgeous actor Jeremy Ray Valdez, one of the stars in the upcoming film, La Mission.  La Mission focuses on the life and conflicts of a Latino family in the San Francisco Mission district. Valdez has had recurring roles on television shows including ER, Veronica Mars, and guest starring roles on 24, CSI: NY, JAG, The Shield, CSI: Miami, Without a Trace, That’s So Raven, Boston Public and more.

Bambi Weavil: It’s great to meet you Jeremy! What attracted you to working on La Mission? How would you describe La Mission to our audience?

JV:  Nice to meet you as well! When I first read the script, I was blown away by how good it was. The writing really had depth and the character I play, Jesse, was unlike anything I had ever played before. The film has a lot of important things to say and I wanted to be a part of a project that said those things.

La Mission tells many stories: that of a man who fights to reconcile the life he thought he had with the one he has; that of a violent but respected father’s turbulent relationship with his gay teenage son; and that of a community with conflicting values trying to hold on to its culture. La Mission is a story of love, healing, and transformation that bucks conventional filmmaking and storytelling to craft a singular, affecting glimpse at a vibrant, real, but often hidden segment of life in the U.S.

BW:  What do you feel are the biggest misconceptions about gay Latinos?

JV:  To me the biggest misconception about gay Latinos is that they are very few and far between. The Latino culture is viewed as being very “macho” in a sense, so people don’t often associate that culture with homosexuality.

BW:  How important is gay rights to you? How does it affect your life?

JV:  Gay rights are extremely important to me! Fighting for gay rights is no different to me than when this country was struggling through the civil rights movement, or women’s suffrage. I believe that NO one has the right to tell another individual who he or she can or cannot love or marry. I am affected by it every day, because I live in West Hollywood, which is the flash point for the gay rights movement.

BW:  At Out Impact, we strongly believe in promoting activism – what non-profits or causes do you feel passionate about?

JV:  I am VERY passionate about Autism. My sister was Autistic and passed away due to complications from a seizure disorder that was related to her Autism. Autism Speaks and S.A.R.C. (Southwestern Autism Research Center) are two organizations that I support.

BW:  What projects are you working now that our readers can catch you in coming up? Talk to us about the Obama Effect! How were you involved in that project?

JV:  I am currently filming the movie, Benavides Born, in South Texas. La Mission comes out on April 9th in New York and Los Angeles, and April 16th everywhere else. Later on this year I have a film coming out called The Obama Effect.  It was directed by Emmy Award winning actor, Charles S. Dutton and focuses on a black family and a Latino family during the Obama election, and how the election effected both families.

BW:  I read that you have a musical background – what are you working on with your music career?

JV:  Currently I am playing guitar with two phenomenal singer songwriters, Austin Hanks and Travis Howard, We are always playing shows in and around Los Angeles, as well as across the country. The music is very country and blues oriented.

BW:  What challenges you as an actor? What makes you decide to take on a new role?

JV:  As an actor, I always try and work on projects that say important and meaningful things. I loved a good challenge and I love to work with actors who inspire me. I was lucky with La Mission because Benjamin Bratt was in a movie called Pinero that really inspired me to act, so working with him was a gift.

BW:  How do you balance everything in your life? What keeps you grounded?

JV:  My life sometimes feels like a juggling act! Especially right now. I have a beautiful, supportive wife that always looks out for me, and make sure that I take out the garbage and do laundry. My friends and family are always there to keep me grounded. To them I am just plain ol’ Jeremy!

BW:  Thank you for speaking with us Jeremy!  We are excited about you and your work! For more information on Jeremy and La Mission, visit http://www.lamissionthemovie.com/.

by Tysa Banks

I had to check the copyright date on this album in order to confirm that it was indeed produced recently. Sure enough, 2009 was when Ledisi’s Turn Me Loose debuted as the second release from Verve Music Company. Quite honestly, it’s refreshing to hear such an “old school” sound from a modern artist. It seems that in the past decade, most of the singers in the music industry have been declining in talent. A lot of “artists” have computerized enhancements which masks the real voice behind it all. When they go sing at a live concert, a lot of them tend to leave the fans unsatisfied. Ledisi (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace), on the other hand, CAN sing and she keeps it real.

One of the most interesting things about this album is the fact that Ledisi was more open minded about it all. Instead of automatically telling the producers what she was looking to create, she was more willing to accept ideas from them. Because of this, she was able to achieve the respect and collaboration of some highly recognizable producers such as Grammy winners, Raphael Saadig, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis. She even had repeat assistance from Rex Rideout, who was a huge contributer to her previous album, “Lost & Found,” which landed her two Grammy nominations.

She starts out with a bite in her first song, “Runnin’.” Already halfway through this track you can sense that she is no typical artist from today’s era. With her rich and soulful sound, this woman reminds us of how music used to be, back when there were artists like Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, Jimi Hendrix, and Buddy Miles. In fact, it was Miles who inspired her to do the remake of his 1970 song, “Them Changes,” which can be heard at the end of the album as a bonus song. With her own style, she does have somewhat of a modern rendition of the soul rock classic. She was even suffering from writer’s block before hearing it and other quintessential songs from that era.

The title track, “Turn Me Loose” is probably my favorite one from this album because it proves just how passionate Ledisi is about her music. In the beginning of the song she sounds smooth and breathy like Sade with a kick, but in other parts she’s vibrant with an attitude like Mary J. Blige. It’s very fitting since the song is about a woman trying to hang on to the man she loves yet realizes he’s not paying much attention to her anymore.

Perhaps the most powerful song on this artistic collection from Ledisi is number thirteen, “The Answer to Why.” I’m sure that the gospel singing aided in that endeavor. Ironically, those background vocals included Ledisi, herself, along with Mabvuto Carpenter, and Tiffany Smith. “Trippin” has a reggae type sound to it, which further proves just how versatile Ledisi is. I’m anxious to hear more from this artist, as I’m sure she has a lot more to offer.

Every song has amazing background music, too. Earth, Wind, & Fire come to mind when I listen to it because of the eclectic instruments involved. If only more artists would take the time to go back to the origins of their style like Ledisi has done, then the music business would have a lot more depth within it. For those of you who remember and admire the Bluesy, Jazzy, funky, and soulful sound of the seventies with a touch of today’s style, you’ll definitely appreciate Ledisi’s “Turn Me Loose.”

by Bambi Weavil

Setting Sun (MySpace), aka. prolific songwriter Gary Levitt, releases his latest album on June 1st, Fantasurreal.  This is the fourth full-length from one of New York State’s indie folk pioneers, and explores more electronic territory than in previous releases.  He says this is the easiest record he’s ever made, he embraced the solitude of home, as a result from coming home from a grueling tour schedule from 2008 to 2009.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Textured indie folk with layered driving percussion and swirling electronics, picture yourself in a swirling painting, the album channels Bright Eyes in moments as well as Elliott Smith.  Their first single, “Driving” would be perfect for a clever commercial.  “Make You Feel” is the strongest song on the album, with four-on-the floor stomps and introspective,  reminding of what The Beatles would sound like if they recorded today.  “Handsome Bride” has a incredible refrain “And you know that you’re never alone anymore…” that I love.   Fantasurreal is a great album that keeps spilling onto itself like a cycling ocean of contemplation and emotions, with light and darkness blending in.

Starring opposite George Clooney in Up In The Air was, at least at first, a nerve-wracking experience for Anna Kendrick. “Yes, let’s just say I was terrified,” she laughs. “Who wouldn’t be? I mean, come on, it’s George and he’s one of the biggest stars in the world.”

You’d never know that she suffered from a touch of nerves. On screen, the actress gives a remarkable performance as a self assured young career woman, Natalie Keener, who has to learn the ropes from an older, more experienced colleague, Ryan Bingham played by Clooney.

Here is more of Anna discussing her career, making Up In The Air, her stage work and what it’s like to live in Los Angeles!

Q: Are you pleased with the film?

A: Oh yes, I’m so proud of it. I think I would say it’s by far my favourite film experience that I’ve had. It was the most fun and the most rewarding. The combination of this beautiful script and this beautiful character, with George Clooney and Jason Reitman on set, all day, everyday, was really fun. You couldn’t ask for anything more.

Q: Is it fair to assume that the character you play is a long way from your own personality?

A: (laughs). Oh yes! But that was the fun part about it. Natalie does so many things that I would like to do and she is unapologetically who she is in a way that I wish I was. Sometimes there are things that you wish you would say or do and you think about it. And it was easy to transfer that into someone else. Personally, I generally avoid confrontation so it was a release to play Natalie because she’s not going to back away. And like I said, getting to yell at George Clooney was pretty cathartic.

Q: Yeah, I’ll bet. That must have been a great day on set…

A: Yeah, I mean, a tricky day, but it was a lot more fun than some of the smaller scenes. Getting to just kind of give it to George both barrels.

Q: Have you met people like Natalie?

A: I think we all have. She’s a little rigid and a little annoying and she has a strength that she’s not afraid of. But there’s also a weakness there – and actually you probably see her at her weakest in this film, it’s probably the most vulnerable time of her life. I imagined that she was the sort of person who prides herself on the idea that she’s overcome a lot of challenges in her life and I think that in reality this is the first time she’s ever been challenged.

Q: I was talking to Jason Reitman earlier and he says he really likes writing women characters…

A: Yes, and you can tell that. He writes great characters for women. Look at Juno. Look at this film – it’s not just my character but all the women characters are so well rounded.

Q: What was it like working with George Clooney. He’s arguably the biggest film star in the world, so that must be a thrill..

A: George is a really smart guy and a really sensitive guy and I’m sure he looked at me and knew that I was pretty terrified. I think you’d have to be insane not to be a little intimidated by him. And he’s aware of the effect that he can have on people but he does everything to make you feel at ease. He sort of encouraged a really playful relationship – a relationship where I could kind of give him crap and he could make fun of me and I’d give it right back to him. So that when it came to do time to do it on screen it seemed perfectly natural. Really – and I know everyone says this – George couldn’t be nicer. The thing is George makes it OK for you to relax and he makes so much effort to put everyone at ease. And it gets pretty easy after that. I really loved working with him.

Q: But you were terrified at first?

A: Yes, let’s just say I was terrified. Who wouldn’t be? I mean, come on, it’s George and he’s one of the biggest stars in the world.

Q: Is Jason the kind of director who gives you a lot of time to prepare for a scene or is it ‘OK, let’s do it..’?

A: Well we didn’t have any rehearsals at all, which was interesting, and certainly made certain things challenging, but at the same time, kept a lot of things really fresh. And he’s certainly very willing to talk about anything with you – he’s incredibly available. But he knows exactly what it is that he wants and just sort of tells you to give it to him that way, and you can try it your way, but you know that he knows what he’s doing and what he is going to want in the end. And so even if it doesn’t make perfect sense to you yet, you know that this is a guy that you should trust.

Q: Did you talk to Jason about the themes he is exploring in this film?

A: Oh yes, I think it’s about isolation in the modern world. And it’s about these people who think that they have their life philosophy all figured out and it’s what it does to them when they realise that they haven’t. I just loved the script. Jason writes so beautifully and he’s so funny and yet it’s really quite poignant too, because you meet these people at a time when things are starting to unravel for them.

Q: You started acting at a very young age…

A: Yes, I danced when I was a little kid. And sang all of the time, too, and I was just one of those kids that wanted to perform and wanted to be on stage. And when you’re six you just want to jump around and then when I was about 10 I still really wanted to do it, to sing and dance and I was lucky enough to have parents who treated me with an incredible amount of respect for a 10 year old girl. They really listened to me – even when that 10 year old was telling them that she really wanted to be on Broadway. They supported me and let me take a real run at it and I’ll be forever grateful to them.

Q: But you don’t come from a family of actors do you?

A: No, my Mom was an accountant and my Dad was a teacher.

Q: Did you see a lot of Broadway shows yourself as a kid?

A: You know, honestly, it wasn’t as though I went to New York and saw a Broadway show and thought that’s what I wanted to do. It was more of an idea – just the idea of being on stage in front of real theatre fans.

Q: Did you get nervous appearing on stage as a child?

A: No, it was just huge fun – I think it probably gets harder as you get older (laughs). When I was seventeen, I did A Little Night Music, at New York City Opera, and opening night, I became incredibly aware of how many people fit in that room, and I really sort of psyched myself out. But then you do it and it’s fine and you forget that anybody is even watching you. But yeah, I had a little panic attack moment, when I thought about how many people would be looking at me – and seventeen is an age where you are not sure if you want people to be looking at you or not.

Q: And you made your first film at what, 16? What was that like?

A: I turned 17 when we were filming Camp. You know, it was one of those things, it never really felt like we could possibly be making a real film, because it was just a bunch of kids who’d never been in a film before (laughs). We shot the film at the camp, we were all sort of living there, and occasionally we would go in and shoot a scene. Actually, I think a lot of us thought that it would never see the light of day. We were just a bunch of little hoodlums singing and dancing. It was so much fun.

Q: Making a film must have felt so different from being on stage…

A: Yeah, it did. But you know it was a unique and special first film and none of us had been in a film before, so that was rare. And we all came from a theatre background so we all had the same kind of experience. It was like ‘what just happened? Did we just film something!’ (laughs). Because there was no audience reaction, of course. On stage, something happens and there’s the energy of the audience and you can feel it – it’s very real.

Q: So film is a different discipline that you had to learn..

A: Yes. And each of us sort of realized when they turn the camera on and they say action, nothing actually happens (laughs). And you have to make it happen. But it was this incredible thing where you felt like, that couldn’t have possibly been it, that couldn’t have possibly been a performance… Because I know what a performance feels like, and that was just me talking and them pointing a camera at me. So that was a very strange hurdle to get over. But you know, it’s a different way of doing the same thing. You have to learn that too and I really enjoy the difference.

Q: But I’ll bet you still miss that reaction you get from being on stage..

A: Yeah. I mean it’s such a cliché, but there really isn’t anything like it, and it’s one of the weirder parts of the transition – not having the immediate validation. I think we were a bunch of very needy little actors (laughs) on Camp. Our poor director probably had to tell us how great we were, even more than most directors have to tell their actors.

Q: Well you were young…

A: We were young, and we just didn’t really understand how do you know it was good, no one applauded, so how do you know?

Q: But how does it feel now a few years on, when you do a film like this? Which again, is a very sort of, calls for a very subtle performance…

A: Yeah, I think it’s a tricky thing, there’s this expression about actors, that they get paid to wait, and I feel like, you get paid to multitask, you know. You can be really good at your job, but then you have to remember to turn your face so you’re in your light and drop your shoulder, because George is in the background or something. And you’re going to cut him off and the whole shot is not going to work if you can’t do all of these things. And just slowly but surely, experience is the only thing that’s going to help that. Hopefully I’m getting better at it.

Q: You’ve got the best of both worlds so will you continue to do stage and film?

A: Well, I haven’t done stage in a while. I think the last thing I did on stage was probably A Little Night Music, and I want to do it again. It just gets scarier, the more time you spend away from it. But also I love film, I love the medium and I’m having fun doing it, so I’ll figure it out.

Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working, what kind of things interest you?

A: I watch a lot of films and I bake…

Q: What do you bake?

A: Just desserts and stuff I make a flourless Hazelnut chocolate torte – it’s great! (laughs). I usually take that if I’m going round to friends for dinner. My life is always sort of a mess and it’s spilling out everywhere (laughs), so I like to go to other people’s houses.

Q: Do you enjoy living in Los Angeles?

A: Yeah, it takes about a year to kind of get used to it, and it’s a kind of lonely city at first.. And when I first arrived I didn’t know anybody. But one morning you wake up and it’s home. There are certainly people who seem like they are straight out of Beverly Hills 90210 (laughs). But I don’t know those people. And I’ve got some great friends there now and it’s good.

* * *
Thank you Anna!  Anna is also a supporter of gay rights, she once signed for FAIR , “Love is a right. Not a privilege.”   Up In The Air is now available on Blu-Ray and DVD, don’t miss supporting one of Hollywood’s newest leading ladies!

by Bambi Weavil

For long-time fans of John Travolta and Robin Williams like myself, they can do no wrong.  Travolta and Williams star in a family-friendly Disney comedy together, Old Dogs, also starring Kelly Prieston, Seth Green, Ella Bleu Travolta, Lori Loughin and Matt Dillon. On March 9th, Old Dogs (Facebook) will be coming to Disney Blu-ray, DVD, and Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy Combo Pack on March 9, 2010 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

Best friends and business partners, Dan (Williams) and Charlie (Travolta) are on the verge of their biggest deal in the history of their sports marketing firm when their lives change drastically by a surprise visit from Dan’s ex-wife Vicki (Preston).  Vicki has some news for Dan that will change his life forever, their brief affair produced twins Zach (Conner Rayburn) and Emily (Ella Bleu Travolta), now seven-years-old and in need of a dad to keep an eye on them for two weeks.  Dan has no experience being a father and with charming, very single, very charming Charlie for support, they stumble their way through fatherhood together.

For a good night at home with the family, check out “Old Dogs.”  Old Dogs on Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack is priced at $44.99 SRP (US) and $51.99 SRP, single disc Blu-ray is priced at $39.99 SRP (US) and $44.99 SRP (Canada), and the single disc DVD is priced at $29.99 SRP (US) and $35.99 SRP (Canada).

Bonus Features:

Old Dogs on single-disc DVD also includes:

• A Collection of Hilarious Deleted Scenes and Bloopers

Audio Commentary by the film’s director Walt Becker, producer Andrew Panay, and writers David Diamond and David Weissman

The single disc Blu-ray Hi-Def version includes the same bonus features, plus:

• “Every Little Step” — A new music video performed by John Travolta and Ella Bleu Travolta

The three-disc Combo Pack (BD+DVD+Digital Copy) includes all of the above as well as:

• “You’ve Been A Friend To Me” — A music video performed by Bryan Adams

• “Young Dogs Learn Old Tricks”

by Bambi Weavil

The hype around Alice in Wonderland (MySpace, Facebook, Twitter) has been building for well over a year and long time fans of the story, Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and The Like won’t be disappointed, but make no mistake about it, this movie is meant to be seen in 3-D because any other version, couldn’t possibly do it justice.

The top reasons to watch this movie are to experience the visual effects for yourself.  Sure, this movie is great because Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are apart of it, but the real star of this movie is the tapestry of this film to bring you back to  your childhood and the sacred place of imagination and dreams.  The incredible Mia Wasikowska is believable as Alice, at first I wasn’t so sure, and now I wouldn’t want anyone else to play her.    Alice is faced with the dilemma of deciding whether to marry a aristocrat who she isn’t interested in the least, and face the parallels of growing up and meeting expectations.  From there, we are transported to Wonderland/Underland/her dream.

The animated characters such as the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat (voiced by Stephen Fry) and the Jabberwocky (Christopher Lee) are utterly delightful. The computer-generated Tweedledee and Tweedledum were better than I expected and spot on.  Also, don’t miss the attention to detail in the soldiers and the cards!  All expectations were riding on how well Depp would pull off the crazy Mad Hatter, and he also did not disappoint though it was challenging not to think of Willy Wonka visually at times, but there is much more depth and real access to Depp’s well of range as an actor.  Just like Alice, every actor in this film was perfectly casted.  Helena Bonham Carter as the imperious Red Queen was incredible, believable and passed all expectations, as the main antagonist with the large cranium.  It’s quite possible that Carter’s role in the film was the best surprise of the film.  The minor character of the film, White Queen, played by long-time favorite of mine, Anne Hathaway, surprisingly worked as well.

See this movie, if for no other reason to enlighten your imagination, return to your childhood for a little while, and visually stimulate our over-stimulated and overworked lives.

by Greg Ragland

For a change, let’s look at the PR angle first:

“The Big Gay Musical” will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray in the United States and Canada on April 6. The release will come filled with extras, such as a behind-the-scenes featurette, and the full musical, “Adam & Steve: Just the Way God Made’em,” which is featured in the film.

Referred to as “the ideal date movie for every theater queen who ever imagined his life as a musical,” by the Dallas Voice, the acclaimed comedy, directed and produced by OUT 100 filmmaker Casper Andreas (“A Four Letter Word,” “Between Love & Goodbye”) and Fred M. Caruso, highlights performances by a slew of Broadway actors, including Hairspray’s Daniel Robinson, A Chorus Line’s Joey Dudding, South Pacific’s Liz McCartney, Wicked’s Marty Thomas and Chicago’s Brian Spitulnik, in addition to appearances by adult film actor Brent Corrigan and a cameo by venerable Village Voice columnist Michael Musto.

The film tells the tale of Paul (Daniel Robinson) and Eddie (Joey Dudding), two theater actors who have just commenced working together on their new Off-Broadway musical, a show that oddly mimics their own personal lives. Through glittery, yet comical musical numbers with provocatively dressed tap dancing angels, a retelling of Genesis, tele-evangelists, a camp that attempts to convert gay kids to straight, and numerous showtunes, both characters go through life-changing experiences.

For more information on The Big Gay Musical, visit www.embrem.com

Now, let’s jump in ourselves.

Paul (Daniel Robinson) and Eddie (Joey Dudding) work as actors/singers in “Adam and Steve: Just the Way God Made ‘Em,” an Off-Broadway musical that has just begun its preview. The premise centers on an alternate version of Genesis that has Adam and Steve becoming a couple after Eve eats from the Tree of Knowledge and gets banished from the garden.

The dialogue and songs open up a variety of themes ranging from religion to sexual identity and tolerance. Eddie who has not came out to his parents feels worried that he might be HIV positive. Even though he invited them to the opening night of the show, little do they know that the show doesn’t follow their version of the Bible. Paul struggles to find an ideal guy to have a committed relationship with, but when his boyfriend leaves him for someone else, he decides to live life in the fast lane with random hook-ups using “Manhunt.Com”. Things progress accordingly, but when he asks one of them to cuddle after sex, the guy refuses and leaves him sad and alone.

Casper Andreas (Director) along with writer/co-director Fred M. Caruso effectively combine drama, comedy and romance in a way that keeps the film from feeling too assuming or trite. The dialogue sounds true to life, coming from characters that are organic and engaging, while the struggles they go through to be true to themselves strike the viewer as genuine. The cast seems to have a great time in their roles – particularly while performing in the high camp musical show. Steve Hayes steals the show in the role of God, delivering lines that dare you to not laugh.

Coming in at a length of 90 minutes, it’s well worth grabbing the DVD come April 16th

by Greg Ragland

It’s not often I get excited about an Album that has yet to come out. I tend to shy away from reading the hype about coming releases, because let’s face it – PR is supposed to push Artists to get them airplay, favorable reviews and buzz. It was these things I pondered as I opened an advanced release for an album coming out later this year from a duo named Nikki & Rich.

The hype was the usual type – DJ/Producer meets ‘Diva in training’, and beautiful music comes from the pairing. Outside the hype though, I learned about 2 very talented people. Nikki Leonti comes from being a background singer for Carrie Underwood, and Rich Velonskis (Better known as the Grammy winning Rich Skillz) has produced tracks for Eve, Mario and Ludacris (Release Therapy featured a Skillz produced track – there’s that Grammy). It’s hard to imagine a pairing like this, let alone to expect the resulting sound to just work.

I’m happy to say that it does – and well.

The music is both easy and difficult to put a category on. The hype tells us it’s a “doo-wop pop-soul” sound, but it reaches into other realms as well. As Rich says “We didn’t want to make a tribute record to past artists and have it sound like something that came out 40 years ago.” In that, they are a success – while highly suggestive of the music from that era, their sound definitely will attract listeners of today’s varied music styles.

The track “Cat and Mouse” has already been released, and even been used on the Cable TV show Entourage. To try and put a name to it, think of a Girl Group like Martha and the Vandellas, (As opposed to The Supremes from the same era) and you wouldn’t be far off.

In addition, I enjoyed “Same Kind of man”, which reminds me of Donna Summer and her Disco era works – combined with a touch of Diana Ross. “Next Best Thing” brings the Ms Ross comparison back – but this time, if you can mix that picture ‘Single Ladies’ by Beyonce being done with a 60s feel, you’d have what this song evokes.

I could go on about the music, but I’ll just say it this way: It makes you feel good, has you wanting to sing along, and causes you to make comparisons (As I did above) to established artists. In other words, everything you’d want from a “tribute” style work.

I’m looking forward to the Warner Brothers release coming later this year. Check them out at http://www.myspace.com/nikkiandrich, or get “Cat and Mouse” on iTunes.

by Greg Ragland

Studio albums have always been a strange beast to me. They are usually a clean, straight ahead version of the music a performer is (or has) become known for, and they generally don’t expand past what they are expected to deliver. Thankfully, The Fall does explore new territory – but not so much as to push away people who prefer the usual sound.

Just looking at the assortment of names who added contributions to the album gives you an idea of the care put into selecting a direction to flow. Smokey Hormel, Marc Ribot & more lend their talents, and the music is stronger for it.

You have to respect those who push their boundaries, even if only a tad. Our first hint of change comes with “Chasing Pirates”, a mellow soul track, and easy to listen to. After that, things change more. “Even Though” hits you with reverb, the expected sounds of her piano makes way for country guitar on “I Wouldn’t Need You” – a difference that really draws attention.

She doesn’t venture far from her roots on the rest. Her Pop and Jazzy sound come through on tracks like Songs like “Man of the Hour” & “You Ruined Me”. If there is a weak point, it’s from collaborations from other writers. Her selections from other artists are easy enough to listen to, but nothing is in there to stretch the mind to think these are anything but standard songs – a weakness that could have been tragic, but get pulled off well enough to let you listen and enjoy.

Simply put, The Fall delivers a Norah experience with tastes of other genres. It will please existing fans of her sound & style, and just may gain her a few more from her small advances into other realms.

Track List:

1. Chasing Pirates (Norah Jones)
2. Even Though (Norah Jones/Jesse Harris)
3. Light As a Feather (Norah Jones/Ryan Adams)
4. Young Blood (Norah Jones/Mike Martin)
5. I Wouldn’t Need You (Norah Jones)
6. Waiting (Norah Jones)
7. It’s Gonna Be (Norah Jones)
8. You’ve Ruined Me (Norah Jones)
9. Back To Manhattan (Norah Jones)
10. Stuck (Norah Jones/Will Sheff)
11. December (Norah Jones)
12. Tell Yer Mama (Norah Jones/Jesse Harris/Richard Julian)
13. Man Of The Hour (Norah Jones)

Produced, Recorded & Mixed by Jacquire King

Headliner singer/songwriter Kyler England with Mark Kano playing our July 17, 2009 show in Wilmington, NC at the Soapbox. Partial proceeds for this show went to Coastal Horizons – The Rape Crisis Center, Inc. photo credit: Melissa Hebert Photography