Wine, Woman....and Pretty Songs (Music Review 2/20/2012)

Sometime last week, my good friend Stephen Harris had texted me and wondered who the name of the singer that Barb and myself were always talking about.   He wondered if it was E'lissa Jones.    Apparently, this E'lissa Jones was playing at the Warwick Valley Winery, in Pine Island. NY (just outside the beautiful town of Warwick) and he and his girlfriend Rene were going to invite Barb and myself to join them.

I told Steve that I had never heard of E'lissa Jones, and that he must have been thinking of Rachel Allyn, whom we mention constantly.    Steve acknowledged that yes, that's the one.     So at first it was unclear whether he thought our favorite up and coming country singer was performing at the winery that Saturday afternoon, or whether he actually did mean E'lissa Jones.   Of course, a quick check of the winery's website confirm this...it would be E'lissa playing.

Initially disappointed, but looking for an opportunity to get out for the day and to finally meet Steve's girlfriend...and of course to check out a talent I had never heard of before, on this slightly chilly sunny Saturday, we made the trek up Route 94 to check out the events, getting there an hour early (with the intention of wine tasting first).

Well, apparently, Ms. Jones has quite a following in the Hudson River Valley, since all the tables in the cafe were taken (in warmer weather, the winery's concert series takes place outside, but it was clearly too chilly for that today)...needless to say we canned the tasting (we've been there once before), and went scavaging for chairs for us and our friends.   We did manage to pick out four.   No tables to put our wine glasses or food, but that was just a minor inconvenience.

And it paled in comparison to what we were going to listen to for the next three hours.     E'lissa was fantastic, very talented.     Just when you thought originality in music has run its course, along comes Ms. Jones.     Not only a great voice, but she is a master of the strings instruments.    Brought up in classical music (and composer of some short pieces at a young age), she has been exposed to many musical greats in more popular music fields.    She sang backup for R&B legend Wilson Pickett during that singers final years.   She has also opened up for Steve Forbert and Pete Seeger.     Those names should tell you about how versatile she is, crossing many genres of music.    She is a master of the violin, but also the guitar.      And was that a fiddle she was playing during her cover of Charlie Daniels' "The Devil Went Down to Georgia"?   Her website describes those genres ranging from rock, classical, folk, jazz and R&B, but I swear you could hear country and even celtic in her songs.

And what songs she has.    Her and her three-piece band spent the afternoon jamming....some covers such as the Daniels song above, and many of her originals.    And apparently she's been around for quite awhile; her first CD, Shadows, was released in 1997.   Her sixth and latest CD, Like Water, was released in 2011, which she is currently promoting.   The standout performance of those songs on that CD was "Best I Ever Had", not to mention "Sweet Surrender".      And then where was the moving tribute to the late Whitney Houston; "I Will Always Love You" brought a misty eye to myself during her solo performance of that song.   

And perhaps, a fitting end to the day, her boyfriend went up to the stage and proposed to her; a nice unexpected treat for this Saturday afternoon crowd.    If you want to check her out, much of her shows are around the Hudson River valley, Warwick, Campbell Hall, or northern NJ towns like Montvale or Maywood.     To find out more about her, check out her website:   http://elissajones.com/shows.htm

ON THE SNS:  It's The Cranberries at the top for a second week as "Tomorrow" set a record for points (the ranking are determined by the points I give them).    Facebook friend Suzanne Logeman loves this and shared the song when I posted it last week, no doubt helping it stay at the top.  A very competitive top 10 results in holds or changes in one position, with the notable exception being Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know".   The song is obviously the most popular of my current favorites; it was a hit on my Lake Placid trip, and is #1 on Billboard's Alternative Rock chart, and #2 on the Triple-A chart as well.   Wild Nothing leaps into the Impact spot in the Top 20 with "Nowhere", and The Black Keys are in that elite circle for the fifth time with the bluesy "Gold On the Ceiling".

I had posted that "Best I Ever Had" by E'lissa Jones was my Pick of the Week; however I am changing that to "Sweet Surrender".    I would prefer my "awards" to have some video attached to it, or at least a link, and since "...Surrender" does have a video, I opted to make that my pick; however I will add "Best..." in the coming weeks.    This is a talent to be witnessed.

RECORDS:  I, from time to time will mention what's going on with the pop charts.  I last reported that Adele had her third number one from 21, "Set Fire to the Rain".    With the Grammy awards' help, all three singles jumped back into the top 10, giving Adele the record for more songs in the Top 10 by a female.    Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" is #3 and two of her other classic songs are in the Top 50 as well.    Her Greatest Hits album sits at #2, but ironically, one of her records actually got broken by you-know-who.     Adele's 21 sits at the top for its 22nd week, breaking the record for longest album spent by a female artist:  Houston's soundtrack to The Bodyguard.  Finally, although she didn't break the record for most #1's from a single album, Katy Perry hasn't yet stopped.   Her new single, "Part of Me" becomes the 20th song to debut at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100.  The song is from an upcoming remix album, and enters on SNS at #76 this week.

Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100 for Week of February 20, 2012:

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	1	THE CRANBERRIES "Tomorrow" Album: Roses (2 weeks at #1)	8
2	2	Tennis - Origins	7
3	3	Rachel Allyn- Ain't No Fun	10
4	5	The Rapture - How Deep is Your Love	6
5	4	Atlas Sound - The Shakes	11
6	12	MOVER OF THE WEEK   GOTYE featuring KIMBRA "Somebody That I Used to Know" Album: Making Mirrors	5
7	7	Wilco - Dawned On Me	9
8	8	Kelly Clarkson - Stronger	7
9	9	Sharon Van Etten - Serpents	10
10	11	Grouplove - Tongue Tied	10
11	10	Adele - One and Only	13
12	6	Omnia- Change This Place	10
13	22	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:   WILD NOTHING "Nowhere" (Single only)	4
14	16	Pageants - Edible Rust	6
15	13	Adele - Love Song	13
16	21	The Black Keys - Gold On the Ceiling	4
17	14	The Kooks - How'd You Like That	9
18	18	Snow Patrol - New York	8
19	15	Mayer Hawthorne - The Walk	19
20	17	Lady Gaga - Marry the Night	10

21	38	Veronica Falls - Bad Feeling	5
22	27	Fun f. Jarelli Monee - We Are Young	12
23	25	Martin Solvag & Dragonette - Hello	17
24	32	Florence + the Machine - No Light, No Light	6
25	19	Silversun Pickups - Broken Bottles	8
26	30	Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks	9
27	33	The Shins - Simple Song	6
28	46	Caveman - Old Friend	4
29	26	Red Hot Chili Peppers - Monarchy and Roses	16
30	20	Fitz and the Tantrums - Breaking The Chains of Love	8
31	45	Sarah Jean - At Last	4
32	40	My Morning Jacket - First Light	7
33	37	Expensive Looks - Nothing More	12
34	24	Lana Del Rey - Video Games	10
35	31	M83 - Midnight City	11
36	43	The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Heart Attack	6
37	34	Graffiti6 - Free	16
38	29	Ellie Goulding - Lights	20
39	23	The Knux - Razorblade	14
40	50	Dr. Dog - That Old Black Hole	5
41	51	Bush - Baby Come Home	4
42	35	R.E.M. - We All Go Back To Where We Belong	15
43	28	The Black Keys - Lonely Boy	16
44	36	Blitzen Trapper - Love the Way You Walk Away	21
45	52	Sleeper Agent - Get Burned	11
46	39	Two Door Cinema Club - Undercover Martyn	17
47	41	Real Estate - It's Real	18
48	62	Nada Surf - Waiting For Something	3
49	55	Coldplay - Charlie Brown	6
50	49	The Kooks - Junk of the Heart	32
51	64	Red Hot Chili Peppers - Look Around	2
52	----	TOP DEBUT   E'LISSA JONES "Sweet Surrender" Album: Like Water	1
53	44	Foster the People - Don't Stop (Colors on the Walls)	16
54	47	Train - Drive By	6
55	54	Florence + the Machine - What the Water Gave Me	26
56	59	Madonna - Give Me All Your Luvin'	4
57	42	Kathleen Edwards - Change the Sheets	16
58	53	Dum Dum Girls - Coming Down	21
59	48	Phantogram - Don't Move	17
60	60	Death Cab for Cutie - Home Is A Fire	11
61	56	Fleet Foxes - Lorelai	15
62	73	Anna Calvi - Desire	2
63	57	Scars on 45 - Heart on Fire	22
64	58	Warren Haynes - River's Gonna Rise	14
65	61	The Big Troubles - She Smiles for Pictures	17
66	67	Heartless Bastards - Parted Ways	5
67	72	Civil Twilight - Fire Escape	3
68	70	Band of Skulls - Sweet Sour	7
69	71	Frank Turner - If I Ever Stray	6
70	63	Mumford & Sons - Winter Winds	12
71	----	Young the Giant - Apartment	1
72	65	Sleeper Agent- That's My Baby	19
73	76	Cloud Nothings - Stay Useless	3
74	75	Jack White - Love Interruption	4
75	77	Bon Iver - Holocene	4
76	----	Katy Perry - Part of Me	1
77	----	The Ting Tings - Hang It Up	1
78	84	James Durbin - Love Me Bad	2
79	68	Neon Trees - Everybody Talks	7
80	69	Adele - Set Fire To the Rain	32
81	----	Islands - Hallways	1
82	66	Kasabian - Days Are Forgotten	18
83	74	Death Cab For Cutie - Stay Young Go Dancing	28
84	79	The Features - Big mama Gonna hip	4
85	83	Bonnie Raitt - Right Down The Line	3
86	99	Gary Clark Jr - Bright Lights	4
87	88	Ingrid Michaelson - Ghost	2
88	----	Flogging Molly - Saints and Sinners	1
89	----	The Lumineers - Hey Ho	1
90	90	Bruno Mars - It Will Rain	2
91	87	Blink 182 - After Midnight	3
92	----	Bruce Springsteen - We take Care of Our Own	1
93	89	Foxy Shazam - I Like It	2
94	----	Alabama Shakes - Hold On	1
95	81	Carolina Liar - Drown	24
96	78	Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Maniac	15
97	80	Zac Brown Band - No Hurry	5
98	82	Mates of State - Maracas	9
99	85	Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside - I Swear	26
100	86	Florence + the Machine - Shake It Out	18