SHANNON WHITWORTH & BARRETT SMITH

Bring It On Home

2012-01-13

This duo approximates the interplay of Over the Rhine's Karen Berquist and Linford Detweiler as their voices weave through a mix of soulful classics from Sam Cooke, James Taylor, Paul Simon, Van Morrison, Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen--interspersed with some jazz classics ("Moonglow," "I Get Ideas" and "Sway"). In each, Whitworth and Smith skillfully wrap their vocals around each other so that each song has a jazz bent, regardless of the genre of the original song. While the tunes ultimately depend on the smoky singing of the duo, I also appreciated the trumpet in "Moonglow," the saxophone in "Green Grass" and other tasteful musical flourishes throughout. The unhurried feel of the set reminds me of a home concert, with all of the participants acquaintances. Someone asked these two friends, "Hey, it's about 10 o'clock. How about you two playing some favorites?" They smiled, got out their instruments and the next thing you heard were the opening bars of "Bring It On Home to Me"... 01/13 Michael J. R-Adult Contemporary

Quick Links:

• Blog describing the record
• Whitworth and Smith do "Moonglow" live
• Whitworth and Smith do "You Can Close Your Eyes"