Lois Dawson: Sunrise

Deep and heartfelt, Lois Dawson’s delivery draws on the blues, Gospel, and jazz to offer ballads that contain dramatic tales of life and love. Her flexible voice, in the lower alto range, enables Dawson to remain clear and accurate while expressing with a full range of emotions. It’s difficult to guess an artist’s main influences, but the vocal presentation on Sunrise combines Sarah Vaughan’s round sound, Betty Carter’s imaginative pitch shaping, and Nnenna Freelon’s dramatic storytelling approach. A talented songwriter as well, Dawson wrote or co-wrote all but one piece for this session. The blues aura of "Will We Ever Learn," the swinging "Will We Ever Learn," the jazz tracks "No Goodbyes," "Incantations" and "Peace Offering," and the searing ballad "Desire" combine in one performance to certify the singer/songwriter’s versatility. More information may be found at http://www.loisdawson.com . Like a breath of fresh air, Daw! son’s vocals mark her as one artist deserving wider recognition because of her superb talents. Highly Recommended.