Rickie Lee Jones (Japanese import)

"This is the impressive, adorable debut album from the uniquely talented singer / songwriter Rickie Lee Jones.

Rickie Lee's career ascent began after Lowell George (the late Little Feat front man) recorded her composition "Easy Money". As an inimitable song stylist, she first made her indelible mark with this - her acclaimed self-titled debut, and specifically the infectious, scat-flavoured single, "Chuck E.'s In Love".

Her highly distinctive vocals encompass rock, r&b, jazz, blues, folk, and classic pop inflections. Textured with fluent wordplay, beautifully delivered with true heart and soul, Rickie Lee's sound is one of the most authentic and original in contemporary music.

When the 'Rickie Lee Jones' LP was released in 1979, critics hailed her as "highly touted new pop / jazz / singer / songwriter" and "one of the best - if not the best - artist of her generation", prompting Rickie Lee to win a Grammy Award for "Best New Artist".

Every track on this recording is superb in it's own right - highlights include the swinging reggae / funk of "Young Blood", the wonderfully descriptive and jazzy "Danny's All-Star Joint", plus the deeply atmospheric "Coolsville" (which is clearly influenced by the great songstress, Joni Mitchell). For absolute emotion though, check out "The Last Chance Texaco" which is one of Rickie's finest compositions and (along with "Chuck E…") has remained a live favourite in her set ever since.

From here, Jones went on to blaze an artistically idiosyncratic path on a long string of beautiful, adventurous, and personal albums - of which 'Rickie Lee Jones' will always be the benchmark."
- GEOFF (14th February 2007)