Steven's Spot: Alison Krauss
Steven Wilder Davis
Issue date: 3/4/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Anybody who has a radio dial ever since the soundtrack to "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" knows the beautiful voice of Alison Krauss. Her vocal track "Down In the Valley to Pray" from that album was a nation-wide hit and turned the masses onto the treasure that is the voice of Alison Krauss.
Krauss's voice is most commonly described as "angelic" - and that's no exaggeration. Krauss frequently sings as a soprano and rarely with any bravado. But she doesn't need. Her sound is calm and crystal clear and unlike any other. If her vocal stlye could be compared to anybody else's, it would probably be the calm, clear delivery of James Taylor.
There's good reason that she's won 26 Grammy's - making her the most awarded female artist (and third most awarded overall) in the history of the Grammy's. Her unmatched talent helped renew nationwide interest in bluegrass music, reaching across demographics and catching the ears of listeners who have long been wary of genres like bluegrass and country. I've even turned several Europeans - who typically stay clear of any rural or middle-American music - onto Krauss's music.
Aside from her beautiful voice, Krauss also plays the fiddle with the band the most often performs with, Union Station. But she's also performed with such legendary figures as Led Zeppelin's lead vocalist Robert Plant.
Many of Krauss's songs aren't original compositions, but I seriously doubt that any songwriters that she's covered are unimpressed. After all, Janis Joplin - another revered female vocalist - didn't write the majority of her songs, but is still held in highest regard among vocalists.
If you don't own an Alison Krauss album, you're certainly overdue for one. Her best-of compilation, "Now That I've Found You: A Collection" is a great place to start, and from there I'd recommend her 2002 "Live" album.
Krauss's voice is most commonly described as "angelic" - and that's no exaggeration. Krauss frequently sings as a soprano and rarely with any bravado. But she doesn't need. Her sound is calm and crystal clear and unlike any other. If her vocal stlye could be compared to anybody else's, it would probably be the calm, clear delivery of James Taylor.
There's good reason that she's won 26 Grammy's - making her the most awarded female artist (and third most awarded overall) in the history of the Grammy's. Her unmatched talent helped renew nationwide interest in bluegrass music, reaching across demographics and catching the ears of listeners who have long been wary of genres like bluegrass and country. I've even turned several Europeans - who typically stay clear of any rural or middle-American music - onto Krauss's music.
Aside from her beautiful voice, Krauss also plays the fiddle with the band the most often performs with, Union Station. But she's also performed with such legendary figures as Led Zeppelin's lead vocalist Robert Plant.
Many of Krauss's songs aren't original compositions, but I seriously doubt that any songwriters that she's covered are unimpressed. After all, Janis Joplin - another revered female vocalist - didn't write the majority of her songs, but is still held in highest regard among vocalists.
If you don't own an Alison Krauss album, you're certainly overdue for one. Her best-of compilation, "Now That I've Found You: A Collection" is a great place to start, and from there I'd recommend her 2002 "Live" album.
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