Album Review: Rickie Lee Jones Is Just In Time With Her New Album Of Standards PIECES OF TREASURE

Heigh Ho, dear lovely rainbow tribe, welcome back to Bobby's CD sandbox where we offer our broken-down breakdowns of new music releases. So, strap in and get ready, as Bobby goes on the record ABOUT the record.

This week's album entry in the BobbyFiles comes from a bonafide super musician and vocal artiste, Rickie Lee Jones. With her new album, PIECES OF TREASURE, Ms. Jones opens up the Great American Songbook and delivers 10 of the most gorgeous new takes on old standards this writer has heard in a long, long time. There is something about a voice that has sung tons of Rock & Roll switching it up and jumping into a sweet flowing river of jazz-mixed standards. As a Songwriter/musician, Jones has enjoyed an almost 5-decade career across genres of Rock, R&B, Soul & Jazz, winning 2 Grammys and placing #30 on VH1's 100 greatest women in Rock & Roll list. To say the least, the lady and her voice have been round all of the music industry blocks and back again, with TREASURE being her 15th studio album (by BMG/Modern Recordings), one produced by life-long friend Russ Titelman, the man that co-produced her self-titled debut album in 1979, as well as its follow-up, Pirates (1981). Dubbed The Duchess of Coolsville, Jones's work on TREASURE was ignited through a series of phone conversations that led to lunches with Titelman, who basically wore her down by telling her over and over again that they needed to do a jazz album together. The two, though great friends, had not collaborated since their work in 1981. Once done, the rollout of the music proceeded gradually, with the album's lead single, JUST IN TIME, released in January, the second single, SEPTEMBER SONG, followed a month later in February, and ditto the third single, NATURE BOY, released in March of this year. Now the whole album is out and are we glad - and here's some of the why...

If one were to imagine a setting for PIECES OF TREASURE, it would have to be a smokey jazz club in the heart of New York City, but after hours with musicians and their canary (singer) hanging out, drinking, smoking, and reveling in the music together. This is a time for them to pass riffs back and forth and see what can be made of old, established tunes. JUST IN TIME, with its fun vibraphone intro giving it a Lionel Hampton feel, finds Rickie's voice sliding in seductively to keep time with the vibe. Cut three, NATURE BOY, is given an almost Hindustani sound in a guitar intro that combines with the lady's vocaleses - not a wail in the voice but a cry coming over the guitar. It's strange, at first, but then a full minute and a half into the cut, the verse bursts forth, bringing in the familiar song we all know. This cut in NO WAY feels 3.5 minutes long because it's over before you want it to be. The very next song, ONE FOR MY BABY (Set em up, Joe), is super smokey and Jones makes it sound as intoxicated as it is intoxicating. This is a lady who's been 'round the block A LOT, drunk and teetering on her barstool after being stood up - dreamy, tired, and drunk with real blues in her blues cocktail. The slow scat singing at the end and funny drunk dialogue to Joe wraps the song in this unassailable late-night atmosphere. Finally, the evening ends with IT'S ALL IN THE GAME - the evening is over and this is the last, last song. No encore, just listen and then go somewhere else. Drink in your own place, the band has to sweep up, or we don't get paid. You can hear her tears at the end, as the music plays out and there is a sudden, soft, almost gasping sound from her.

These are just a few Bobby highlights from an album that we thoroughly enjoyed and will enjoy for years to come. Rickie Lee Jones is a consummate artist, so it should not come as any surprise that she is a master of this kind of music as well. Her album, PIECES OF TREASURE, is just that, and for lovers of jazz and standards, this one is for you, for Bobby gives this one his full...

5 Out Of 5 Rainbows

Put this one in your Spotifies stream today: HERE

You Can See And Hear Everything About Rickie Lee Jones On Her Webbysite: HERE

The Personnel For This Album:

Lead Vocals, Arrangements, & Art Direction - Rickie Lee Jones

Acoustic Guitar - Jon Herington

Arranged By - Gil Goldstein

Baritone Saxophone, Trumpet, Alto Saxophone - Scott Robinson

Bass - David Wong

Drums - Mark McLean

Guitar - Russell Malone

Mastered By - Jimmy Bralower

Oboe - Ryan Roberts

Oud - Ara Dinkjian

Piano - Rob Mounsey

Vibraphone - Mike Dillon & Mike Mainieri

Producer, Mixed By - Russ Titelman

Engineer - Colin Mohnacs, Ross Mayfield, Roy Hendrickson

Engineer, Mixed By - David Darlington

Photography - Coolsville, Inc., Vivian Wang