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Younger sister of Jerry Lee Lewis has built her own
career performing country and rock 'n' roll with a forceful
and infectious dynamism. Linda was on the road as part of
her brother's band and first came to Europe in 1971. In
an interview with Linda at the Americana 2000, she told
me.
"I grew up with music. Being Jerry Lee Lewis's
sister, I heard him playing music, always, then it was kinda
natural for me to start singing. We did duets, had a duet
album and had a duet Top Ten country hit called 'Don't Let
Me Cross Over' in 1969. Our album that year, Jerry Lee and
Linda Gail Together was a big hit on the country charts.
So I was on the road with him for 15 years singing backup
and duets, doing a couple of numbers at the front of his
show. After my children got older and after I turned 39,
I decided to have a full-time career. So in 1987 (bursting
into laughter) I started out on my own, which is kind of
opposite to what most people do. Most people work real hard
when they are young and retire when they get older (laughing)
and I've done the opposite thing."
Recorded in Austin and Nashville, Out
Of The Shadows features 18 tracks plus an enhanced
video, released on Ten 35 Records. For some reason the tracks
are listed 1-10 with 11-18 as bonus tracks and I find it
just a little odd to have 8 bonus tracks.
Proving that Linda Gail Lewis is not only a powerful
and expressive vocalist and terrific pianist, but she is
also a talented songwriter, seven tracks are written by
Lewis with two co-written with the album's exclusive producer
Mark Potter. We find the first few tracks have a solid Southern
blues sound, complemented with oceans of luscious horns
and sax and the famous backing group The Jordanaires can
be found on "Love So Real",
"Treat Me Like A Lady"
and the country styled title track "Out
Of The Shadows".
Linda Gail's own "Sweetest
Love" offers a slow heartbreaker and shows us
just how well she can pound the ivories with "I'd
Rather Stay Home & Rock 'N' Roll", which
is also featured on the enhanced video (that can be accessed
on computer). There is more rock 'n' roll is in evidence
with Hank Wangford's "Never Where
Mascara (When You Love A Married Man)" and Linda
Gail gives Smokey Robinson's "Relentless"
a stone country feeling with her duet with Jeff Bates,
closing the album with this superb ballad.
Out Of The Shadows is a
powerhouse, offering plenty to satisfy your musical tastes.
A class album that will have you calling for more, more,
more!!!
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