Phoebe Snow - Phoebe Snow - Hybrid SACD

Hybrid SACD

It's been said many times that being difficult to categorize or pigeonhole can be the kiss of death commercially, and no one bears that out more than Phoebe Snow -- a pearl of a singer who never caught on because she simply didn't fit neatly into any one category.

Known primarily for her haunting single "Poetry Man," this self-titled classic (which was recorded in 1973 and released on LP in 1974) found the earthy vocalist drawing on everything from folk and pop to soul, jazz, and blues.

If anyone has bridged the gap between Joni Mitchell and Aretha Franklin, it's Snow, who is as confident on the soul-influenced "Good Times" as she is on the introspective jazz offering "Harpo's Blues." In fact, many of the players backing Snow are jazzmen, including cool jazz great Zoot Sims (tenor sax) and piano legend Teddy Wilson. With as many risks as she takes, the album is generally quite accessible.

AllMusic Review by Alex Henderson

"Play this over a worthy SACD-based system and you will still enjoy the full measure of an ear-opening debut from 1974. The late Snow was eclectic, literate and expressive, so it is only fitting that it was part of the first wave of the singer-songwriter phenomenon. Though less familar than Carole King, she'll appeal to her followers, as well as those who appreciate the more cerebral Joni Mitchell. The SACD offers a touch more detail, if at the expense of warmth." Sound Quality = 90% - Ken Kessler, Hi-Fi News, August 2014