There is Cleveland's fourth album. It will appeal to those between the ages of 25 and 50, in both the Christian and secular markets who enjoy blues, rock 'n' roll and jazz. Also worth noting is there is very little time wasted with talking on this project making You are There a worthwhile investment in great music. Her delivery is worthy of a black gospel choir soloist, but her song choice and settings evoke memories of Janis Joplin. It's always hard to know what to expect from a live album.
Live recordings have the potential to be very good or very bad.
The best live albums allow the listener to imagine being at the performance. On the other hand, the uncontrolled environment of a live performance means that even the best engineer may not be able to make a recording that will capture the energy and intimacy of the concert. Indeed, many live recordings must be extensively re-engineered to make the sound more listenable. So it is that I approached Ashley Cleveland's latest album, You Are There , with some uncertainty. I am pleased to say that this is an album worth owning and hearing.