Jeannie Kendall
As theKendalls, Jeannie and her father Royce created commercial, tradition-based hits ("Heaven's Just a Sin Away" and "Thank God for the Radio") and became among the most successful duos of the late '70s. The hits had been far fewer when they began work on this acoustic album in 1998, prior to Royce's sudden death of a stroke. Aided byAlan Jackson,Alison Krauss,Allison Moorer,Ricky Skaggs, andRhonda Vincent, Jeannie completed the album in fine fashion. Her solo vocals showcase aPartonesquegrace and light, wistful quality that fits bluegrass accompaniment so seamlessly that one wonders if she really required quite as many duet partners. No matter. The revivals ofHolly Dunn's hit "That's What Your Love Does to Me" and the McCarters' "Timeless and True Love" (with Jackson) are vibrant and crisp. "Jack and Lucy," with Steve Gulley, is particularly moving. Two tracks with Royce, completed shortly before his death, stand as a worthy reminder of the Kendalls' magnificent past, while the album as a whole reveals Jeannie's undeniable potential.--Rich Kienzle