Out of the Ashes
Over 30 years ago, at the dawn of Nashville's Outlaw movement, Jessi Colter, wife of Waylon Jennings, was seemingly poised for her own stardom. Yet as his fame waxed, hers waned--though they frequently toured together before his death in 2002. But here, producer Don Was--ever the genius at reviving creative passion in veteran acts--has totally rejuvenated Colter. One of the songs onOut of the Ashesis a previously unreleased duet with Waylon (and the song's composer Tony Joe White), "Out of the Rain." Yet there's nothing elegiac about this music. Her new songs are taut and never less than compelling, "You Can Pick 'Em," "Starman," "You Took Me by Surprise," and "Velvet and Steel" rock relentlessly. The timeless "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" revisits Colter's gospel roots. Her take on Dylan's "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" infuses roadhouse blues into the original arrangement. "Please Carry Me Home," featuring its co-composer, son Shooter Jennings, caps what stands as the year's most heartening comeback--one that leaves you wanting more.--Rich Kienzle