Multi-instrumentalist and powerhouse singer
Claudia Schmidt has been bringing her blend of folk, jazz, and blues to audiences for some four decades now, and this 16-track set serves a sort of primer to her career. Collecting tracks from her five albums from Red House Records, and featuring guest spots from members of
Beausoleil,
Violent Femmes, J.J. Farley & the Original Soul Stirrers, and
Tom Waits' crackerjack junkyard touring band, it shows that
Schmidt is and was much more than a folk singer. It also spotlights her sharp songwriting, with only one traditional song ("Wayfaring Stranger") included -- the rest were written by
Schmidt. ~ Steve Leggett