...but for Shelby [and her sister], I make exceptions. Shelby is fabulous...she has evolved from country to rock, to jazz/blues, to just plain tough to classify. Why she and Allison aren't the best known singers on Earth is beyond me. But this is where she began, and the now-fulfilled promise is self evident.
This is a one hour selection from her earliest recordings...the gorgeous voice was a finished product, but the artistry was a work in progress. Some covers; some original; all great. OK, I have a crush on her...allow for it. I'll mention only two examples...the Johnny Cash standard "Walk the Line" is pure country, but Duke Ellington's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" is done in a hauntingly beautiful manner that more than foreshadows Shelby's current greatness. If these begining works don't all have the developed polish of "Temptation" and "Identity Crisis", they are still miles ahead of what generally passes for country "music" [?]. It's always good to hear where a legend started...that, alone, is reason to grab this.