I suspect Water Falls, Sara K's newest album, will soon be a staple on plenty of AAA format radio stations. It could also turn up on certain jazz and NPR stations, the latter more likely late at night or during pledge drives. Would that music like this might also find itself in heavy rotation on MTV. I know AAA doesn't have a stellar reputation in certain circles (and there are good reasons for skepticism) but Sara K's Water Falls is a fine example of the better attributes inherent in Adult Alternative Album music. The superb Ms. Sara K has crafted an album that flows seamlessly from beginning to end with self-penned material exhibiting heart and intellect. Her songs on Water Falls are performed by experienced players who convey the pleasure and satisfaction that comes from doing what they love at such a high level.
Ms. K has a distinctive voice and plays 4-string (tenor) guitar. Her voice is resonant, bluesy and powerful, yet manages to remain intimate. Among the sorority of similar artists, one of closest vocally might be Cassandra Wilson. Sara K is joined on Water Falls by an excellent group of mostly European musicians, not surprising as her label, Stockfisch Records, is headquartered in Northeim, Germany. To get a taste of Water Falls, check out her Web site, where you can preview four of the songs: the title track plus "Step on Mine," "Destination," and "All Your Love (Turned to Passion)." You can also download an MP3 of the last tune in a live concert version that was recorded in Germany with fellow Stockfisch artist, guitarist Chris Jones, who appears on all but three of the dozen tracks on Water Falls. There is a nice bio of this Texas born artist, who currently resides in New Mexico, along with links to fellow artists and audio samples from her catalog of eight (!) albums. Now that I've become a fan I gotta' dig into some of the older ones.
The album opener is the only anomalous track on the album, an accordion version of "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" performed by Pavlyk Volodymyr. As Sara K explains in her liner notes, he's a Russian street busker she passed each day on her way to the studio, who would shift from his usual repertoire of musette waltzes each time he spotted her to play this American music tribute. The disk has a well designed booklet with capsule intros and complete lyrics, making it easy to appreciate not only Sara K's musical capability but also her ability to turn a phrase. She can be caustic, as in the poetically political "Step on Mine" with these lines: "You can stand your ground and stab my back/ But you cannot make me lie for you/ Feed yourself and starve the pack, save a chosen few" -- the last word admittedly misprinted as 'view.' Sara K can also be poignant, as on a tribute to her mother, "In the Fall (Maggie's Dream)," or romantically enraptured, as on "Destination." The one constant is her powerful, spirited delivery.
All in all, Sara K's album Water Falls is excellent, addressing grownup concerns with heart, soul and intellect without ever losing the childlike joy inherent in friends playing together.
