Maria Muldaur - Southland Of The Heart (1998)

Muldaur's rich voice has only ripened with age. On this 1998 release, her roots-rock blend includes any style with the slightest hint of soul, including gospel, folk, blues, and R&B. The outstanding "Get Up, Get Ready" is a smoky jazz-blues shuffle with support from Mike Thompson's liquid electric piano and the Chambers Brothers' gospel-tinged backup vocal. Bruce Cockburn's panoramic title track owns a country feel, while "Latersville" calls to mind, of all bands, Steely Dan. Two eerie and stark Greg Brown covers, a New Orleans-style workout, and a raunchy Chicago blues bring Muldaur full circle. --Marc Greilsamer

Muldaur, 54, has got the blues. She hasn't undergone any divine reinvention but once you zero in on the emotional nuances of her finely weathered drawl, you'll hear an inspired change of heart.... Her sassy strut on "Ring Me Up" and her jazzy purr on "Latersville" are stylistic devices that don't convey much from-the-gut soul. But when she stops being a slave to technique and focuses on universal feelings ... her voice becomes an oasis for troubled souls.