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Becky Schlegel is a new name to British country
and bluegrass audiences. She took her first piano lesson at
the age of five in the tiny town of Kimball, South Dakota (population
700), and while in high school joined her mother's band, The
Country Benders. Schlegel continued to play with the group throughout
high  school
and during the summers also sang and played keyboards for the
Mountain Music Show in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
In the national spotlight since 1999, Becky
appears frequently on RFD-TV's Midwest Country Theater and on
Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion. She tours regularly
throughout America’s Midwest.
Now in her thirties, Schlegel didn’t write
her first song until her 27th birthday. She exclaims “That day
was like a miracle. That I  could
compose meant that I could dictate the direction of the music
– and that’s made a huge difference to my voice!”
Becky Schlegel released her first album RED
LEAF in 2002 and followed up in 2005 with DRIFTER LIKE ME which
was voted one of the Top 10 Best Albums of 2005 by the Minneapolis
Star Tribune. Multi-award winning Schlegel lists her credits
as Bluegrass/Old Time Group Of The Year 2000, Bluegrass/Old
Time Artist Of The Year 2001-02-03-04 and Bluegrass/Old Time
Recording Of The Year 2002.
Becky Schlegel’s new CD release
FOR ALL THE
WORLD TO SEE is ready to hit the stores on June 17th (in the UK
from specialist country record outlets). Co-produced by Schlegel
and banjoist/guitarist Brian Fesler, all songs are written by
Becky Schlegel. With a voice very reminiscent of Alison Krauss’
own bluegrass style, Schlegel offers many highlights on this 11
track album. The title track sets the tone with Fesler’s banjo
accompaniment ideally complimenting Becky’s lighter than air
vocals. Following on, Becky’s haunting soprano weaves a
bittersweet call to the highway on "Bound For Tennessee", written
about a musician friend who left home for the bright lights of
Nashville. “Jenny” and the emotional “Lonely” fill the senses with
the weight of abiding passion, while the pace picks up with “99%”
heavily dominated by Fesler’s ringing banjo and Schlegel’s vocals.
Singing earnestly and with conviction, Becky
Schlegel sufficiently satisfies the largest appetite.
FOR ALL THE
WORLD TO SEE is a tip-top collection, offering a touch of personal
relationships with a warm energetic feel that easily engages the
attention.
Graham Lees July 2008 |
