trageser.com
Music Review

Home
Computers
Book Reviews and Reading Diary
CD Buying Guide and Music Links
Best-of lists
CD Reviews
CDs, sorted by Style
CDs, sorted by year issued
CDs, sorted by publication review ran in
CDs by San Diego bands
All CDs, sorted by band name
All CDs, sorted by album title
Interviews
Favorite quotations
Contact Me



A transplant that took

A Million Stories
A Million Stories
By Barbara Nesbitt

Self-released: 2007

Buy it now


This review first appeared in Turbula in July 2007.

Since moving to San Diego from Virginia a year and a half ago, Barbara Nesbitt has established herself as one of the hardest-working and most well-liked performers of the local singer-songwriter community. Her debut album, "A Million Stories," shows she's also one of the most talented. She has a rich, full voice (Tim Flannery had her sing on his latest CD, issued earlier this year), and writes solid, catchy songs.

She's backed by half of local jam rockers Deadline Friday here (guitarist Mike Spurgat and drummer Bill Coomes), with bassist Marcia Claire adding fluid low-end support. Ace picker Dennis Caplinger (a frequent member of the house band at the Welk Resort Theatre) sits in on banjo, mandolin and fiddle, while producer Jeff Berkley joins in on percussion.

The result? Great songs delivered by an utterly confident singer backed by a crack band performing in a country-rock vein, with touches of folk and deep honky-tonk. Songs like "Just Give Me Tonight" and "A Million Stories" are marked by the lush vocal harmonies of Nesbitt and Spurgat, while Caplinger's knowing asides on mandolin, banjo and dobro complement Spurgat's soaring electric guitar solos.

Berkley's production touch is as sure as ever. There's a clean sound throughout, with each instrument and Nesbitt's vocals distinct and clear.

There will likely be more than 100 albums released in San Diego County this year. Some may well be as good as this one; it's hard to imagine any being better.