Jessi Colter portrait A genuine trailblazer and foremother of the outlaw gal country scene, Jessi Colter gets remarkably little recognition these days, at least when it comes to digital reissues of her old stuff from the 'Seventies. Oh, sure, you can hear her singing and playing keyboards on a bazillion Waylon Jennings albums (which all still sound great!) but her own work is still mostly out of print. Anyway, ya gotta love Jessi Colter. There's a frailty and unburnished realness to her voice that I value highly, and listening back to her piano playing reveals that she was a distinctive stylist. Before she met Waylon, she was married to rockabilly icon Duane Eddy, although it was as Waylon's partner that she really made her mark. Here's a quick look at her work.



Best-Ofs & Related Records

Jessi Colter "Collection" (Capitol, 1995)


Jessi Colter "An Outlaw... A Lady: The Best Of Jessi Colter" (Capitol, 2003)
(Various producers)
A fine best-of which captures the various aspects of Colter's 1970s hitmaking career. It's a bit odd in retrospect to realize how successful she was, what with the fragility and thinness of her voice, but in some odd way, these very qualities lent themselves to both the lavish soul-tinged countrypolitan production style of the time and to the rough-and-rugged roadhouse outlaw style of her husband, Waylon Jennings. Included here are a few of their finer duets, such as "Suspicious Minds," "Under Your Spell Again," and the stellar "Wild Side Of Life/Honky Tonk Angels" medley. She did fine on her own, though -- "I'm Not Lisa" was her big Number 1 hit, the 1975 followup, "What's Happened To Blue Eyes," followed it into the Top Ten... And "Storms Never Last" is still one of my favorite heartsongs from the 'Seventies... This set also includes more experimental oddities such as the droning, Indian raga-tinged "New Wine," and gentle honkytonkers like "That's The Way A Cowboy Rock & Rolls." A nice disc, which subtly grows on you as time goes on.



Original Albums

Jessi Colter "A Country Star Is Born" (RCA, 1970)


Jessi Colter "I'm Jessi Colter" (Capitol, 1975)


Jessi Colter/Various Artists "Wanted: The Outlaws" (RCA, 1976)


Jessi Colter "Jessi" (Capitol, 1976)


Jessi Colter "Diamond In The Rough" (Capitol, 1976)


Jessi Colter "Mirriam" (Capitol, 1977)


Jessi Colter "That's The Way A Cowboy Rocks And Rolls" (Capitol, 1978)


Jessi Colter & Waylon Jennings "Leather And Lace" (RCA, 1981) (LP)


Jessi Colter "Ridin' Shotgun" (Capitol, 1981)


Jessi Colter "Rock And Roll Lullabye" (Triad, 1984)
(Produced by Chips Moman)


Jessi Colter "...Sings Songs Just For Kids: Songs From Around The World" (Peter Pan, 1984)


Jessi Colter "Out Of The Ashes" (Shout Factory, 2006)
(Produced by Don Was)
Returning to the fray with surprising power, singer-pianist Jessi Colter delivers an Americana A-Bomb with this gritty, bluesy roots-country set, her first solo album in over twenty years. Colter's keyboard style -- familiar from her own albums and her classic collaborations with her husband, the late Waylon Jennings -- floats to the fore, as funky and comfortable as ever, and likewise her voice remains undiminished and equally expressive and compelling. The calibre of the songs is top-notch, oozing with an assertive, though sometimes weary, celebration of sex and sensuality, a raw, been-around-the-block reflection on life and all its pleasures and pains. Honestly, this album stands up to anything that she or Waylon have done in the past. Their song, Shooter Jennings, joins her on a tune or two, as does the ever-gruff Tony Joe White, and even Waylon, makes an appearance, of sorts, with a vocal track liften from a demo of White's song, "Out Of The Rain." As a rule, I've never been a big fan of producer Don Was's style, but he nails the exact, right, perfect feel for this disc, which is perhaps not too surprising considering his earlier work with Waylon, in the 1990s. Definitely worth checking out!



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