Ginny Owens was one of the first artists signed to Michael W. Smith's Rocketown Records. Her rookie year ended on a high note after she won "New Artist of the Year" at the 2000 Dove Awards. Since first coming on the scene she has wowed fans with her sweet vocals, excellent lyrics, and great skills on the piano. She has also written songs for various other artists, including co-writing "Blessed" with Rachael Lampa and Cindy Morgan. This song was recorded by Rachael Lampa and won the Dove Award for "Inspirational Recorded Song" in 2001.
This is Ginny's first solo live project (having performed on A Night in Rocketown with her label-mates). It was only natural for her to record the album in New Orleans given how close she used to live to the city and her love for music history. Most of the album boasts an interesting almost completely acoustic sound which gives a new feel to nine familiar Ginny Owens songs. The CD also has a cover of a Lenny Kravitz song and a new track that will be included on Owens' fall release.
Unfortunately the almost all acoustic sound results in the familiar songs becoming mostly unrecognizable to all but her most die-hard fans. The music of the songs was one of the things that made them so great and the songs just don't translate as well with an acoustic sound. It might be interesting to hear Ginny perform several new tracks acoustically but it just doesn't work as well with her familiar songs.
The project is saved by Ginny's wonderful voice and the amazing lyrics that she writes. Owens is one of the best young singer-songwriters in CCM today and this album reminds listeners why she is sought so much as a writer for others. This is a good album, which serves as a good reminder of why Owens is so popular and successful, but it could have been much better if they had not gone with an acoustic feel for the whole project.
3 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2005Reviewed by Michael DaltonIn her latest release Ginny Owens sings like she's comfortable in her own skin. Knowing that she struggled with the success that came with her first recording, that's no small thing. She performs here with a maturity and confidence that comes with time. Live from New Orleans is a relaxed, stripped-down, jazz-influenced rendition of some of Ginny Owens' best songs. "I Wanna Be Moved" and "Free"…The Phantom Tollbooth 2005Reviewed by Joe MontagueThe latest creation from Ginny Owens is Live From New Orleans. Owens lends her smoky Mississippi voice to some excellent blues and jazz tunes recorded at the legendary House of Blues. If you are looking for that brash and brassy jazz sound, you won't find it here. Owens brings a much more gentle and subtle approach to her music, much the same as Norah Jones. Her skills as a pianist serve as a…The Phantom Tollbooth 2005Reviewed by Brian A. SmithGinny Owens is one of those CCM artists that can surprise you: if you went strictly by her radio singles, she probably wouldn't immediately grab your attention. That isn't to say that you would change the channel, but that you wouldn't register the song and its performer until you heard it several more times. Suddenly, you come to a realization one day that you like this stuff. Live from New…Similar sounding releases
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