Jessi Colter's Discography

Jessi Colter: A Country Star is Born (RCA 1970)
Producers: Chet Atkins, Waylon Jennings

Out of the Ashes

A Country Music Legend Rekindles her Fire

by Ian Ransom

In the mid-70s, Jessi Colter was one of the biggest-selling and most influential country music artists—male or female. But long before that pivotal era, she was the Arizona-born daughter of a race-car driving father and a Pentecostal-preacher mother. As a stylist, Colter honed her skills playing piano in her mother's church as a little girl, but she first walked the commercial musical landscape of the 1960s on the arm of her husband, renowned “twangmeister” Duane Eddy. During that union, Colter showed glimpses of the powerful voice and sucker-punch songwriting gifts that would later become shrouded in legend.

The marriage to Eddy was not to last, but a 1968 encounter with brilliant country music “bad boy” Waylon Jennings would change her life—and career trajectory—for posterity. The two met at a recording session in Phoenix, when Colter was separated from Eddy and Jennings’ own marriage was on the downswing. The subtle but undeniable attraction between the two at that initial meeting may have seemed but a spark, but it was one that would eventually ignite a conflagration of astonishing professional and personal proportions.

The rest, as they say, is “history.” In this case, the adage could not have been more appropriate. Jessi had already begun to make her mark as a songwriter; her compositions were snapped-up by the likes of Don Gibson, Nancy Sinatra, and Dottie West, who scored a hit with “No Sign of the Living.” It wasn't until Colter's single "I'm Not Lisa" became a million-selling country/pop smash in 1975 that she became a country-pop superstar in her own right. The elegiac song about a case of "mistaken identity," with its inimitable piano intro, hit No. 1 on Billboard's Country Singles Chart and skyrocketed to No.4 on the Pop Hot 100. Her debut Capitol album, I'm Jessi Colter, went gold--entrenching itself in the Top 5 Country Albums list and the Top 50 Pop Albums chart. Colter's style was confessional, observant and poetic. Her songs were utterly original; a mastery of gospel, blues, honky-tonk, roots, pop, and rock dynamics allowed her to weave a seamless tapestry of vital and undeniably American music.

Gifted with a powerful voice capable of being rebellious and vulnerable in the same breath, Colter rendered unforgettable brushstrokes across a musical canvas that was undeniably original and American. Her lyrics (often highlighting the travails of loving a difficult man) were incisive and defiant at times, her delivery gentle or aggressive, depending upon her message. By the end of 1975, Jessi Colter had sealed her place as a timeless artist when her songs "What's Happened to Blue Eyes" and "You Ain't never Been Loved" took both the country and pop lists by storm once again.

Colter's following Capitol albums, Jessi and Diamond in the Rough, were monster sellers on country and pop charts in 1976, packing a sales whallop that was rare for a female country artist of the day. Moreover, her inclusion (alongside Jennings, Willie nelson, and Tompall Glaser) on the landmark platinum-selling 1976 album Wanted: The Outlaws, sealed her place as the greatest lady outlaw in the business. Colter deserved the title; her songwriting was unlike anyone else's. 1976 saw her score again and again with the hit singles "It's Morning," "Without You," "Suspicious Minds (w/Jennings)" and "I Thought I Heard You Calling My name." In a few short years, she had become a country music legend, and one of the few female artists of the genre who boasted a genuine "mystique." As a singer-songwriter, she would also be one of the most influential forces for years to come, as artists like Iris Dement, Allison Moorer, Jo Dee Messina, and Faith Hill will attest.

On February 28, over 20 years since her last studio album, Jessi Colter returns in a big way with the release of Out of the Ashes, a powerhouse of roots, rock, gospel, and country music genius that transcends her best work and reaffirms her status as one of the all-time greats. Produced by the legendary Don Was (Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt), Out of the Ashes is a triumphant sonic jouney into the transforming power of loss, love remembered, and love rediscovered. Recorded only a few years after the tragic death of her husband Waylon Jennings, the album draws upon an emotionally-charged wellspring of fresh creativity.

From the stark gospel of opening track "His Eye is One the Sparrow," to the grinding blues of "You Can Pick 'Em," Colter cuts loose with all of her gifts on magnificent display. Joining her in the effort are Ray Herndon, Tony Joe White, and her son, Shooter Jennings, who teams with his mother on the album's knock-out closing track, "Please Carry me Home." Along the way, Colter wraps her gorgeous voice and interpretive skills around Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35," making the song uniquely and extraordinarily her own. The atmospheric beauty of tracks like "The Phoenix Rises," and "So Many Things" help make Out of the Ashes one of the most stunning song-cycles since Emmylou Harris' seminal Daniel Lanois-produced album Wrecking Ball.

Another album highlight (one certain to send shivers down the spine of any fan) is "Out of the Rain," which features the never-before-released vocals of Waylon Jennings in a duet that swells with a spiritual power surpassing poignancy and approaching sheer paradise. With Don Was at the helm, the production is expansive yet intimate, diverse yet remarkably cohesive. The stable of studio musicians is top-notch and admirably at the service of the material. Colter unlocks her soul as if opening a treasure chest, and the result is a sparkling saphhire of an album that already has critics using superlatives like "Best of the Year!" and "Triumphant!"

Out of the Ashes marks the long overdue return of one of the greatest singer-songwriters of the genre. This effort will thrill Colter's longtime legion of fans and, without doubt, introduce new listeners to her lyrical magic and one-of-a-kind expressive voice. The release of this classic confirms what many have known for years--Jessi Colter is the Real Thing and an indispensable American musical treasure.

Ian Ransom

Listen to Track Highlights from Out of the Ashes and pre-order the album here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E6EJ3E/sr=8-1/qid=1140106957/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-3451107-5283348?%5Fencoding=UTF8

Or "search" under "Jessi Colter" at www.amazon.com

Stay tuned for updates on this page, featuring reviews of Jessi's complete discography, news about her upcoming tour, and her bio.

(Note: This page is not affiliated with Jessi Colter or her official representation. It is an information source conceived by one of her longtime admirers. The opinions and reviews expressed herein are solely the opinions of the page author).