With her debut album Everybody's Talkin' she gets a chance for the first time to express herself fully in song. The album highlights her song writing talents. All songs are written, arranged, performed and produced by cee cee. And in this, a very autobiographical tome, she relates her life as a work in progress.

Relationships, god, and a morality play of images of good versus evil, and their latent tendency to grab you where it hurts, make this more of a sound track from a Broadway Play than a purely musical experience. Theatre, theatrical sounds, orchestral homages, and dogs barking, phones ringing, and conversations between girl friends add to the visual appeal.

Picture the playful good looks of a young Janet Jackson, without, ahem, the latex enhancements, add a bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre, with a vocal range of four octaves, and numerous award nominations for stage performances in the US and Canada, and you have one heck of a package.

"Everybody's Talkin," the title song, is pop blues at it's best. She has a great voice, which growls, and winds, and jumps. I would love to hear this song without the production values, which are great, but she sounds so damn good. This would be a good one with simply drums and a tambourine and that voice, to die for.

The gospel/funk influenced "trupain" with it's refrain "Do what you gotta do," has a great moral philosophy to share. Voice and bass are the medium, and maybe we could do without the ringing bells, that keep the ears tinging even after the song is over (I actually tried to answer my phone a couple of times). After all it is how we deal with strife that defines the way we live our life. "The truth, the pain, the sacrifice, dream your dream, and live your life."

This is one of the stronger albums in the singer-songwriter genre, with a heavy gospel, blues influence. Aren't categories wonderful? Buy the album off cee cee's web site and cee for yourself.

www.ceeceemichaela.com

You can now order other CDs, books, and videos from Blues On Stage in association with Amazon.com. Simply click on the logo at the left and shop! They have some of the best prices on the web and even offer some used product at lower prices.

This review is copyright © 2002 by Dan Murray, and Blues On Stage at: www.mnblues.com, all rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download prohibited without written permission.
For permission to use this review please send an E-mail to Ray Stiles.

Web Hosting & Design:
Web Hosting & Design. Most affordable web hosting and design services available. Find out how you can host your current site at Blues On Stage, or how I can help you design your own website!

If you would like your CD reviewed, please send TWO (2) copies, along with promotional material to:

Blues On Stage
PO Box 582983
Minneapolis, MN 55458-2983