The promotional snapshots from the back cover of Jamie Anderson's CD "Three Bridges" are telling. Spanning more than a decade of performance they show the evolution of this talented "singer-songwriter-parking lot attendant" from a young woman with circa-1980s owl-eyed glasses to a mature woman with postmodern Elton John frames... but always sporting the same infectious smile. The song themes, too, have matured and are now the stuff of baby boom concerns which belie the smile: divorce, cancer, bariatric surgery. The title tune, "Three Bridges," is a metaphorical peek in the rearview mirror of her career and recaps Frost's "The Road Not Taken" using three bridges over the Salt River instead as allegory for the obstacles and rewards of an unconventional life. "Beautiful" is an indictment of our culture's obsession with slenderness, told via a conversation with a friend who underwent weight-loss surgery ("Gone are her lovely curves and the shine in her eyes / she wants me to be happy but I just want to cry / because I thought she was beautiful before"). "One Out of Three" cites a statistic of those women affected by breast cancer and is a rallying cry to fight this heart-rending scourge. Anderson is not all sweetness and introspection, though. She's able to very convincingly articulate that most indelicate of expletives when addressing an ex-spouse who was stupid enough to spurn her on "I'm Too Busy Being Blue" (hint: rhymes with "blue"). "Grace" is the name of the pre-teen protagonist who gets bussed to church camp to find religion, but instead finds love with another girl... there's more than a twinge of irony in the refrain "Hallelujah, praise the Lord." Anderson expertly intersperses these heady themes with comedy on "I Wanna Be a Straight Guy" (her answer to Loudon Wainwright's "I Wish I Was a Lesbian"), "Menstrual Tango" (a tongue-n-cheek ode to... well... you figure it out) and "When Cats Take Over the World" (a bizarre bit of science fiction that must be a first in the history of songwriting). Indeed, Jamie Anderson's strength is her ability to distill both the humor and pathos from life, and to present them side-by-side artistically and poetically.

In his recent autobiography, Chronicles Part I, Bob Dylan recalls the heady days of the early '60s Greenwich Village folk scene wherein he shared the stage with array of authors, poets, artists and assorted characters. In order to survive in front of a hipster audience a singer had to be part prophet-comedian-philosopher-interpreter-historian-sex symbol-hustler-Tin-Pan Alley/Brill Building tunesmith and then some. Singer-songwriter and alleged chocolate-loving parking lot attendant (that's according to her press-kit, the truth is shrouded in mystery -- as it should be) Jamie Anderson, not Joan Baez, would have been a star (and possibly Dylan's lover) back then as "A Promise of Light" plays like a timeless book of intriguing short stories. You have to love an artist who has the moxie (in modern times that is) to bookend a hysterical cold-footed hillbilly bride ranting "Your Mama Scares Me" with the deeply spiritual "Ann Lee," a fictional tale recounting the Shaker religion founder who beckons the narrator from beyond the grave. Anderson's arrangements are steeped in the traditional folk idiom with light percussion, keyboards, and bass providing a simple yet sturdy foundation for the lyrics and melodies. Anderson, along with co- guitarist Kara Barnard, who doubles on banjo and mandolin, are expressive players, incorporating simple blues, bluegrass, and rock licks with intricate finger patterns which afford the songs an intense immediacy and depth of character (check out Bernard's pull-ons and string plucking ala Mark Knopfler in "Your Night Just Got More Interesting" and the wicked girls-gone-wild instrumental "Emily" with Real World String Band fiddle whiz Karen Jones). Anderson's angelic vocal style assumes a myriad of personas: the smoky lounge singer ("Gone"), the broken-hearted girl next door ("A Little Chocolate"), the troubled caretaker ("Beautiful"), the dreamy optimist ("Faith"), the cynic ("Grace"), and the eternal wise-ass ("Felon"). In light of current world events, "Polly Vaughn," a traditional folk tune from the British Isles, rings contemporary especially when Anderson icily dictates "come all you young gentlemen who carry a gun... how do you come home by the light of the sun?" "A Promise of Light" pulls all the right strings at all the right times.

Jamie Anderson is a spunky, creative, and wildly funny free spirit. She brings that spirit to her songwriting, which makes A Promise of Light impossible to resist. However, one warning: according to one of her songs on this CD, she’s also a dangerous outlaw who was once clocked going 72 in a 55 mile per hour zone. Apparently, in Minnesota (where she was caught), this is the equivalent to first-degree murder. Still, I learned a lot from this musical confession, including the fact that if someone had been murdered, and it was one of Anderson’s family members, North Carolina law would allow her to bury that family member in her yard. Remind me never to attend a backyard barbeque at this woman’s house.

But I’m off track here. Even before you play the CD, you know you’re in for a good time with song titles such as “Your Mama Scares Me” and “Your Night Just Got More Interesting.” More on those songs in a minute.

Despite Anderson’s folksy approach and penchant for chocolate, she’s not all fun and games. There’s a lot of love behind her writing, and it flows into the spiritual and sensual, sometimes in the same track. Take, for example, “Grace,” the story of a girl’s first kiss. From a girl. At church camp. While conservatives may cringe, this track is actually a beautiful, romantic, life-embracing love song. For those conservatives, try replacing the other girl with a boy and see if your heart doesn’t melt. It’s not a political statement. It’s simply a love song.

Take also the CD opener, “Faith,” a perfect showcase for Anderson’s warm, rich, earthy music and vocals to match. This delicate, acoustic plea for peace is about standing in darkness and still being able to see light. She’s not preachy. She doesn’t have to preach when she sounds this compassionate and inviting:

When the buildings fell, how did you feel?
Did you cry revenge or look for something real?
Did you see the strangers hugging in the street?
Did you think to yourself, peace begins with me ...

In other tracks, she can abandon the poetic approach when the subject matter calls for something more direct. “Beautiful” is a song about an overweight friend who puts herself through stomach surgery, complete with all its complications. Anderson (a thin person, by the way), struggles with her own feelings while still trying to be supportive of her friend. “What she did was dangerous, was it worth the try? Truth is I love her, I’m just glad that she’s alive,” she sings. She also uses dialogue for lyrics. The bluntness of the writing reinforces the seriousness of the issue. She ends the song without resolution, but she doesn’t need to. Like most of us contemplating body image issues, she probably never will. The song stayed with me for that very reason.

She can’t stay serious for very long, however, and she wisely breaks up the darker pieces with musical rays of sunlight. Let us now consider the subject of “Your Mama Scares Me,” another woman whose barbeques I would never want to attend:

Last week at Krogers, had to watch her real close
You won’t believe what I saw
She was singing to the store stereo
As she put a loaf of bread in her bra ...
She’s got a turkey in her bouffant hair
Is that a six pack in her underwear ...

I think they have medication for that. But moving on ... I also enjoyed “Your Night Just Got More Interesting,” which begins as a one-night stand and ends as a very awkward situation. And of course, we end with “Felon,” in which we learn about Anderson’s evil, speed demon tendencies. Some cops just need to unclench.

This is a perfect CD from beginning to end. Highly recommended for free spirits and conservatives alike.

NEW YORK - With her self-made disc, Listen (Nov. 27), acoustic-pop troubadour Jamie Anderson is out to prove that an artist can reach a national audience without the aid of a major label.

Touring nationally since 1987, she is known for her solid songwriting and engaging stage presence. She has been building an audience the hard way, playing small clubs, coffeehouses, and midsize venues - not to mention countless women's music and folk festivals.

"It hasn't been an easy road, but it's one that I've traveled with pride," she says. "I've worked hard, and I'm pleased with where I've landed so far."

On Listen, Anderson covers a wide range of topics that include the joy of families ("Forever Family"), the pleasures of love ("I Wanna Drive"), personal pride ("When They Know Who We Are"), and a good reason why one should never break up with a songwriter (the humorous "I Miss the Dog [More Than I Miss You]"). Her songs are published by Jamie Anderson Music, BMI.

"This is a very strong record by an artist who has done a fine job of spreading the word about her music," says Marlon Creaton, manager of Record Kitchen, an indie retail outlet in San Francisco. "She's an artist you root for."

Anderson has also earned the praise of colleagues. Acclaimed fellow folkie Catie Curtis says that "as a writer, Jamie takes the archetypical forms of folk music and storytelling and turns them on their heads! A fresh - in every sense of the word - and original artist."

Meanwhile, legendary singer/songwriter Holly Near says, "For me, folk music tells a story about folks, simple truth-telling and magical mythology that invites the listener to lean into the larger circle of life. Jamie is in that circle, and she is singing some wonderful songs."

With such kudos under her belt, the self-managed/booked Anderson says she will spend the next few months working Listen the old-fashioned way: She's going to tour the States, selling CDs at each stop and trying to draw the attention of indie retail and grass-roots radio at the same time.

Newcomers to Jamie Anderson's music may be surprised at her frankness and ability to instill humor into her lyrics, but the initiated know that these are her trademarks. Anderson's newest release, "Listen," welcomes the uninitiated into her style with ease.

Touring since the '80s, Anderson is infamous for her stage shows, during which she treats audiences to baton twirling and belly dancing.

Many of the cuts on "Listen" were recorded live, with few overdubs. The authenticity adds to Anderson's music. The feel of the CD draws listeners in, as they become Anderson's intimates. The electric slide guitar on the opening track, "(I Wanna) Drive," gives the song a blues-rock feel as Anderson sings about love. "Maybe You Miss Me" is about lost love, while the title track is Anderson's lesson about infidelity and how to make a relationship work

The rest of the CD really captures Anderson's flavor, with a refreshing optimism. Take, for example, Anderson's lusty tribute to potato chips: "I'm hungry with desire, oh my wanting lips/ I breathe heavy thinking of luscious potato chips/ Give me hot barbeque, crinkle or even plain/ I love to bite them, what pleasure I'll gain/ Potato Chips." (The song is the aptly titled, "Potato Chips.") "I Miss The Dog" is a Spanish-flavored country ditty. "When we broke up all I did was cry/ I miss the warmth and the soulful eyes/ My heart aches right to the core/ But it's not you I'm pining for/ I miss the dog more than I miss you," Anderson sings to an accordion and mandolin.

Anderson also shows her serious side with "Forever Family," a song dealing with different types of families, including a lesbian couple. "Fourteen" tackles the serious issue of gun violence and "A Love This True" is Anderson's plea to legalize same-sex marriages.

"Listen" is a full dose of Anderson, taking listeners on a journey from country, to harmony to rocking blues. "Listen" is a refreshing escape from the typical women's music genre and is definitely worth a listen.


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