Tresa Jordan – Self-Titled

One foot in bluegrass and one in country is an increasingly popular stance these days, and thats right where youll find Florida native Tresa Jordan. Produced by Jim Cooper, Jordans debut solidly blends the two idioms, with upright bass, acoustic guitar, mandolin, fiddle, dobro and drums leavened by an occasional banjo. Though the instrumentation may lean toward the bluegrass side of the equation, Jordans vocal approach and the mix go the opposite way. The result is pleasant and occasionally deep, but the material is, for the most part, pretty safe; evidently selected with one eye on country radio possibilities, its heavy on city bad, country good, inner strength can overcome romantic adversity, and childhood was a time of happy innocence sentiments. Still, the album ends on a high note with the lovely and pensive Beyond The Blue, marking Jordan as an artist with a good chance of rising above the crowd.