Wendy Waller is the type of person you’d expect to put out a good album. Wendy is a multi-instrumentalist who learned her craft at The New England Conservatory Of Music. She’s also a vocal instructor who has taught at several universities, including UC Berkeley. Traces of Grace, however, isn’t a good album–it is a great album!
Her latest offering, Traces of Grace, is nothing short of beautiful. It comprises ten songs, some of which Wendy wrote and some covers. Her style can best be described as folksy jazz with just a hint of country.
Some of the standout tracks on Traces of Grace are the covers, because of her extraordinary interpretations of classic songs such as Rod Argent’s “Time Of The Season.” This particular tune has always had a strong sexual element, but when Wendy gives it her jazzed-up treatment, it takes sexy to a whole new level. Her smoky vocals will leave listeners breathless.
The best cover, hands down, has to be “I’ve Got To Use My Imagination.” Gladys Knight and the Pips made this song famous, and now Wendy is putting her own spin to it. Unlike the Pips’ version, Wendy slows it down. The lyrics pour from her mouth like a good whisky which leaves you a bit tipsy if you sample more than a glass. The only way you can describe her singing would be “smooth.”
Another beautifully-done song is her interpretation of the Smokey Robinson and The Miracles’ “I Like It Like That.” The Miracles’ version is lively and smooth, but in Wendy’s hands the song takes on a more bluesy tone, and some of the notes she hits will blow your mind.
It would be wrong to ignore the songs that Wendy wrote for Traces of Grace. The album opener, “Get It Right” is a bluesy country number that may have some listeners thinking of Janis Joplin. The tune really rocks out and makes you want to move. “Trace Of The Heart” is just the opposite. It is a more laid-back song, with guitars that wail in sadness, which is perfect complement to a song about a lover who has gone.
Her voice soars on “Be My Baby,” a song with a heaping helping of blues. This one sounds more than a little like Bonnie Raitt.
Traces of Grace is full of memorable tracks that will have you coming back to listen again, but none so much as “Folding.” This song, above all others, really shows the world the strength of Wendy’s voice as well as her talent as a songwriter. “Folding” is more an adult contemporary love song, which alone sets it apart from the rest of an album that otherwise features plenty of blues and folksy-country-sounding tunes.
The album closes with “No More,” written by Toots Camarata and recorded by Billie Holliday in 1944. Although it is hard to make comparisons between the two versions, it is safe to say that Wendy’s version is just as good as the original.
Traces of Grace is one of those rare gems–an album that can be played from start to finish without a bad song in sight. This is truly a must-listen for any music lover.
Review by Andrea Guy
