Here is a beautiful portrait of Anielle.  Photo by Juliana Tan

A while back I saw Anielle Reid on tv and was impressed. Recently she ended up on my Facebook account and I had the opportunity to listen to a few of her tracks, as well as read a bit more about her as a person as well as an artist. I have been more impressed as I have learned more. I have had the opportunity to chat online with her and wish that I had the opportunity to get to know her personally

When I first listened to her music on the internet, I was struck by the power and sweetness of her voice, the banjo playing reminiscent of Molly O'Day (first impression), and just why Roy Acuff hated drums. She uses drums (probably an artificial drum track) on her album "Ain't Like 'Em". The drums clash very much with the otherwise beautiful music, but her playing and singing save the day.

Her album is all original work. I would like her to show her connection with the folk tradition by selecting a few traditional gems and sharing with us her interpretation (she did a beautiful rendition of the Icelandic folk song Lilja for a special project ) .  Even Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams covered traditional songs and the Carter family made traditional songs so much their own that many people credit them with writing everything they performed. Lead Belly performed both originals and traditionals.

I have had the opportunity to hear a preliminary mix of another song from her next album. The song is "Great Again" .  It is excellent, with a bit more of a "grassy" sound.  The music is slightly uptempo and there are no drums (none that I can hear). Her vocals on this song are powerful and would be well suited to bluegrass (my favorite form of music). I hope that any drums on the new album will actually fit. As I said, the drums for "Lilja" work quite well. 

Anielle may not be a banjo picker as great as Earl Scruggs, but he was one of the greatest musicians of all time, frequently compared to Paganini..  She hasn't made it to Bella Fleck's standard yet, either.  He has been nominated for grammies in more categories than any other musician, and she has years to catch up. Keep it up and she will probably earn at least a nomination or two. She can definitely sing better than either.  In fact, her vocals are about as good as any out there.  She is a promising young musician in the early stages of a career. I hope there will be many more, and that they will be as great as what I expect.

Anielle Reid is a bright and promising rising star in the Americana/folk/bluegrass music firmament. She is becoming an important contributor to the American (and world) music scene. I hope that she will continue to hone her skills and not become discouraged.  She has the potential to be one of the greats. I want to hear more!!!!!