Susan Tedeschi: Wait For Me : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Wait for me is Susan Tedes-chi's follow-up to her Grammy-nominated solo debut, Just Won't Burn. The singer-songwriter's voice is cool and strong; her soulfulness has much to do with self-containment -- knowing when and how much to hold back. The same can be said of Tedeschi's guitar playing, which is best displayed on "I Fell in Love," where she playfully spars with pianist Johnnie Johnson, Chuck Berry's legendary accompanist.

Tedeschi's vocals, her catholic approach to roots music and her knack for pop-soul balladry ("Wrapped in the Arms of Another") beg comparisons to Bonnie Raitt, which isn't a bad thing: Like Raitt, Tedeschi follows her bliss all over the stylistic map, from Memphis-style soul ("Alone") to slow, torchy blues ("Wait for Me") and a mystical meditation ("In the Garden") that points the way for Tedeschi to develop a more personal style. Wait for Me has no real center, but its various parts showcase Tedeschi's formidable talent.

PARKE PUTERBAUGH
(RS 914 – January 3, 2003)