Music City Bluesletter - January 2004 by Sheryl and Don Crow Janey Street certainly is a captivating vocalist. She can go from a soft ballad to a near-Janis-Joplin growl in a heartbeat! Add to that her clever songwriting, and, when you put 'em both together, you get this fine collection of blues, The Street Less Traveled. Janey explores a lot of territory on this set. There's a bit of jazz, a taste of jump blues, and some smoky ballads for good measure. All are full of Janey's wry, witty look at life and live. Listen to "Sail Away," and you'll find her looking for that "perfect place" to get away. Then, the samba-flavored "Santa Ana Winds" lets you know she's found that place. "The Right Thing To Do" has all the ingredients of a classic "cheatin" tale, while "Hangin' By A Shoestring" has her looking for a love that's just not materializing--in fact, it's only "one page from Chapter 11!" She finds a good man who accepts her and her imperfections as well in "He Just Does," with some tasty guitar from Fred Molin. "Boy Toy" and "Around Midnight" conjure up tales of late night rendezvous for a little "extracurricular activity!!" And, the jazzy tribute to her brother, "Hands On The Keys" is a good look at how music can touch our souls. We had some favorites aside from these, though "Mistreated" is a poignant tale of a woman used by the man she loves. On the lighter side, get your dancin' shoes on for "Flip Flop Wishy Washy Me," with trumpet from Steve Rosengarden and wailin' sax courtesy of Jim Hoke! This is a strong set from a fine singer-songwriter. If you like a varied taste of blues within a CD, then you can't go wrong with "The Street Less Traveled."

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