Vanessa Carlton Be Not Nobody CD

"A Thousand Miles" was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals.

Although comparisons to fellow piano-playing chanteuses Fiona Apple and Tori Amos would be the easiest and laziest to make, 22-year old Vanessa Carlton's confident mastery of the 88's is more reminiscent of Ben Folds if he had Jewel's voice. Carlton's songs on BE NOT NOBODY deal with the emotional heft of love and life minus the collateral damage of physical and psychological abuse.

Armed with classical training (thanks to her piano teacher mum) and a honey-soaked vocal style, Carlton burned up the airwaves and MTV's heavy rotation with the breezy hit "A Thousand Miles," and there are plenty more tricks up the sleeves of this former ballerina's Danskin. When she's not giving herself over to infatuation on the yearning "Pretty Baby" or hinting at a dark side on her version of The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black," she's hiding her vulnerability behind a barrage of pointed piano runs on the Folds-flavored "Unsung." Equally impressive are the jittery neo-funk of "Prince," the Suzanne Vega-like "Twilight," and the soaring pop of "Ordinary Day."

Recorded at IGA Studios, Santa Monica, California, Henson Studios, Hollywood, California and Royaltone Studios, Burbank, California.

Personnel: Vanessa Carlton (vocals, piano); John Goux (guitar, dulcimer, sitar); Gayle Levant (harp); Eun Mee Ahn, Al Hershberger, John Wittenberg, Anatoly Rosinsky, Katia Popov, Tamara L. Hatwan, Robin Olson, Alan Grunfeld, Barbara Porter, Ken Yerke, Rene Mandel, Becky Bunnell, Tiffany Hu, Franklyn d'Antonio, Joel Derouin, Mark Robertson , Sid Page, Jacqueline Brand, Bruce Dukov, Kirstin Fife, Clayton Haslop, Natalie Leggett, Phillipe Levy, Sara Parkins, Margaret Wooten, Armen Garabedian, Berj Garabedian, Charlie Bisharat, Mario Diaz de Leon (violin); Marlo Fisher, Mathew Cooker, Keith Grezen, Karen Elaine Bakunin, Karen Van Sant, Paul Cohen , Brian Dembow, Simon Oswell, Dmitri Boviard (viola); Timothy Landauer, Bob Adcock, Suzie Katayama, Larry Corbett, Stephen Erdody, Armen Ksadjikian, David Low , Cecilia Tsan (cello); Ron Fair (harmonica, organ, vibraphone); Tommy Morgan (harmonica); Dan Higgins (recorder, woodwinds); Susan Greenberg, Cindy Ellis, Rose Corrigan, David Shostac, Sheridon Stokes (woodwinds); Emil Richards (vibraphone); Nico Abandolo, Trey Henry, Michael Valerio (double bass); Chuck Berghofer (upright bass); Abe Laboriel, Jr. (drums); Luis Conte (percussion).

Audio Mixers: Hugh Padgham; Jack Joseph Puig; Michael C. Ross .

Recording information: Henson Studios, Hollywood, CA; IGA Studios, Santa Monica, CA; Royaltone Studios, Burbank, CA.

Illustrator: Drew FitzGerald.

Photographers: Alan Silfen; Kurt Iswarienko; James "Big Jim" Wright .

Arrangers: Ron Fair; Vanessa Carlton; Randy Kerber.

Personnel: Vanessa Carlton (vocals, piano); John Goux (guitar, dulcimer, sitar); Ron Fair (harmonica, organ, vibraphone); Alex Al (electric upright bass); Chuck Berghofer (upright bass); Abe Laboriel Jr. (drums); Luis Conte (percussion).



This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.Q (10/02, p.102) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Carlton sounds earthier, wiser and in for the long haul..."